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This story was produced with support from the Asian American Journalists Assn. and AARP, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, June Bai’s weeks were filled with a diverse range of activities she looked forward to doing.
Bai, 69, enjoyed the freedom she had to attend dance and tai chi classes and evenings at the symphony.
Santa Ana resident June Bai, 69, helps deliver hot meals to seniors.
(Courtesy of AASCSC)
That all came to an end when the country began shutting down in March.
“Because of the pandemic, all those social activities were cancelled, so I couldn’t engage with people,” she said through an interpreter, Eileen Ni, director of community wellness at the Santa Ana-based nonprofit Asian American Senior Citizens Service Center (AASCSC). “I lost my joy. I could only stay at home and take care of my father. That’s the only thing I could do.”