The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) was founded 40 years ago on November 1, 1979 to address the divide between AAPI elderly and the services they were entitled to. In 40 years, NAPCA has directly served tens of thousands of AAPI elders and indirectly provided assistance to approximately 100,000 more.

To celebrate this milestone, NAPCA is releasing 40 stories of their staff, constituents, and partners to celebrate the impact that NAPCA has had on AAPI older adults across the country. This week, we highlight Li Yi Li, a participant of NAPCA’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). For more stories, visit https://www.napca.org/40-for-40/.

Li Yi, coming from China, shares her transition to the United States and the fear of finding new jobs as an older worker. While searching for opportunities, she finds a connection with NAPCA’s SCSEP program through her friend.

NAPCA’s SCSEP placements help seniors develop the skills and find placement with community service organizations that benefit from the rich diversity of a lifetime of experience and connection that elders bring to the workforce.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Diverse Elders Coalition.