Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones
Given the choice, most of us want to stay in our homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, sometimes they cannot live independently without someone by their side to provide care. Unfortunately, some older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live in the comforts or their home rather than in an assisted living community. Home care in Salida, CA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Since 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they age. We are proud to have helped tens of thousands of seniors to maintain a higher level of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home care services in Salida, CA. Always Best Care is here to help.
“Highly Experienced #Caregivers provide everything in levels one and two, plus knowledgeable assistance to help”
Highly Experienced #Caregivers provide everything in levels one and two, plus knowledgeable assistance to help seniors who are suffering from a chronic illness, who are bed-bound, and those who are on hospice.
“In retirement years, many #elders start to feel lonely and depressed with the lack of”
In retirement years, many #elders start to feel lonely and depressed with the lack of a social life. Hire #caregivers from Always Best Care of Fresno to reduce your senior’s loneliness and ensure their care.
“Worrying about senior’s care and #health in Assisted Living is common. Well, you can stop”
Worrying about senior’s care and #health in Assisted Living is common. Well, you can stop fretting now. Contact Always Best Care of #Fresno and find the best Assisted Living communities near you.
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How does In-home Senior Care in Salida, CA work?
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it's especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one ages, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
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Personal Care Services
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes or Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Eating
Mobility Issues
Incontinence
Bathing
Dressing
Grooming
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Home Helper Services
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Medication Reminders
Meal Preparation
Pet Care
Prescription Refills
Morning Wake-Up
Walking
Reading
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Companionship Services
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite activities and hobbies while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy other activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress helps reduce the risks of caregiver burnout.
When it comes to non-medical home care, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible. If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Advanced Healthcare Technology
Benefits of Home Care in Salida, CA
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care.
Age in Place
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
Peace of Mind
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your senior family member is in expert hands.
Socialization
Unlike many senior care facilities where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
Personalized Care Plan
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our care plans are tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for clients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors
While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a unfamiliar assisted living community, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:
Comfort
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old. With the help of elderly care in Salida, CA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Healthy Living
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors. Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
Independence
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like an assisted living community. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
Cost and Convenience
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, can be less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care in Salida, CA gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
Empowers Seniors
Affordable Care Plans
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
Veteran's Benefits
Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.
Long-Term Care Insurance
Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.
Private Insurance
Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.
Life Insurance
Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.
During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.
Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Salida,CA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
Taking the First Step with Always Best Care
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
An assessment of your senior loved one
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An in-depth discussion of the needs of your senior loved one to remain in their own home
02
Reviewing a detailed Care Plan that will meet your senior loved one's needs
03
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Rivian Launches First Rivian Adventure Network DC Chargers
Mark Kanehttps://insideevs.com/news/594856/first-rivian-adventure-network-dc-chargers/
On June 27, 2022, Rivian opened its first Rivian Adventure Network (RAN) DC fast charging station, located in Salida, Colorado. The company noted: "Thanks to its natural beauty and abundant nearby recreational opportunities, Salida is an ideal location for Rivian’s first fast charging site."Two more stations will be opened today (June 28) in (Inyokern and Bishop, California, as Rivian explains: "These California sites support frequently visited areas like Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Fores...
On June 27, 2022, Rivian opened its first Rivian Adventure Network (RAN) DC fast charging station, located in Salida, Colorado. The company noted: "Thanks to its natural beauty and abundant nearby recreational opportunities, Salida is an ideal location for Rivian’s first fast charging site."
Two more stations will be opened today (June 28) in (Inyokern and Bishop, California, as Rivian explains: "These California sites support frequently visited areas like Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Forest, Mammoth Lakes, and Death Valley National Park."
The station in Salida is equipped with two 300 kW cabinets (power electronics), about which we heard in February 2021, and four DC dispensers (individual stalls) - two per cabinet, described as 1A/1B and 2A/2B (similar to some Tesla Superchargers).
The stalls are sharing power from the cabinets (up to over 200 kW), which helps to minimize the infrastructure costs. The range replenishing rate is, according to Rivian, about 140 miles (225 km) in 20 minutes.
An important thing is that one of four stalls is a pull-through type, envisioned for vehicles towing trailers. The site hosts also four AC Level 2 Rivian Waypoints charging points (11.5 kW). All of the charging points are powered by 100% renewable energy (contracted).
The Rivian Adventure Network DC fast-charging stations are currently exclusive and free for Rivian drivers - charging starts automatically after plugging in. The AC charging points are available for use by any EV – not just Rivian vehicles – through the Rivian smartphone app.
Rivian has set an initial goal of 3,500 fast chargers at 600 sites across North America. However, in the most recent press release, there is no info about the deadline "by the end of 2023", which we saw in early 2021.
Below we attached interesting videos from the launch event in Salida:
Trent Warnke, Rivian’s Senior Director of Energy and Charging Solutions said:
“We designed Rivian charging to support electrified adventure, and these first sites demonstrate how we’re enabling drivers to responsibly reach some of the nation’s most breathtaking natural spaces. In addition to scenic or off-the-beaten-path destinations, our fast charging rollout is designed to ensure travelers have places to charge along major transportation corridors coast to coast.”
Pro skater brings skate park to hometown of Salida
After making it big in California and skating in competitions around the world, Derek Scott wanted to give kids in his hometown the chance to skate like pros.SALIDA, Colo. — Progress takes time. Time to build, get better, and grow.Derek Scott learned that in a graffiti-covered skate park in Salida."If anything gets me emotional it’s this place," said Scott while skating in the old Salida Skatepark in the center of town. "I learned everything I know in this little hole in the ground right here.&...
After making it big in California and skating in competitions around the world, Derek Scott wanted to give kids in his hometown the chance to skate like pros.
SALIDA, Colo. — Progress takes time. Time to build, get better, and grow.
Derek Scott learned that in a graffiti-covered skate park in Salida.
"If anything gets me emotional it’s this place," said Scott while skating in the old Salida Skatepark in the center of town. "I learned everything I know in this little hole in the ground right here."
But even this pro skater realizes his sport has never been big in his hometown.
"We're known for the Arkansas River. It's a huge rafting town," Scott said.
Tucked away between some of Colorado's highest peaks, the old skate park in Salida never stood out.
"This is one of the first skateparks built in Colorado actually. It was the third. I think. Maybe don’t quote me on that one," Scott joked.
But just like his skills, Scott's hometown is growing.
After making it big in California and skating in competitions around the world, he wanted to come home and give kids in his hometown the chance to skate like pros.
And so he helped find funding and worked with the town to plan and build a skatepark that would do just that. The group Friends of Salida Skateparks was started to helped bring the new park to the town.
"Once we get started, we’re not stopping. We’re not stopping," Scott yelled into a microphone on a recent Saturday as dozens of kids skated in the new skatepark in Salida. "Judges are you ready? Salida are you ready? Let’s get it. Drop in."
A skate competition opened the new park that Scott helped bring to Salida. Funding, planning and building isn’t what a pro athlete usually focuses on. This project is worth it.
"I think skateboarding should be for everybody. Not just for boys," said 10-year-old Emma Litwiller, who drove with her family from Breckenridge to skate in the competition at the new park. "I love having girls skating with me because it doesn’t feel like it’s just me out there."
And Scott liked what he saw.
"Emma is destroying this whole entire park!" he yelled into the microphone as Litwiller pulled off a trick. "Ohhhhh Emma with the varial kickflip! Nice!"
It's a sport that's now teaching kids more than just tricks. When Scott grew up in Salida, there was only a small skatepark that had aged over the decades.
A hole in the ground and a piece of wood took Scott a long way. Now, the future pros have a place to grow at the new park.
"A skateboard has taken me all around the world," Scott said. "It's created a life for me. I want the youth here and the people around my area to know what this little piece of wood can do for you. It's an escape and it's a passion. Even when I'm most down that I've ever been, I've picked up the skateboard and I've been able to clear my conscience. When I'm on this thing, there's nothing else I'm thinking about other than skateboarding. There's nothing else that's on my mind."
Scott skates in competitions all around the world on the pro tour. He hopes to bring professional skate events to Salida in the future, and host them at the new skate park.
"It’s awesome to see the youth come out and really utilize this park the way that I envisioned it to be used," said Scott. "That kind of positivity goes so far for kids this age. For any age really. You get that kind of positivity and that kind of upbringing, it’s destined for success."
Reading of faith-based children’s books at Salida Library responds to ‘Woke agenda’
Andy Alfarohttps://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/reading-faith-based-children-books-164747861.html
As part of the first nationwide See You at the Library Day on Saturday, families at the Salida Library were read “books of godly virtue,” according to the Escalon church that hosted the event.Such story times reportedly were held across the nation Saturday in response to actor and filmmaker Kirk Cameron being denied story-hour slots at some public libraries for t...
As part of the first nationwide See You at the Library Day on Saturday, families at the Salida Library were read “books of godly virtue,” according to the Escalon church that hosted the event.
Such story times reportedly were held across the nation Saturday in response to actor and filmmaker Kirk Cameron being denied story-hour slots at some public libraries for the reading of faith-based children’s books.
Cameron himself was at a story hour Saturday in Huntsville, Alabama, hosted by the group Moms for Liberty, according to Fox News. The previously scheduled event had been canceled “purportedly due to capacity concerns,” but on Friday, the library acquiesced, Fox reported.
The reading room at the Salida Library was filled to capacity with about 250 children and adults.
In addition to supporting the call by Cameron’s publisher Brave Books for a national movement for free speech, the Salida event clearly was an answer to the LGBTQ+ Rainbow Story Time held in June, which was Pride Month, at the same library.
A Heritage Church Facebook post promoting the event said, “With the recent Woke agenda to indoctrinate our kids with LGBTQ stories, this is a great opportunity to share a story of bravery and standing for Truth with our kids. Please join us as Pastor Morgan reads one of Kirk Cameron’s children’s storybooks on National ‘See You at the Library’ Day. This reading time is geared towards 6 to 12-year-olds, and we look forward to seeing you there.”
Another longtime Central Valley-born brand has been sold. But this time the sale is only a small part of its parent business.Boyett Petr...
Another longtime Central Valley-born brand has been sold. But this time the sale is only a small part of its parent business.
Boyett Petroleum, a Modesto presence in the fuel business since 1940, has sold its Cruisers convenience stores to a Southern California company. The sale was part of a deal that included Boyett purchasing 200 distribution stations from United Pacific, a Long Beach-based company known for running the Rocket brand of gas-station retail stores.
The 10 Cruisers stations operated by Boyett, which range from Modesto to Manteca and as far away as Arnold, all are being converted into Rocket stations. Customers already have began noticing the new name on their gas station receipts, and new signs should be going up soon. Rocket has some 500 stores across the Western United States, with most in Southern California.
Third-generation Boyett Petroleum owner and CEO Dale Boyett said the sale will help expand the company’s much larger fuel distribution business, which has been and continues to be the core of its company. The independent wholesale supplier, whose headquarters are on McHenry Avenue, now delivers its wholesale gas to some 700 to 800 stations from California to Oklahoma.
The decision to sell their Cruisers stores and acquire more distribution sites made sense for both companies, Boyett said.
“It feels a little weird to not have these stores anymore,” Boyett said in a phone interview about the sales this week. “But it was the right thing to do. Our wholesale business has been growing for a long time. Our retail has, too, but not as fast.”
He said United Pacific specializes in operating its Rocket convenience stores and can get more competitive prices on merchandise and inventory. With both businesses playing to their strengths, he said, Valley customers should benefit.
“Ultimately, this is a Class-A organization that has bought (Cruisers). They’re still the best corners and still the best sites,” he said. “They certainly didn’t buy (the stores) to run them into the ground.”
The acquisitions came with swapping of employees, too. The about 100 retail employees working at the Cruisers sites all were offered jobs with Rocket, with the vast majority transferring. Boyett in turn has acquired eight employees from United Pacific. The corporate staff working on the Modesto company’s retail side have been retained and reassigned as well, Boyett said.
Boyett Petroleum now has about 110 employees. The Modesto company also is keeping its Cruise Americard fleet business, which allows employees from other businesses to fuel up at its stations. The company still has about 70 gas-only sites, including the high-profile corner at Ninth and D streets in downtown Modesto. Boyett said they have about 1,500 of the fleet business-to-business accounts, working with private companies and municipalities across the region.
The namesake Modesto company was started by Stan and Carol Boyett, Dale Boyett’s grandparents, in 1940. They opened their first gas stations in the region in 1948. They were succeeded by their son Carl Boyett, who passed away in 2015 at age 70. The Cruisers brand was launched in 2007.
Since last year, a handful of longtime Central Valley-based brands have been sold after decades of family ownership. Modesto-born Save Mart Supermarkets was acquired by Los Angeles-based private equity firm in March 2022, ending 70 years of family ownership. That was followed in June that same year by the sale of Livingston-based poultry processing giant Foster Farms to Connecticut holding company, which ended 83 years of family ownership.
Sweet food trend mochi donuts finds eager Central Valley fans at two local bakeries
What’s a fried treat that’s round, often comes glazed and has a hole in the middle?If you said doughnuts, you’re only half right. The latest food trend to hit the Central Valley is...
What’s a fried treat that’s round, often comes glazed and has a hole in the middle?
If you said doughnuts, you’re only half right. The latest food trend to hit the Central Valley is mochi donuts, inspired by the popular Japanese delicacy. Two new pop-up businesses started making and selling the sweet snack in Stanislaus County in the past few months — Dough-Chii Mochi in Salida and Mochi Mi in Modesto.
Unlike it’s more well-known doughnut cousins, mochi donuts are typically made with rice flour instead of (or sometimes in addition to) traditional flour. They also look little different, a bit like a baby’s teething ring, with connected dough rounds forming a circle.
The taste also stands out, thanks to the different flour mixture. The result is an often crunchier and definitely chewier texture that melts away with each bite. In short, they’re darn tasty — and popular, often selling out at the two pop-up locations in the area.
Dough-Chii Mochi operates weekends out of the Salida Donuts shop. Married co-owners and operators Hellen Vath and Zack Inthavong have doughnut glaze running through their veins, so to speak. They come from a family of doughnut makers and owned Glaze Donuts themselves in Ceres for several years before selling the shop in 2013.
Vath’s parents owned several doughnut shops in the region as well, so she grew up with a family of bakers. The Bee even ran a feature on them opening their fourth store in the area in 1994. Her aunt, Tonya Lim, owns and still operates Salida Donuts for the past 28 years. But Vath and her husband had left the baking world for corporate jobs (him with PG&E and her with Sutter Health).
Still after trips to Hawaii, where mochi donuts are popular, they were lured back to the business. Vath said she was tired of the Central Valley missing out on popular food trends, and wanted to bring the treat to Modesto sooner rather than later.
The pandemic also gave them a push to try something new, and near the start they began researching recipes and trying mochi donuts from other shops.
“We realized this is something we need in the valley. All we have is regular doughnuts,” Vath said. “So we said, ‘Let’s bring it here.’”
In December they launched Dough-Chii Mochi and started making and selling them out of Salida Donuts in the afternoons when the business was closed for the day on Saturday and Sunday. They quickly caught on, thanks to colorful Instagram and social media posts, and now sell out many days.
Like Vath, Modesto resident Danika Kham started making her own mochi donuts at home during the pandemic. She gave them to friends and acquaintances, and then realized it could become something more. In December she partnered with the Asian Market on McHenry Avenue to sell her cottage bakery creations as Mochi Mi.
The Asian specialty grocery store gets fresh deliveries of the donuts Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday afternoons.
Kham’s mochi donuts combine rice flour and traditional flour, and have a darker and flatter appearance than the Dough-Chii Mochi varieties. She has emphasized bringing Asian flavors to the sweets, and said their springy, chewy consistency has already won loyal fans who come each day she delivers fresh batches.
“When we first started we would always have a line waiting at the Asian Market,” Kham said. “Even as I drop them off to this day I see many familiar faces.”
Kham rotates through about 13 flavors, from matcha to chocolate pretzel to Harry Potter-inspired Butter Beer for her Mochi Mi creations. Vath’s Dough-Chii Mochi makes some 30 flavors and offers about half a dozen each weekend day, ranging from Japanese flavors like ube (a purple Japanese sweet potato) to cinnamon-sugar churro and strawberry crunch.
Mochi donuts sell for a little more than your average doughnuts, thanks largely to their special ingredients. Mochi Mi creations are $2.99 apiece, or custom orders are $15 for half a dozen, $25 for a dozen and $5 for a box of 15 mochi donut holes. At Dough-Chii Mochi the treats are $2.50 apiece, or $13 for a half dozen and $25 for a full dozen.
Both pop-up places open in the afternoons, with Kham bringing hers to the Asian Market at around 1:30 p.m. on delivery days. And Vath and her husband opening the Salida Donuts location from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Dough-Chii Mochi also sells an assortment of boba and bubble tea drinks. The brightly colored treats from both pop-up bakeries are a hit on social media and sharing and tagging photos of the treats is encouraged.
For Vath, who never thought she’d be back running a doughnut shop, it’s been fun to return to her sweet roots.
“I used to hate it, I hated working in a doughnut shop,” she said. “But we missed it. This is something to bring to the community and something everyone can enjoy.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2021, 6:00 AM.
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