Little Tokyo Service Center

Volunteer: Rosa Kawahira

 Little Tokyo Service Center's (LTSC) mission is to provide a comprehensive array of social welfare and community development services to assist low income individuals and other persons in need, contribute to community revitalization and cultural preservation in Little Tokyo and among the broader Japanese community in the Southland, and to provide such resources to neighboring Asian Pacific Islander and other low income communities. 

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Rosa Kawahira began volunteering with Little Tokyo Service Center in 2017 in the after-school programs offered at one of its affordable housing communities. In 2018, she began volunteering with LTSC’s VITA tax preparation program as an interviewer. To be able to increase her service to the community, she worked on passing the basic level of certification so that she could provide more extensive tax preparation assistance. Rosa generously utilizes all of her skills to go above and beyond, especially when it comes to the youth after-school program. She was born in Peru and speaks Spanish, Japanese and English, and uses her language skills to tutor youth in reading and comprehension, and provides additional support to youth learning English. In all of her interactions, Rosa is patient and caring, and brings positivity and motivation to others. Rosa’s dedication and compassion to volunteering and community care is truly inspiring for staff and others. Not only does Rosa show up to volunteer, but she is fully invested in building a sense of community.