Mimi Farina

Mimi Baez Farina first picked up a guitar when she was thirteen. By the time she was eighteen, she was performing her music on stage. Since then, Mimi's life has always been close to the performing arts. In 1974, Mimi became the founder and guiding force behind Bread and Roses, a non-profit organization which brings free, live, top-quality entertainment to people confined or isolated in institutions. Over the years, Mimi has made a significant contribution to the lives of people in prisons, convalescent homes, AIDS wards, rehabilitation hospitals and other confined situations. A successful musician with numerous recordings and live performances around the United States and Europe, Mimi has used her own talents and enlisted the talents of others. These artists, by volunteering their time and abilities, have made a positive difference in the lives of an often forgotten population.

Bread and Roses currently produces over 400 live shows each year, reaching a total annual audience of about fifteen thousand people in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bread and Roses does not charge any fee for its shows. It operates through donations and grants, keeping its entertainment affordable for all people. Mimi Farina's commitment and dedication to the success of Bread and Roses have now inspired other agencies serving many communities throughout the country to establish similar services.