Little Tokyo Senior Nutrition Services, which delivers more than 100 meals a day to seniors in Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights, is turning 50 while fighting to survive a federal funding cutoff.

The nonprofit, also known as Koreisha Chushoku Kai, will hold a 50th anniversary gala on Oct. 3 at Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, 815 E. First St. in Little Tokyo. The dinner runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

Until this year, LTNS relied on federal dollars that flowed through the Los Angeles City Department of Aging. That money disappeared after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminated funding for nutrition programs across the country, the Rafu Shimpo reported. The organization has secured a separate source to cover food costs, but operational expenses remain unfunded. Staff salaries, rent, insurance, supplies and transportation all need new backing.

Darlene Kuba, LTNS board president, told the Rafu Shimpo that the nutrition program, combined with social and support services, has made a huge impact on the seniors LTNS serves.

The stakes are personal.

Most LTNS participants are over 75 and live on fixed incomes. The organization serves meals five days a week at a lunch site next to Little Tokyo Towers and delivers roughly 80 meals to homebound seniors, according to Cultural News. Each meal costs $3.50 to produce. As the Los Angeles Times reported in October 2024, for some recipients it was the only meal they ate that day.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, also included $187 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a separate federal food-aid program. CNBC reported the Congressional Budget Office called those reductions the biggest in the program's history. In Los Angeles County, more than a quarter of residents receive CalFresh, the state version of SNAP, according to the Los Angeles Times.

LTNS was founded on April 2, 1976, out of concern for aging Little Tokyo residents. Its congregate program brings seniors together for meals, craft classes and exercise sessions, countering isolation.

The Oct. 3 gala will honor three community leaders: Beverly Ito, president and CEO of Keiro Senior Health; Don Tahara, owner of Far Bar, the Little Tokyo gastro pub where LTNS meals have been prepared; and Setsuma Nakama, LTNS executive director. The evening will feature a performance by Davis Gaines, who played the Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera" more than 2,000 times on Broadway, on tour and in Los Angeles.

Tickets are $125. Table sponsorships range from $1,500 to $25,000. For information, call (213) 680-9173 or email [email protected].

Upcoming: LTNS 50th Anniversary Gala, Oct. 3, 5–8:30 p.m., Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, 815 E. First St., Little Tokyo. Tickets: $125.