Supporting the program is an extension of a lifelong commitment to learning and service

After retiring from her career as a librarian in 2021, Janet Tom was looking for ways to relieve her arthritis symptoms and improve her balance, core stability and muscular strength.

“I had fallen a few times, and it gets scary when you’re older,” Janet said. “You see uneven sidewalks; you hear about friends who have suffered a broken hip. I realized a bad fall could change my life and I wanted to do everything I could to prevent that.”

The Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention program offered at On Lok 30th Street Senior Center in San Francisco immediately stood out to her. Endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the program has been proven to help with weight shifting, strengthening leg muscles, joint mobility and improved proprioception—the body’s ability to sense its position and how it is moving, which helps with balance, coordination, and fine motor control.

“I was drawn to the program by its reputation and the convenience of its online sessions,” Janet said. “Zoom is accessible to people who are homebound, live far from the senior center, or have mobility challenges. Everyone can participate, as long as they have an internet connection.”

After enrolling in her first 10-week course, Janet began to experience the internal awareness tai chi is known to foster. “Tai chi helps you develop a vocabulary for how your body moves,” she said. “In Western society, we are always rushing; in this class, we do the opposite. The slow, intentional movements and breathing exercises promote calm, focus and mental balance—which can be hard to find in our fast-paced culture.”

In addition to boosting her confidence, tai chi made Janet feel physically better. When this first course ended, she enrolled in another class, also offered online. Soon, the ancient practice became part of her life.

Janet credits her success to her teacher, Joan Comendant, a certified Tai Chi for Arthritis instructor known for her precise, patient approach. “I’m thrilled that the online class gives people an option to participate from home,” Joan said. “During sessions, I observe each participant closely and we work through breath and movement together, until everyone has mastered the routine. I often wear a colored ribbon on my active hand to help participants see it clearly on Zoom while they follow along. It sounds simple, but it makes a significant difference.”

At the end of the program, most participants are eager to keep going and want to sign up for another course. Like other health promotion classes offered through On Lok 30th Street Senior Center, the tai chi program depends on funding by the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services and grants and donations to On Lok. To help sustain it, Janet began to make small donations to the program.

“Tai chi was transformative for me, and I wanted to help keep it going so others can benefit from it, too. After I retired, I could afford to make a larger gift, and I contributed more,” Janet said. She views her philanthropy as a natural extension of her values: “I want to support programs that empower people to take an active role in their health,” she said.

A San Francisco native, Janet grew up in a community shaped by the experiences of Chinese immigrants. She learned the value of connection and responsibility while helping at her family’s small grocery store, where relationships mattered as much as the work itself. After studying sociology and journalism at UC Berkeley, Janet explored careers in media and the performing arts in New York, until she realized she was most fulfilled in roles that allowed her to serve the public directly. That led her to library science and back to the Bay Area.

From the early 2000s until her retirement, Janet was a reference librarian at the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and City College of San Francisco (CCSF). At SFPL, she organized programs promoting healthy living, including vegetarian cooking, dental health, overcoming hoarding, and more. In 2020, she was one of ten librarians in the country to receive the I Love My Librarian award for her innovative “Death and Dying” series, inviting speakers from the community to talk about end-of-life issues.

Today, at age 74, Janet remains deeply engaged in San Francisco’s cultural life. When she is not traveling, she volunteers with local arts organizations, leads a book group at the Sunset Branch of the library, and continues to champion the activities she loves.

For Janet, helping the tai chi program thrive is about investing in the wellbeing of her community. And with new class offerings this year, including Tai Chi for Diabetes, she is thrilled to see expanded access to tai chi’s evidence-based benefits.

“Tai chi is easy, enjoyable, and proven to help seniors achieve a better quality of life,” she said. “That really matters to me, and I want to help bring it to more people.”

Top: Janet Tom in the garden at On Lok 30th Street Senior Center.