Hate against Asian American Pacific Islander communities has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the 2020-2021 National Report of the Stop AAPI Hate organization, 11.1% of Asian Americans who reported an incident were physically attacked. This is heartbreaking and personal, because the victims could be our grandparents, parents, siblings, children, other relatives, or friends. What can we do to help our most vulnerable Asian seniors?
- President Mary Liu submitted a grant proposal to our San Francisco Rotary Foundation to purchase $5,000 worth of personal safety alarms to distribute to Asian seniors in the various districts of San Francisco. The grant was approved by the Club's Community Service Committee, the Grant Review Committee, the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Rotary Foundation.
- Our Club is collaborating with the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown as well as with food pantries, the San Francisco Police Department, TogetherSF, and other organizations.
- The personal safety alarm helps to deter an attack, by startling and scaring away attackers. If threatened, the alarm can be activated with a loud, piercing 130-decibel siren to create a diversion and alert others of the emergency. The alarm empowers Asian seniors to be able to go about their daily lives with less fear.
On August 12, 2021, President Mary, her husband - James Wong, and members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown distributed over 100 alarms to Asian seniors at the food pantry at Cameron House in Chinatown. This was the first of many distribution events to come in the next couple of months. The next distribution will be on August 21, 2021, with two shifts and locations. Register soon as the number of opportunities are limited: 