Community Spotlight: Korean American Community Services (KACS)
At KACF-SF, we are committed to uplifting the Korean American community through spreading awareness, giving– whether it be through philanthropy or volunteering, and providing support to nonprofit organizations who serve the underprivileged within our community. To highlight the incredible work of our grantee partners, we are launching our Community Spotlight series on our KACF-SF Blog!
For our first feature, we are excited to share about Korean American Community Services (KACS), an organization dedicated to serving recent immigrants and first-generation Korean American seniors. Their mission began in 1979 by county social workers, Hee Shik Kim, Young Ja Kim, and Michael Kim, in recognizing the vulnerability of these groups especially because of their limited proficiency in English and social isolation from mainstream American society. Today, they serve more than 3,000 seniors in Santa Clara County by providing nutritious meals daily, along with classes as part of their wellness program and social services. In discussing the amazing work of KACS, one of the most profound areas of their impact is the community they foster. For many, this community has provided them a space for support, friendship, and connection during difficult times– including for my own halmoni.
In 2009, my grandmother moved to the U.S. to remarry, joining my widowed harabeoji. They moved together into a housing complex for low-income seniors in San Jose, and shortly after, my harabeoji and other halmoni introduced her to KACS for the first time.
Picture of my halmoni and harabeoji together, taken in 2009.
For this blog post, I interviewed her asking about her experience with KACS or as she calls it, 케이센터 (formerly 한미봉사회). The moment I asked her, her face lit up. She reminisced about her first day, recalling how word of her arrival spread quickly—thanks to my other grandma who had accompanied her that day. Before long, everyone knew that she had recently arrived in the U.S. from Korea without knowing anyone before marrying my harabeoji. The women were very welcoming; a few even invited her to join their larger friend group outside of KACS.
From that day forward, she attended KACS every day. As a new immigrant with little English proficiency, she eagerly joined the English language classes, determined to better navigate her new environment. Line dancing fit perfectly into her schedule, providing a fun way to exercise before enjoying a delicious lunch in the cafeteria with my harabeoji. “They prepare it every day, and it’s really yummy. Other nationalities come as well—not just Koreans, but also Vietnamese, Filipino, and Chinese seniors.”
Ashley’s halmoni and her friend performing line dance at the 2025 KACS Full Moon Festival.
When I asked her what stood out most from her early days at KACS, she immediately praised the teachers. “The teachers are really good and helpful,” she told me. Beyond the classes, staff members helped her and my harabeoji understand their bills, paperwork, and any issues that arose. She couldn’t emphasize enough how much help and support she found at KACS as she adjusted to life in America.
With the friends she met through KACS, she and her group would save money every month to fund group trips. Together, they traveled everywhere—from Canada to Alaska, Hawaii, Monterey Bay, and Los Angeles. Through KACS, my grandmother found the community and resources she otherwise would not have had in the U.S. She has now been attending KACS for fourteen years. After taking a break following my harabeoji's recent passing, she was once again welcomed back with warmth and open arms. Now, she hopes to continue living in America, having found her home in the life she has built here.
