Keiro on ?? ???April 6 announced the recipients of its 2020-2021 Grants Program cycle, awarding a total of nearly $248,000 in funds to support 32 nonprofit organizations in reducing social isolation with a focus on outreach to Japanese American and Japanese older adults and caregivers in Southern California.

“With the pandemic, the issue of social isolation has become even more apparent and a significant threat to the well-being of our older adults and caregivers in the community,” said Gene S. Kanamori, president and CEO of Keiro. “Keiro is fortunate to be able to support organizations taking proactive steps to outreach to those who may be at risk for this and support the overall health of those most vulnerable in our community.”

The Keiro Grants Program funds qualified nonprofit, community-based organizations that serve the Japanese American and Japanese older adult population, specifically supporting projects that focus on reducing isolation. This year, greater emphasis was placed on supporting programs that provide outreach to and inclusion of members in the community who are at risk of social isolation.

An independent review committee, composed of community members with different backgrounds, careers, and fields of expertise, evaluated the proposals. This year, the committee members were Lance Hama, Robert Hirota, Tim Itatani, Chris Komai, NJ Nakamura, Mark Oune, and Yukari Roberts.

“It is very important that our community support our nonprofit organizations that service Japanese and Japanese Americans in their daily lives and needs,” said Itatani. “We sometimes take for granted that these organizations can function on their own, when they cannot. They must rely on the generous contributions of others. For that, I am very grateful to Keiro for their commitment to continue offering grants to help keep these organizations going and thus supporting the community as a whole.

“With over 40 years of being part of various nonprofit organizations, it was just refreshing for me personally to know that all the organizations that applied for the 2020-2021 Grants Program were being very innovative in ways to better serve the community.”

For more information on the Keiro Grants Program: https://www.keiro.org/what-we-do/grants-program

For more information on 2020-2021 Grants Program and recipients: https://www.keiro.org/features/*grants-recipients-2019

To read about Grants Highlights, sharing the impact past and current recipients have made in the community, visit here: https://www.keiro.org/tag/grants-highlights

Grant Recipients for 2020-21 Cycle

Cerritos Baptist Church

Continuing Education for the Nikkei Widowed, Inc.

East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center

Faith United Methodist Church

First Presbyterian Church Altadena

Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute

Go For Broke National Education Center

Japanese Christian Church Federation of Southern California

Little Tokyo Nutrition Services

Long Beach Buddhist Church

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

Makoto Taiko

Mission Valley Free Methodist Church

Mutual Ministries of Christ Church & St. Andrews

OPICA Adult Day Program & Counseling Center

Orange County Buddhist Church

Orange County Friendship Choir

Orange County Japanese American Association

Oxnard Buddhist Temple

Pasadena Buddhist Temple

Pasadena Nikkei Seniors

Sakura Chorus

Union Church of Los Angeles

Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

Venice Japanese Community Center

Visual Communications Media

West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple

Zenshuji Soto Mission

Zentoku Foundation