Alisa Matsuzaki: A Senior Profile Portrait by Juan Nava (2014)

Alisa Matsuzaki is a volunteer activist who runs the meet-up group, Ai Explore. Her passion for helping others drew my attention, so I developed a film profiling Matsuzaki. I recorded three events in which Matsuzaki either lead or assisted the group, observing the strategies of a good volunteer leader and the impact her efforts had in numerous communities and lives. At a Habitate of Humanity gathering in San Jose, Matsuzaki distributed lunch to other volunteers as well as filing paper work. She recruited performers for musical renditions at a senior facility, enriching the lives of numerous people. I found her commitment to charity inspiring and hope I find a similar philanthropic purpose in life.