In 2023, after two years of social distancing norms, we launched our first Appreciation Event to reconnect and celebrate the power of community. It quickly became one of our favorite annual traditions.

This year, mentors, volunteers, supporters, community partners and friends gathered to once again celebrate the people who help make our mission possible. Thanks to the generosity of Bike Dog Brewing for donating the event space and Save Mart Folsom Blvd. for providing delicious bites, the mixer-style event was filled with gratitude and meaningful connections.

One of the highlights each year is recognizing individuals whose extraordinary dedication has strengthened our community and created brighter futures for youth. We proudly honor a Mentor of the Year, UPlifter of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year for their outstanding dedication and impact on the youth we serve. This year also featured a new heartfelt Founder Appreciation.

• Kecia Domoto | Founder Appreciation – This year’s Appreciation Event was the perfect opportunity to publicly honor Aging UP Co-Founder Kecia for her vision and leadership in helping create a community of opportunities and support for youth with foster care experience. It all began with a leap of faith in 2016, when she and Co-founder April, with assistance from other professionals, developed Aging UP’s trauma-informed, strengths-based model and mentor training curriculum. After recruiting our first mentoring cohort in 2018, Kecia continued to diligently serve as Program Director, managing day-to-day program operations, which required innovation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Kecia retired from her staff role in August 2025, yet as we say, “Once you’re part of our community, you’re always part of it!” Kecia’s efforts and advocacy will remain embedded throughout our culture.

• Kristin Leonard | Mentor of the Year – For more than 8 years, Kristin’s outstanding commitment has been an anchor for her mentee, Star. She is there to celebrate milestones, offer encouragement and provide practical support, including reaching out for grocery gift cards when needed. After Star earned her esthetician license in 2025, Kristin connected her with an opportunity to turn her passion for beauty into additional income as a Beauty Society Advisor. Kristin’s generosity extends beyond her mentoring relationship. She volunteers during events and is on our FUNdraising planning committee. Kristin also made last year’s  Holiday meetUP one of the sweetest events yet by baking more than 100 sugar cookies for youth and mentors to decorate together.

• Victoria Rodriguez | Volunteer of the Year – Our community has stories to share, and “Vikki,” as she’s known by Mentoring Matches, makes that happen! As a full-time videographer and editor, Vikki uses her expertise to highlight our mission in a meaningful way. While she has volunteered in this role since our founding in 2018, last year she made it a priority to create more video content, launching several new INsights videos featuring unscripted mentees and mentors. These powerful stories were a huge part of our much-needed end-of-year and Big Day of Giving fundraising successes. Check out the moving videos she produced on our YouTube channel!

• Don Wells | UPlifter of the Year – Don is the Chief Empowerment Officer of Just In Time For Foster Youth, a San Diego-based nonprofit that provides community and life-changing resources for more than 3,000 former foster youth annually. After an introduction in 2024, Aging UP joined JIT’s 100K Community, a “scaling by sharing” approach that allows partners to replicate JIT’s impactful model to best fit each organization’s needs. Shortly after, Don, who has led JIT for nearly 20 years, began mentoring Co-founder April. True to the UPlifter definition, this was extremely beneficial during a season of significant changes, including Keica’s retirement and the unexpected elimination of our local AmeriCorps program due to federal cuts and the two positions it provided. Don also made a personal multi-year investment of $20,000 and invited others to invest in Our Vision to serve 100 youth annually by 2030. When accepting his award, Don shared encouraging words that perfectly captured the spirit of the day.

Guests also enjoyed Mingle Bingo, which sparked great conversations, delicious appetizers from Save Mart, raffle prizes, and the opportunity to build new or deeper connections with others who believe in empowering young people. The event was a joyful reminder that every success story begins with a community of people who show up, care deeply and invest in the future of young people.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, volunteered, donated, and helped make this celebration a success. Such support ensures that youth with foster care experience have access to the relationships, resources and opportunities needed to thrive.

Thank you for being part of our community and for helping us celebrate another year of impact. We look forward to continuing to empower thriving futures together!

Martin is a Technical Specialist at Accenture, where he works on implementing the State of California’s first automated financial reporting system. He is a Microsoft Certified Data Analyst Associate, has led his office’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group, and currently serves as a Cultural Lead, helping advance inclusion and community engagement efforts.

In his role as Accenture Relationship Manager for Aging UP, Martin supports fundraising efforts, grant writing, and the coordination of office space and material resources to strengthen the organization’s programs and impact.

Outside of work and community service, Martin enjoys spending time with his children, cycling, attending live music events, and practicing yoga.

Alan holds certifications in Amazon Web Services and is working toward other Technology and Project Management certifications. Alan holds a B.S. in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis.

As a leader of the Sacramento Hispanic American Employee Resource Group (HAERG), Alan reached out in the spring of 2023 to discover ways his group could support our mission. Since then, he has continued to volunteer and support Aging UP, even creating a partnership so we could use Accenture’s state-of-the-art office space. A year later, we were thrilled to welcome Alan as our newest board member to join the leadership team!

Alan is especially enthusiastic to provide learning opportunities and resources to children with a background in foster care so that they can grow into happy and successful adults.

Alan lives in Sacramento, California. In his personal time, he loves mentoring/helping others, accumulating self-development and leadership knowledge, introducing aviation to younger generations, watching Formula 1, and doing high-performance driving with his dad.

Photo by Lana Akin Photography

Aging UP Commits to Serving Youth in Foster Care Amid Coronavirus Pandemic and Invites the Community’s Support on Big Day of Giving

Sacramento, Calif, May 1, 2020 – Youth in foster care served by the nonprofit Aging UP continue to find support, resources and mentorship during the coronavirus pandemic. With proceeds raised on Big Day of Giving, May 7, Aging UP is committed to helping more youth in foster care connect, grow and succeed, even during this crisis.

Youth in foster care often lack the emotional and educational supports necessary to grow into happy, healthy and successful adults. They disproportionately face homelessness, physical and mental health problems, criminal involvement, low educational attainment, and other disadvantages. “We know that too often youth in foster care lack a consistent, positive adult relationship. As an organization, we remain committed to the youth we serve and, especially because of the mental health challenges caused by this crisis, we are continuing with plans to connect more youth with safe and caring mentors. Of course, we need the financial support from our community to do so,” said April Johnson, Aging UP Co-Founder.

Aging UP serves youth in the Sacramento region stretching from Galt to Roseville, where according to The University of California at Berkley, California Child Welfare Indicators Project, there are more than 1,900 youth in foster care.

In 2016, Aging UP was founded by professionals with child-welfare, mentoring, and nonprofit experience. As friends who saw unmet needs for local youth in foster care, they combined their passions and professional skills to develop Aging UP’s trauma-informed service model. “Aging UP’s services are unique for the Sacramento area. We recruit volunteer mentors from the community who must pass a rigorous screening process and undergo more than 20 hours of training. And yet, we continue to grow and see more and more interest,” said Kecia Sakazaki, Aging UP Co-Founder.

“The weeks and months ahead will continue to be a challenge for our region, for our youth — who are the most impacted by this crisis — and for our organization. However, we are ready to lead and able to serve our region’s youth in foster care,” said Enrique Ruacho, Aging UP Board President. While many nonprofits are considering cuts to their programs due to the crisis, Aging UP’s Board approved a scalable plan to grow and expand its service model during this crisis. “This is the time when we are called to action. And we are lucky to have a dedicated leadership team who volunteers their time and is passionate about our mission and overcoming the challenges ahead,” said Ruacho.

Aging UP will continue to provide one-on-one mentoring, positive activities, and independent living skills education virtually, while following state and county guidelines related to the coronavirus pandemic. “The heart of our program is based on one-to-one mentoring. Typically, this involves the mentor and youth enjoying activities together throughout the community. As soon as the coronavirus affected school districts, we began adapting our program so mentors would have the tools and resources to continue connecting with their youth,” said Sakazaki.

“This crisis will not define us. How we lifted and supported each other will be the legacy of this challenging chapter. That’s why I am inspired by Aging UP’s mission and its commitment to youth in foster care,” said Delaine Eastin, former California Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“Now, more than ever, young people need the support, guidance and friendship of adults. For the youth we serve, this need is even greater as teens in foster care have experienced past traumas that are being triggered by this pandemic. They are trying to cope with the current situation, which is a challenge for the most mentally healthy and resourced among us. A mentor provides teens with a healthy, adult relationship to help cope with the uncertainty and isolation they may feel,” said Sakazaki.

Aging UP is one of 615 nonprofits participating in Big Day of Giving, a 24-hour, community-wide day of philanthropy that takes place online and is organized by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. Aging UP acknowledges the economic challenges caused by this crisis yet encourages the community to support its mission, and other vital nonprofit work, by either donating or volunteering. “Nonprofits rely on the generosity of our community to provide critical services that make our city a happier, healthier and safer for all. The support we receive through Big Day of Giving will be a large indicator of the increased number of youth Aging UP can serve during this crisis,” said Johnson. The funds raised by Aging UP will provide more youth from foster care with necessary mentoring relationships. Volunteer opportunities include mentoring, administrative and other professional services.

About Aging UP

Aging UP is a nonprofit with a mission to empower youth with experience in foster care to successfully transition into adulthood. Founded in 2016, Aging UP offers one-to-one mentoring, positive recreation and independent living skills education to Sacramento region youth, ages 13-19, who have any experience in foster care. To support Aging UP through Big Day of Giving or to learn more about volunteering, please visit agingup.org or email info@agingup.org.

Media contact: April Johnson 916.267.7359 ext. 2 or april@agingup.org.

About Big Day of Giving

Big Day of Giving is a program of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to raise unrestricted funds for nonprofit organizations that strengthen the capital region. Since 2013, the giving day has generated nearly $40 million for more than 600 local nonprofits!