MAVIN Foundation
Press Release – 15 April 2002
NEWS RELEASE
15 April 2002
Contact: Yasmine Tarhouni, Director of Public Relations
Ph: 206.622.7101, Fx: 206.622.2231
MAVIN FOUNDATION STAFF WIN STUDENT SERVICE AWARD FROM PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
(Seattle, WA) MAVIN Foundation Program Development Coordinator Kimi Kawabori and MatchMaker Project Director Yasmine Tarhouni are both recipients of the President’s Student Service Award.
Kimi Kawabori oversees The MAVIN Foundation’s program development, with specific focus on the Multiracial Child Resource Book. Kimi has also served as MAVIN magazine issue editor, internship program supervisor and transracial adoptee programming advocate. She joined the MAVIN staff in 2001, and has donated hundreds of hours to MAVIN Foundation programs. Currently a senior at the University of Washington, Kimi co-founded MiXed, the UW’s mixed-race experience organization in 2001.
Yasmine Tarhouni is MAVIN’s public relations director and founder/director of the MatchMaker Bone Marrow Program, the nation’s only program dedicated to recruiting multiracial people to the National Bone Marrow Registry. Yasmine joined MAVIN as a 2001 Summer intern and created MatchMaker as part of the internship’s “personal project.” Currently a sophomore at the University of Washington, Yasmine co-founded, and today serves as co-chair of MiXed, the UW’s mixed-race experience organization in 2001.
In 1992, the President’s Youth Service Awards were created by President George Bush and later endorsed by President Clinton and Gen. Colin Powell to attract two million new young Americans to community service. Today, the President’s Student Service Awards are White House initiatives that recognize young Americans for outstanding community service, while encouraging more young people to serve. The awards are sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service and administered by the American Institute for Public Service, Points of Light Foundation, Youth Service America, and Learning Systems Group.
The awards mark The MAVIN Foundation’s latest Presidential accolade. In November 2001, MAVIN Foundation founder/President & CEO, Matt Kelley, was awarded a “Points of Light” distinction from President Bush for his commitment to “…solving serious social issues through volunteer service.”
The MAVIN Foundation is a 501-(c)(3) non-profit organization that is redefining diversity by celebrating mixed-race people and families. In 2000, nearly seven million Americans were able to check multiple races on their census forms for the first time. In cities like Seattle, San Antonio and Sacramento, nearly one in six babies born are multiracial. MAVIN is committed to creating exciting projects that raise awareness of this rapidly emerging community. Our innovative projects like MAVIN magazine are providing a unique forum to increase awareness of the changing face of our multicultural society.
For more information, please visit www.mavinfoundation.org.