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LOS ANGELES, January 28, 2020 – Today Keiro announced the recipients of its 2019-2020 Grants Program cycle, awarding a total of nearly $240,000 in funds to support 30 non-profit organizations in combatting social isolation among Japanese American and Japanese older adults and caregivers in Southern California.

The Keiro Grants Program focused once again this year on reducing social isolation, which impacts more than eight million older adults nationwide and has health effects that can be as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

 “Keiro is looking forward to not only supporting the impactful programs that community organizations will execute this year, but also, as a community organization ourselves, to learn about the prevalent needs in the community,” said Gene Kanamori, president & CEO of Keiro. “As a pressing issue in both our community and the aging field, we hope to continue addressing and preventing social isolation in innovative ways.”

The Keiro Grants Program funds qualified non-profit, community-based organizations that serve the Japanese American and Japanese older adult population, specifically supporting projects that focus on reducing isolation and creating a positive impact on the quality of life for our community. Grant proposals were evaluated by an independent review committee comprised of community members with different backgrounds, careers, and fields of expertise. The committee members included Lance Hama, Michelle Hirano, Ellyn Iwata, Chris Komai, NJ Nakamura, Mark Oune, and Julie Senaga.

“It was inspiring to see how many organizations are thinking of innovative and accessible ways to reach various groups of older adults, not just members within their respective organizations,” says Michelle Hirano, grants review committee member. “I look forward to the success of these programs, and that more organizations/groups continue to connect, network, and inspire one another within Keiro’s Grants Program and beyond.”

For more information on the Keiro Grants Program, please visit our website here.
For more information on 2019-2020 grants program and recipients, visit our website here.
To read about Grants Highlights, where we share all the impact the organizations have made in Our Community, visit here.

GRANT RECIPIENTS FOR KEIRO’S 2019-2020 GRANTS PROGRAM CYCLE:

American Society of Hiroshima-Nagasaki A-Bomb Survivors

Cerritos Baptist Church

Christ Episcopal Church

Continuing Education for the Nikkei Widowed, Inc.

East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center

Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute

Go For Broke National Education Center

Hearts of Lavender

Japanese Christian Church Federation of Southern California

Little Tokyo Nutrition Services

Long Beach Japanese Cultural Center/Long Beach Pioneer Project

Los Angeles Holiness Church

Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

Los Angeles Men’s Glee Club

Mission Valley Free Methodist Church

Newport Beach Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple

Nikkei Choral Federation of Southern California
Nikkei Women Legacy Association

Orange County Buddhist Church

Orange County Friendship Choir

Orange County Japanese American Association

Oxnard Buddhist Temple

Pasadena Nikkei Seniors

Sakura Chorus

San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center

Seinan Senior Citizens’ Club

South Bay Singers

Venice Japanese Community Center

Visual Communications Media

Zenshuji Soto Mission

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About Keiro

Keiro is a mission-driven organization engaged in improving the quality of life for older adults and their caregivers in the Japanese American and Japanese community of Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties. Keiro delivers a wide range of resources to address the challenges and barriers that aging presents: isolation, limited financial resources, complex health conditions, and cognitive and memory disabilities. Keiro also partners with companies and organizations that can expand its services and ability to reach seniors and caregivers, and participates in research and innovative work where Keiro can contribute to advancing progress in resolving the challenges of aging. Keiro is based in Los Angeles. For more information, visit keiro.org.