Ed Wong, one of the founding members of Kin On, said several members had discussed how to do things for the community. One of the ideas was to start a nursing home.
Their first meeting was held on Beacon Hill at what is now the Washington Federal Savings Bank.
To start a new project, the challenge was “not raising money,” said Moriguchi. It was organizing the community. Luckily, the leadership of three good friends helped. Ed Wong was in charge of financing. Ark Chin was in charge of fundraising, and the late Ben Woo was in charge of architecture. The plan was to lease the old Keiro home and to build a new Chinese nursing home when the lease expired in 10 years. Woo was also Moriguchi’s good friend.
Kin On was perhaps one of the few projects in the Chinese community that bridged the gap between the American-born, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland Chinese. The factious community was able to work together to achieve a common goal. Today, Kin On has a long waiting list. ♦