Molina Healthcare of California Celebrates Three Sacramento MolinaCares Community Champions
Each Honoree Received $5,000 to Donate to Nonprofit Organization of Choice
Media Contact: Rhonda Frazier, Rhonda.Frazier@MolinaHealthcare.com, 562-980-3849
SACRAMENTO, Calif., November 11, 2025 - Molina Healthcare of California (“Molina”) recently recognized three Sacramento area residents for their commitment to going above and beyond in their communities by helping to serve those in need. As part of the MolinaCares Community Champions program, each honoree received a $5,000 grant to pay forward to the nonprofit organization of their choice.
“These exemplary individuals share Molina’s dedication to improving the well-being of underserved communities in California,” said Abbie Totten, plan president of Molina Healthcare of California. “We are grateful for the chance to recognize them and help further the causes and organizations they support.”
This year’s Sacramento MolinaCares Community Champions are:
Abdul Aziz Karimi of Antelope serves as CEO of Immigrant Integration & Empowerment. His volunteer work has empowered Afghan and immigrant families in Sacramento through cultural, educational and humanitarian initiatives. As a family and community liaison, he delivered emergency aid to Afghan earthquake survivors, promoted youth engagement and intergenerational learning, led workshops on financial literacy, housing and education, preserved cultural heritage through music, literature and events, built resilience via ongoing family-friendly programming and connected 300+ members through an online support platform. Aziz Karimi has organized programs that uplift and unite immigrant communities. His efforts include fundraising for Afghan relief. He has played an active role in the Iranian Culture and Literature Association by launching a YouTube channel to amplify immigrant voices and hosting monthly Poetry & MusicNights since 2019. He is developing a “Family Friendly Fun Program” in partnership with the Sacramento Public Library to provide free, inclusive cultural and educational events for immigrant families. His grant will be donated to Immigrant Integration & Empowerment.
Traci Aoki-Tan of Roseville has been a child life specialist at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Women & Children’s Center for nearly three decades, advocating for injury prevention, including car seat safety. She has volunteered over 500 hours with Safe Kids Greater Sacramento and has served as board president since 2012. She has mentored countless child passenger safety technicians. She’s one of only five special needs mentor instructors in the U.S.—and the only one on the West Coast. For ten years, Aoki-Tan was the only instructor in Northern California for the two-day Safe Travel for All Children: Transporting Children with Special Health Care Needs enrichment course for child passenger safety technicians. She’s trained more than 160 technicians across California and Canada in adaptive car seat use, ensuring children with disabilities are not left behind. Her advocacy extends to working with lawmakers, attending national conferences and pushing for hospital and community change. Aoki-Tan’s expertise, generosity and persistence have saved lives and made car seat safety more accessible to all. Her grant will be donated to Safe Kids Greater Sacramento.
Gina Thielke of Elk Grove has volunteered hundreds of hours annually for xHope, Inc., local schools, football boosters and her church. She has provided direct support—rides, gas cards, furniture and financial aid—and uplifted many through school and church events. As an xHope, Inc. outreach and events coordinator, Thielke goes above and beyond, delivering furniture, sponsoring youth activities and personally supporting families. Known as “Auntie Gina,” she’s a trusted figure who empowers others through generosity and care. She has stepped into the lives of young people in ways that go beyond expectation — sponsoring driver’s training, soccer fees and extracurricular activities. Her impact extends beyond xHope, Inc. Thielke has been the “room mom” for each of her children throughout their school years, consistently making classrooms a warm, vibrant place through creative crafts, decorations and hosting classroom events. She serves on the high school football boosters, generating more than $1,000 in orders in one week—funds that directly support the team. At her church, she is a dependable volunteer at every holiday outreach. Her grant will be donated to xHope, Inc.
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About Molina Healthcare of California
Molina Healthcare of California, Inc. provides government-funded, quality health care, serving members through Medi-Cal, Medicare, and Marketplace (Covered California) programs. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, provides managed health care services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs, and through state insurance marketplaces. For more information about Molina Healthcare of California, visit MolinaHealthcare.com.