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Community centers, churches, temples, performing arts groups, sports leagues, and others make up the core infrastructure of Our Community. As the Japanese American and Japanese population continues to spread across Southern California, these organizations provide an invaluable connection to and a sense of purpose for the community.
Since its inception in 2016, the Keiro Grants Program has distributed over $3 million in funding to more than 80 organizations, to support programs, services, and projects benefiting older adults and caregivers. The organizations who have received the grants have often innovated and expanded their programs for older adults throughout the years.
Here are a few examples of what they accomplished with the support of the Keiro Grants Program:
- In-person meal programs have grown from only serving lunch to providing activities, exercise, and entertainment before and/or after the meal.
- Exercise programs now include pickleball, hiking, and other activities popular among the Baby Boomer generation.
- Improved building spaces, such as bathrooms, for the safety of older adults with mobility challenges and other limitations.
- Pivoting to home-delivered meals and care packages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although most organizations have gone back to in-person meal programs, the need for delivering meals to homebound older adults is still relevant.
- Support for Japanese choir and performing arts groups, whose members practice weekly and are mostly older adults.
- Encouraging younger volunteers to help with senior programs and activities, fostering intergenerational connection.
- Increased number of social and support programs for specific groups within the community, such as widows/widowers, Vietnam War veterans, and farmers.
The regular schedule and social nature of these grant-funded programs are key to decreasing social isolation and loneliness among older adults. To some, a bento may just be food. However, for others, it is much more than that — it is a nutritious meal, a chance to see old friends and make new ones, an opportunity to get outside their home, and something to look forward to.
As Keiro opens the 10th cycle of its Grants Program, we look forward to continuing support of the great work Our Community does in enhancing the quality of life for both older adults and their loved ones through these grants and beyond.
The 2026 Keiro Grants Program Cycle is open! For more information about how to apply and upcoming workshops, visit keiro.org/grants. Application Deadline: Friday, August 1, 2025.