[Partner] 14th Annual Our Family, Our Future ALLICE 20th jubilee event aims to empower older adults, stop hate
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In its 20th year of staging presentations and resource fairs free and open to the public in collaboration with multisectoral partners, ALLICE is returning to its traditional gatherings.
After three years of virtual activities, the team will gather in person at their 14th annual “Our Family, Our Future” 2-4 pm, Saturday, June 17, at the Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive, South San Francisco 94080.
The jubilee presentation dedicated to elder care and elder abuse prevention is sponsored by Positively Filipino, Philippine News Today, San Mateo County Health System Behavioral Health & Recovery Services with the City of South San Francisco as event host.
Championing Healthy Communities
Under the leadership of Philippine-born Mayor Flor Nicolas, “South City” is joining Colma and Daly City as champions of health and safety by partnering with ALLICE to enlighten their residents about positive interaction.
2023 Outstanding Mapuan awardee Flor Nicolas is leading her city’s efforts to ensure the health and safety of residents as South San Francisco Mayor and ALLICE 2023 co-president.
Mayor Nicolas, a 25-year leader in biotechnology, is vice president and head of global safety and pharmacovigilance at Rain Oncology. Just a few days ago, she received the Outstanding Mapuan, the highest award from her alma mater Mapua Institute of Technology, where she earned her bachelors in Chemical Engineering before gaining her masters of Public Health at University of Massachusetts Amherst.
South San Francisco is a multicultural city of some 68,000 with a booming economy instantly recognizable by skyscrapers piercing the skies over its massive sprawl.
Hard to imagine its beef packing beginnings now that “South City,” for decades self-identified on its mountainside as the “Industrial City,” has become the “Biotech Capital of the World” for the largest industries pumping greens into its coffers: healthcare and social assistance, retail trade, hospitality and food service, professional, scientific and tech, and more.
The first FilAm woman elected in her city where she is currently the lone female on the City Council, Nicolas is a combination of wisdom from her education, optimism from her immigrant beginnings when a fire broke out while her family was on vacation and the community showered Flor, husband Nenar and their children with support, and compassion for those still finding their footing as newcomers.
Since 2019, Nicolas has called herself a Kumare, as female members of the all-volunteer organization ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment call themselves. This year she heads the organization as co-president with Junior Flores, a project director of Asian American Recovery Services – Healthright 360, the country’s first and largest private recovery service agency for AAPIs.
“As Mayor and longtime community volunteer, I have assisted families facing all kinds of challenges,” explains the now grandmother of three. “Many often are uncomfortable reaching out at first, whether to friends, professionals or our faith community. We elected officials are duty-bound to earn their confidence, so we may gently guide them through the healing process.”
The coming event reinforces South San Francisco’s efforts to foster diversity and inclusion.
“I’m proud to say that South San Francisco formally established a Commission on Equity and Public Safety. It is the result of a yearlong initiative called the Commission on Racial and Social Equity to identify issues of racial and social injustice, investigate their causes, and to create systems for positive change in policies and processes. The Executive Summary, Action Plan, and full Final Report are available in Spanish, Tagalog, and Traditional Chinese as well,” Nicolas shared.
The Commission on Equity and Public Safety bolsters community participation and decision making and increases transparency and accountability.
Empowering Older Adults
San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa (center) will keynote ALLICE Kumares & Kumpares’ first 20th anniversary presentation.
San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa will deliver the keynote address as the board liaison to the County Commission on Aging. Former Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo, founder of Angat Buhay, a PH-based nonprofit volunteer movement to uplift Filipinos, will give a message encouraging the bayanihan system.
Former PH Vice President Leni Robredo will deliver a message as founder of the nonprofit Angat Buhay, whose goal of empowering the marginalized sector through volunteerism aligns with the mission of ALLICE.
Always attuned to social developments, ALLICE will tackle what has been a raging issue since the pandemic for which Asians have been scapegoated. To date 11,000 hate incidents against Asian American have been reported to the national advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate.
In response, Dr. Jei Africa, Director of San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, will present safety tips for people witnessing or directly experiencing hate attacks against Asian Americans. Tessie Madrinan, coordinator of Peninsula Family Service Filipino Peer Counseling program, will present the 9 Acts of Kindness to Empower Older Adults.
Peninsula Family Service Filipino Peer Counseling Program coordinator Tessie Madrinan will present simple ways to make a difference in the lives of older adults.
Six Californians who are 80ish and older will be recognized as “Grand Agers” for their longstanding community service: Aurea Cruz of Colma, Conrad Gamboa of South San Francisco, Cynthia Bonta of Alameda, Perla Ibarrientos of Daly City, and Peter and Estrelle Chan of San Francisco.
Twenty-five family resource providers will attend to discuss their programs and services. The ALLICE “A-List” directory underwritten by the Town of Colma listing over 50 community—based public and private agencies helping individuals and families in need will be distributed. Kaiser Permanente Filipino Association will give blood pressure tests. A free raffle will be drawn immediately at the end of the program. Refreshments will be served.
Longtime allies Lucky Chances and Moonstar will be joined by community enterprises Duggan’s Serra Mortuary, Classic Bowl, Serramonte Center and FilAm Cuisine as donors.
“This event is all about community,” stressed co-president Junior Flores. “Together we can learn to recognize and distinguish between healthy and abusive behaviors. Knowing the subtle but impactful differences in the way we interact can help us make adjustments toward healthy interaction with our family, our friends, clients - even strangers. But most especially to our elders who have sacrificed so much for us to have a bright future.”
ALLICE 2023 co-presidents Flor Nicolas and Junior Flores lsunvh team 20th jubilee
PF Correspondent Cherie Querol Moreno founded ALLICE in 2003 and serves as executive director. For more information, visit www.allicekumares.com or see the public service announcement in this issue.
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