Community News : GARDENA : Asian Center Gets $50,000 to Help Stroke Victims

Area residents who have had strokes will be able to receive free therapy, counseling and field trips at the Asian Community Service Center, now that the center has received a $50,000 grant to expand its support program.

The center at 14112 S. Kingsley Drive helped initiate a support group for stroke patients 10 years ago. A group of 17 people who have suffered strokes has gathered periodically at the center to talk and play “gateball,” a Japanese form of croquet, said center Director Betty Masai. Volunteers also have provided occasional physical or speech therapy sessions for group members.

But now, with the Community Development Block Grant from the city of Gardena, the center will hire a coordinator to expand and oversee the program. Program organizers hope to contract with physical, occupational and speech therapists to provide free therapy sessions on a more regular basis and to organize field trips and transportation to help members socialize and get around more easily.

Supporting stroke victims and helping them feel part of the community are key goals. “This group is isolated and depressed,” said Masai. “They don’t like to eat in restaurants because they can’t chew, have slow movements and feel people are looking at them.”

The expanded program will include educational seminars and counseling sessions for families and an outreach effort to draw more people into the program. Organizers hope to serve up to 25 people.

The grant will fund the program for three years, Masai said.

The Asian Community Service Center is a county facility that provides a variety of bilingual social services to area residents.

The center needs professional therapists to work with the stroke patients on weekday mornings, particularly Mondays, between 10 and 11 a.m. They will be paid a small stipend. Information: (310) 217-7300.