Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)

03/04/2026

When you support Walk for Rice (walkforrice.org), you join a decades-long tradition of showing up for community—especially in times when care, compassion, and cultural understanding are needed more than ever.

What began in 1990 with just 45 walkers has grown into a powerful movement, raising over $4 million to fight hunger and provide culturally familiar foods to thousands of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community members across King County. Co-founders Herb and Bertha Tsuchiya and Sam Mitsui saw ACRS as a place where overlooked communities could be treated with dignity—and believed in the power of everyday people to make a difference.

Today, our communities face more than just food insecurity. Many are navigating fear, displacement, and injustice, often within the very systems meant to protect them. The ACRS Food Bank continues to be a place of welcome, care, and connection—a reminder that people come first.

Join us on Saturday, May 16 at 9 am at Seward Park, or make a gift to support the cause. Every step and every dollar helps provide rice, noodles, tofu, and hope.

Walk with purpose. Walk for community. Walk for Rice.

Walk for Rice supports the ACRS Food Bank, helping provide culturally familiar foods to Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and other underserved community members experiencing food insecurity. Every step makes a difference!

02/27/2026

Want to make a difference before Walk for Rice 2026 even begins? 🍚
We've put together a free Ambassador Toolkit (https://acrs-it.github.io/WFRSharing/) with everything you need to spread the word — shareable posts, graphics, and messaging ready to go. All it takes is a few clicks to help us reach more people and raise more support for our community.

Check it out: 👉https://acrs-it.github.io/WFRSharing/ 👈

02/19/2026

Walk for Rice (walkforrice.org) is earlier this year, and there’s a reason: the need is rising fast.

In 2025, the ACRS Food Bank and nutrition programs supported more people than the year before—and we’re working hard to keep up.

In one year, ACRS saw more:
• People served: 4,239 → 4,916 (+16%)
• Visits: 89,244 → 98,260 (+10%)
• Emergency meals: 27,111 → 28,079 (+968)
• Food distributed: 987,853 → 992,686 lbs (+4,833 lbs)
• Produce harvested at our community farm: 4,000 → 5,000 lbs (+25%)

Behind every number is someone trying to make ends meet. Walk for Rice helps ensure families can access culturally familiar foods — like rice, tofu, and bok choy— when they need it most.

Help meet the need — start fundraising today

Start the Lunar New Year with impact by launching your Walk for Rice fundraiser. The earlier you start, the more you can raise for families facing rising food costs.

Our Walk for Rice Toolkit (bit.ly/WFR2026Toolkit) has everything you need to start in minutes:
• Ready-to-use email, text, and social messages
• Logo, QR code, and photos (plus ideas for team shirts)
• A printable flyer for your office, gatherings, or favorite café
• 20 fun fundraising ideas to rally your team

Follow us on Facebook or reach out to acrsevents@acrs.org with any questions.

Walk for Rice supports the ACRS Food Bank, helping provide culturally familiar foods to Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and other underserved community members experiencing food insecurity. Every step makes a difference!

02/19/2026

We’ve been so fortunate to have some truly awesome volunteers supporting our programs over the past few weeks 💛

Volunteers have been busy helping out with our Computer Classes and Nutrition Programs, pitching in to make our Lunar New Year celebration for elders a huge success, keeping our booth staffed at the Tet festival, and even putting some extra unique skills to use, like sharpening all the kitchen knives at Club Bamboo! 🧧🔪

Want to be part of this amazing community? Join us at www.acrs.org/volunteer
or sign up for a shift at www.bit.ly/ACRSVOLCAL. We’d love to have you!

02/17/2026

Happy Year of the Horse! 🐎 ACRS CEO Kendee Yamaguchi shares a Lunar New Year message on community, resilience, and moving forward together.

Dear ACRS Community, There’s a particular energy in Seattle right now. Our city is still riding the high of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory, and that collective joy reminded me why gathering matters. This week, we carry that spirit into something deeper. Lunar New Year begins February 17, welco...

02/13/2026

We are so excited to be participating in the Tet Lunar New Year celebration at Seattle Center tomorrow and Sunday. Thank you so much to Tet in Seattle for organizing this amazing event once again (and congrats on year number 30). Stop by our table to get some ACRS swag and say hello! Chúc mừng năm mới!

02/12/2026

ACRS is proud to join community partners in informing this Executive Order by King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. Protecting immigrant and refugee families requires coordinated action, and this is an important step toward keeping communities safe, stable, and connected to essential services.

02/12/2026

ACRS is celebrating our Super Bowl LX Champions - congratulations, Seattle Seahawks! ACRS staff showed up strong at the downtown victory parade and at our office watch party. What a special and unforgettable moment for Seattle. 💙💚

02/10/2026

📣 TAKE ACTION: Contact your senators today and urge a YES vote on SB 5574

02/08/2026

ACRS staff sending big spirit on Sunday! 💙💚🏈

02/07/2026

Walk for Rice (walkforrice.org) is here - and we’re launching earlier so we can celebrate during A&NH/PI Heritage Month in May. Every year, our community comes together to raise awareness and funds for food security in Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (A&NH/PI) communities. With your support, the ACRS Food Bank provides culturally familiar staples like rice, tofu, bok choy and other essentials to thousands of individuals and families across our region.

This year, we’re rallying to raise $375,000—enough to help distribute nearly one million pounds of food to our neighbors experiencing hunger. Here’s the easiest way you can join:

• Start a Fundraiser: Form a team or start a personal fundraiser in just minutes on our Walk for Rice website: walkforrice.org
• Spread the Word: Forward this email or share Walk for Rice on social to help ACRS reach 7,500 Facebook Likes and invite new supporters and participants.
• Celebrate in Person: Join us at Seward Park on Saturday, May 16 for an inspiring closing celebration with our community - walk, celebrate and see your impact in action.

Why We Walk for Rice

A&NH/PI communities are among the fastest growing populations, yet many face food insecurity at disproportionate rates. The ACRS Food Bank ensures seniors, families, and individuals struggling to put food on the table receive the nourishment they need. In 2025, ACRS distributed around one million pounds of food to more than 4,900 people and provided over 28,000 emergency meals.

When you support Walk for Rice, you help bring culturally familiar foods to those in need.

Walk for Rice supports the ACRS Food Bank, helping provide culturally familiar foods to Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and other underserved community members experiencing food insecurity. Every step makes a difference!

02/06/2026

At A&NH/PI Legislative Day, hundreds of advocates and community members from across Washington state came to the State Capitol to raise our voices on the issues that matter most to our communities. With a crowd of almost 1,000 and an incredible youth turnout, the energy was electric!

From inspiring words by elected leaders and community voices to meaningful meetings with legislative district representatives, today was a powerful reminder: when we show up together, we create change.

Thank you to everyone who traveled, rallied, shared your stories, and stood in solidarity. This is people power in action. ✊🏽

If you were there, share your pics and we’ll post them with more photos from today!