Bay Area Reporter

HistoryIn 1899, legendary newspaperman Kyutaro Abiko established the Nichi Bei Shimbun, the most influential Japanese American newspaper in the country prior to WWII. After the war, some former staff of the Shimbun came back to establish the Nichi Bei Times with the goal of getting the community reconnected after their devastating incarceration in wartime concentration camps. Led by Shichinosuke Asano, the Nichi Bei Times debuted on May 18, 1946. As the Nichi Bei Times was closing in Sept. 2009, a group of staff and contributing writers, media professionals and community leaders -- supported by the community -- established the Nichi Bei Foundation, an innovative educational nonprofit organization that published the Nichi Bei Weekly as the first ethnic nonprofit newspaper of its kind in the country. Inspired by a community-serving historical legacy, the Nichi Bei Foundation and the Nichi Bei Weekly have a simple yet profound mission: to keep the community connected, informed and empowered.

Established in 1966, Community Action Marin is a nonprofit social service agency serving and assisting low-income Marin residents. Based in San Rafael, Calif., the agency presently operates 15 programs covering a variety of needs in areas, such as childcare, AIDS services, energy assistance, basic family needs, substance abuse and mental health issues. It has served over 2.5 million meals to needy children in its child development facilities as well as graduated over 30,000 children from its day care centers. Committed in meeting the needs of the community in the workplace, on the streets and home, Community Action Marin benefits 4000 people everyday.