Girl Scout Troop 5325, which meets at the Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, were the first youth group to schedule a volunteer clean-up day for the Venice Japanese American Memorial Monument (VJAMM) at the northwest corner of Venice and Lincoln Boulevards.
Under the supervision of Leader Victoria Yamashita and Girls Scout mom Lisa Yumori, Senior Girls Scouts Leila Fernandez, Inori Kawauchiya, Lindsey Kojima, Amanda Matsubara, Jacklyn Oldoerp, Chrissy Wakasa, Ally Yamashita, and Junior Jennifer Yamashita toweled off the granite obelisk with Windex, and swept up the sidewalk debris between the two bus shelters on Venice and Lincoln Boulevards.
VJAMM Committee members Phyllis Hayashibara, Arnold Maeda, and Suzanne Thompson met the Girl Scouts, and treated them to a sushi lunch donated by Esther Chaing of Hama Sushi in Venice.
The VJAMM Committee plans to schedule monthly maintenance days with various community youth groups with their adult leaders and seeks donations of refreshments for the volunteers. If interested in volunteering or donating lunch, please contact Phyllis Hayashibara at phyllishayashibara@gmail.com.
The Venice Japanese American Memorial Monument was dedicated on April 27, 2017, to remember the 1,000 Japanese Americans from Venice, Santa Monica, and Malibu who were forced to relocate to internment camps during World War II.
