Ikoi no Kai
Celebrating its 46th anniversary, Portland’s Ikoi no Kai senior meal program offers a space for the local Japanese American community and beyond to connect socially through food and recreational activities.
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Chef Kyoko Adcock, left, and Ame Hayashi, right, prepare food at the kitchen of Ikoi no Kai in Portland, Ore., Dec. 17, 2024.
Winston Szeto / OPB
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Volunteer and Ikoi no Kai Committee Chair Gerry Migaki ladles gravy onto plates during lunch service.
Anna Lueck for OPB
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Volunteer Ellen Lee, left, and Ikoi no Kai Director Jeannine Shinoda, at the lunch which is hosted in the basement of Epworth United Methodist Church in Portland, Ore., Dec. 16, 2024. Shinoda became director of the program in 2020.
Anna Lueck for OPB
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Historic photos of the church and its congregants fill a bulletin board in Epworth United Methodist Church, which was founded by Japanese immigrants, in Portland, Ore., Dec. 16, 2024. The Ikoi no Kai lunch program is hosted in the church's basement.
Anna Lueck for OPB
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Atsuko Richards, left, laughs and signs a card brought to her by Kay Endo, right, during lunch. Richards and Endo are both regular guests at these lunches.
Anna Lueck for OPB
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(Left to right) Volunteer Eleni Antonis watches volunteers Joe Moreau, Sho Dozono, and Alan Kagawa shred turkey during an Ikoi no Kai holiday meal, Dec. 16, 2024. In addition to volunteers, the program is also supported by food donations like these turkeys.
Anna Lueck for OPB
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Guests eat and chat with neighbors during an Ikoi no Kai lunch in Portland, Ore., Dec. 16, 2024. The program was founded in 1979 to provide meals and social connection to Portland's Japanese immigrant community.
Anna Lueck for OPB
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Michiko Usui Kornhauser smiles while listening to another guest at an Ikoi no Kai lunch, Portland, Ore., Dec. 16, 2024.
Anna Lueck for OPB
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A guest holds up handmade cards during an Ikoi no Kai lunch in Portland, Ore., Dec. 16, 2024. The cards are sold to raise funds for the Bento Program, which delivers meals to community members unable to attend the lunch in person.
Anna Lueck for OPB
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A person walks towards the basement entrance of Epworth United Methodist Church, which was founded by Japanese immigrants and now houses the Ikoi no Kai lunch program, Portland, Ore., Dec. 16, 2024.
Anna Lueck for OPB
