Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)

06/07/2026

We are deeply grateful for the partnership, generosity, and community spirit of the legal community.

A special thank you to the Asian Bar Association of Washington (ABAW), Vietnamese American Bar Association of Washington (VABAW), and Filipino Lawyers of Washington for once again coming together in support of Walk for Rice and the ACRS Food Bank. Their members showed up in force for the Walk for Rice Community Celebration and continued the spirit of giving and connection with an afterparty potluck following the event.

Their collective effort is a powerful reminder of what can happen when organizations unite around a shared purpose. By bringing their communities together, they are helping ensure that individuals and families can access foods that feel familiar, comforting, and connected to home.

There's still time to make an impact before the campaign ends on June 30. Gather your colleagues, friends, family, or community partners and join the movement by fundraising or making a donation at walkforrice.org.

Together, we can help provide culturally familiar foods to the communities we serve.

06/05/2026

A huge thank you to Joneil Sampana, community organizer and longtime ACRS supporter, for bringing people together in support of Walk for Rice!

On the morning of our Walk for Rice Community Celebration, Joneil hosted a breakfast fundraiser where friends, family, and fellow ACRS supporters gathered to share food, conversation, and community before heading to Seward Park for the celebration. Moments like these remind us that every gathering, big or small, can make a meaningful difference.

There's still time to be part of this year's campaign. Host your own fundraiser, bring together your community, or make a donation before the campaign ends on June 30. Every dollar raised helps provide culturally familiar food to individuals and families served by the ACRS Food Bank.

Join us in making an impact at walkforrice.org.

06/03/2026

ACRS was excited to be part of the Seafair Festival Summer Kickoff at Pier 62! ⛵🎉☀️

ACRS CEO Kendee Yamaguchi joined King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, Seafair leaders and community partners to celebrate the start of Seattle’s summer season.

This year was especially meaningful for ACRS: for the first time, Walk for Rice was included in Seafair’s summer schedule!

Walk for Rice is one of ACRS’s most beloved community traditions, bringing people together each year to support the ACRS Food Bank and the culturally responsive services we provide across King County.

Seafair is such a big part of summer in Seattle, and we’re grateful for this new partnership that spotlights ACRS’s services and uplifts the communities we serve.

Thank you to Seafair for helping lift up this work and deepen our connection to the broader Seattle community!

05/30/2026

The Walk for Rice photos are here!

Thank you again for making this year’s Walk for Rice Community Celebration such a joyful and meaningful day. From the performances to the walk around Seward Park, the morning was full of energy, connection and community care.

A special thank you to event photographer Charissa Soriano (charissasoriano.com) and volunteer photographers Kevin Lee (substanceandhype.com), Tia Moua (instagram.com/travelwithtinytia) and Keale Stoffer (instagram.com/kalestoffer) for capturing so many beautiful moments from the day.

You can now view the event photo albums on the ACRS page (bit.ly/WFR2026Photos). Be sure to like, tag and share your favorite photos with family and friends!

And while the celebration at Seward Park has passed, the Walk for Rice campaign continues through June 30.

Thanks to our incredible community, we’ve raised $275,597 toward our $375,000 goal — leaving $99,403 to go.

Every donation helps the ACRS Food Bank provide nutritious, culturally familiar foods to individuals and families across King County.

Let’s keep the momentum going!

DONATE NOW: walkforrice.org

Special thanks to our event sponsors:
PREMIER: tms
ADVOCATE: Kaiser Permanente
PARTNER: Amazon | Arcora Foundation | CHINN Construction | Delta Dental | Edwin M. Lee Memorial Fund | Judy and Bruce Yasutake | US Bank
COMMUNITY PARTNER: BrainChild Bio | First Student Inc. | Keller Rohrback L.L.P. | Nintendo | Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple & Buddhist Churches of America | Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation

Additional thanks to:
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church
Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple
SK Produce
Gesa Credit Union
Salal Credit Union

Entertainment Sponsor:
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association

Media Sponsor: KING 5
Emcee: Christine Pae, KING 5

05/29/2026

05/28/2026

A big THANK YOU to for donating $5,000 to support the ACRS Food Bank! 💛

Today, Tiffany Sanders, QFC Head of Communications & Public Affairs, stopped by our Food Bank in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District to present the check to ACRS CEO Kendee Yamaguchi and Food Bank team members Karen Jackel, Food Bank Coordinator, and Thang Tran, Food Bank Assistant.

This generous gift comes at an important time as families continue to face high food costs. QFC’s support will help us provide nutritious, culturally familiar foods to individuals and families across King County.

We’re grateful to QFC for standing with ACRS and helping strengthen food security for our communities.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4u4GfIH

05/28/2026

Participants in the Port of Seattle Construction Career Pathway — including ACRS Ready to Work and Literacy Source students — took their career exploration beyond the classroom today with a visit to our partner ANEW in Tukwila.🚧

During the visit, Amanda Mann, ANEW’s Partnerships & Outreach Specialist, walked students through ANEW’s FREE 9-week construction pre-apprenticeship program, including what they’ll learn, what to expect, program benefits and graduation requirements.

Students also toured the ANEW facility and got an up-close look at real construction equipment and tools.

ANEW was founded by women to support women entering the construction trades. Today, its programs serve both men and women, while continuing to offer some classes specifically for women, helping more people build skills, confidence and pathways into high-paying apprenticeships.

Through the Port of Seattle Construction Career Pathway, in partnership with Literacy Source and ACRS's Ready to Work program, limited-English-proficient job seekers are exploring real career options in aviation, construction and other port-related industries and building new pathways toward stability for themselves and their families.

Thank you, ANEW, for welcoming our students and helping them see what’s possible in the trades!

05/27/2026

ACRS is excited to partner with the Seattle Asian American Film Festival as a community co-presenter for the In Search of Us Shorts Program this weekend!

This series of endearing, heartwarming and witty short films explores what it means to search for belonging — in our families, in ourselves and in community.

ACRS staff member Dillon Nishimoto, Population Health and Quality Manager, will share a few words before the screening about ACRS and our work supporting Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, immigrant, refugee and other underserved communities across King County.

ACRS will also have an outreach table in the lobby, so stop by and say hello!

📅 Saturday, May 30
⏰ 10:45 a.m.
📍 Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

Get tickets for In Search of Us and explore the full SAAFF lineup at seattleaaff.org/saaff2026. We hope you’ll join us - and check out the many other films and programs happening throughout the festival!

05/27/2026

ACRS is excited to partner with the Seattle Asian American Film Festival as a community co-presenter for the In Search of Us Shorts Program this weekend!

This series of endearing, heartwarming and witty short films explores what it means to search for belonging — in our families, in ourselves and in community.

ACRS staff member Dillon Nishimoto will share a few words before the screening about ACRS and our work supporting Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, immigrant, refugee and other underserved communities across King County.

ACRS will also have an outreach table in the lobby, so stop by and say hello!

📅 Saturday, May 30
⏰ 10:45 a.m.
📍 Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

Get tickets for In Search of Us and explore the full SAAFF lineup at seattleaaff.org/saaff2026. We hope you’ll join us - and check out the many other films and programs happening throughout the festival!

05/26/2026

Last week, ACRS was proud to join community partners at the Seattle Storm's first-ever A&NH/PI Heritage Night at Climate Pledge Arena! 💚⚡️

It was a great evening of connection, celebration and community pride, and a meaningful opportunity to share ACRS’s culturally responsive programs and services with fans and community members.

The arena was buzzing, A&NH/PI pride was everywhere, and we loved being part of a night that brought community together.

Thank you to the for creating space to celebrate and uplift the diversity, strength and stories of A&NH/PI communities.