Katy Lee

KCI Volunteer

PROFILE:
Katy is a half-Korean Bay Area native who grew up in Oakland. She spent 10 months after high school living in Seoul and studying at Korea University’s Language and Culture Program. She has a BA in Korean from the University of Washington in Seattle. Katy’s hobbies include traveling, hiking, gardening, reading, and watching Netflix.

How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your life?

The biggest way that the pandemic has affected my life is that it has made me postpone my trip to Europe. I had planned to travel to Europe for a month this spring. I rescheduled my travel dates to October, but I don’t know if I will actually be able to go.

What motivated you to volunteer for the Senior Meal Delivery Program?

My dad, who is Korean and lives in Korea, always talks about how important it is to take care of seniors. It is difficult to travel to Korea right now, so helping Korean seniors in San Francisco makes me feel close to him and my grandparents.

How has your experience been so far volunteering with KCI?

My volunteering experience has been very rewarding. The seniors often wait by their doors for us to deliver their meals, and are so genuinely thankful to us. I think that KCI is working very hard to fulfill a great need in the community for safe and reliable access to food for seniors.

Have you been involved with the Korean community or other Korean organizations before?

When I was a child, my mom (who is an American) used to take me and my brother to a Korean church in Oakland because she wanted us to be connected to the Korean community. We did not stay involved in that church for long, but I ended up majoring in Korean in college.

Do you see any needs in the Korean community that you feel should be addressed?

The needs I see in the Korean community are the same as in the general population — housing, healthcare, and income inequality are the biggest problems in my opinion.