Caregiving and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion presented by AARP
Did you know 73% of U.S. workers are also caregivers? Caregivers help with daily tasks such as cooking, transportation, appointment management, grocery shopping, and much more. Caregiving encompasses all aspects of life, especially throughout the workforce. Both caregiving responsibilities and workplace discrimination are not just an older adult issue. This workshop will help you better understand the importance of supporting caregivers who are still working.
JR Fujita
JR began his career at AARP in 2017 as a Senior Program Specialist in Sacramento. Currently, he is responsible for managing the California District Liaison Volunteer Program; California Veterans, Military, and their Families Advisory Committee; California Employer Caregiving and works on community outreach to the Hispanic/Latino population in the greater Sacramento region. He is also taken on special state and national projects related to the COVID-19 pandemic. JR is also a member of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Before joining the AARP California Team, he was a grassroots manager for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network covering 32 counties in Northern and Central California.
JR earned his B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing Management from California State University, Sacramento after just three and a half years of study. Outside of work, JR is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award and has served as an Advisory Board Member for the National Teen Leadership Program. He has also served on the Influencing Health Policy Committee for the National Partnership for Action - United States Office of Minority Health’s Southwest Regional Health Equity Council. He is currently a member of the American Cancer Society Breast Health Leadership Council and is on the volunteer leadership committee responsible for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk of Sacramento. He is also a volunteer for the Sacramento Medical Reserve Corps, part of the Sacramento County Department of Public Health’s Sacramento Medical Foundation that helps support community health and public vaccination clinics.
Kris Ritualo
Kris began her career with AARP in 2004 as a Senior Operations Administrator for AARP Alaska. Currently, as a State and Community Engagement Specialist for AARP California, she oversees AARP programs and development in Sacramento. She is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist and brings with her many years of experience leading several initiatives focusing on delivering positive and meaningful social change through community-centered programs. Kris is a Board of Directors for Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce and Sacramento Asian Chamber of Commerce. She is a Fellow with the Equality California Leadership Program and a Task Force member of the Sacramento Police LGBTQ+ Community Advisory Team. Before coming to AARP, she was the administrative supervisor for the State of Alaska Department of Labor in Anchorage, AK.
Outside of the office, she spearheads fundraising events both in California and Alaska for non-profit organizations that help underserved communities. She spearheaded first-ever Alaska’s “Biking for AIDS” and was instrumental in the development of the “Breast Cancer Awareness Program” in Anchorage, Alaska. She has been recognized for her efforts in organizing fundraising events such as the “Fund for Prescription Drugs,” Pennies from Heaven”, “Honolulu Marathon for Leukemia”, and the million-dollar “Together for Tomorrow” event for one of the local hospitals in Alaska. She has a degree in Business Management and is in the Project Management Program.