By Aya Higa | Project Leader
Happy 2022 to all the supporters of “OOPEN”!!
With your support, OOPEN will continue to serve the community this year, together with our staff with disabilities and with the members of Ancienne-Ai, in which they prepare the food truck lunches.
https://www.aikobo.or.jp/ancienne.html
Since the breakout of COVID-19 in 2020, the employment situation in Japan has been difficult for people with disabilities. Although for those who are already employed, the remote work style made things easier for those with disabilities. But all in all, the employment numbers were down approximately 14% in 2021 compared to the previous year, and it has been a difficult couple of years for the people with disabilities.
COVID situation in Japan was improving towards the end of 2021, until the new Omicron variant came and hit Japan just like the rest of the world. However, despite the situation, the members of OOPEN continue to think of ways to improve our lunch menu and to up-grade the food truck.
In December 2021, staff and volunteers cleaned the inside and outside of the food-truck, with brushes and rags and sponges! We took out the old shelf at the window, and put in a new white one, which makes the food truck clean and much nicer.
This year, in 2022, we plan to up-grade the truck a little more, and buy a new generator with more power, which will enable us to keep more food items warm. And also to keep the refrigerator cold in the summer time.
A new menu is also critical for us to increase our sales. To involve the staff with disabilities and working together with them from the initial stage of planning and coming up with ideas about the menu, is a lot of fun and keep them motivated and learn how to voice their opinions. We are excited to increase our menu and expand our sales venues this year.
Our team believes that towards the end of this year, we will be able to participate in more events and festivals and keep spreading the awareness of the importance of working together with different people with different abilities.
With your support and encouragement, we can be patient with the current situation and be prepared to do a lot more in 2022!!
Thank you, and please look forward to our progress in our next report!!
OOPEN Team
Leader: Aya Higa
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
