"I have gone to work every day with people whose job was to give to other people," she said. "I have been very lucky."
As we come marching, marching, in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill-lofts gray
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
For the people hear us singing, "Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses."
As we come marching, marching, we battle, too, for men—
For they are women's children and we mother them again.
Our days shall not be sweated from birth until life closes—
Hearts starve as well as bodies: Give us Bread, but give us Roses.
As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient song of Bread;
Small art and love and beauty their trudging spirits knew—
Yes, it is Bread we fight for—but we fight for Roses, too.
As we come marching, marching, we bring the Greater Days—
The rising of the women means the rising of the race.
No more the drudge and idler—ten that toil where one reposes—
But a sharing of life's glories: Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses.
— James Oppenheim, 1911.
_________
One time Mimi told me about why she quit touring. She said she'd gone somewhere, Montana, perhaps, and somebody in a beat up VW camper picked her up at the airport.
She went to the venue and there was nothing there for her. No food, nothing. She did her show, and when it was time to leave, there was no provision made for where she should stay. So she slept in the airport. There was apparently nothing to eat or drink except vending machine food.
That, as they say, was that. She came home, did a ponder, and founded Bread & Roses.
_________
Source:
Marin History Museum
Although born in the Bay Area in 1945, Mimi Fariña spent a lot of her childhood traveling with her family living in Baghdad, Paris, Los Angeles and on the East Coast. Yet, she made her way back to the Bay Area and left a profound legacy.
In the early 1960s, Mimi moved to Paris with her parents focusing on dance and music. It was here that Mimi met the love of her life - Richard Farina, and they married in 1963. They settled in Carmel Valley and Richard began work on his first novel, along with composing and playing music together. In the summer of 1964, Mimi and Richard made a successful debut as a duo at the Big Sur Folk Festival resulting in a recording opportunity for Vanguard Studio. In the spring of 1966, Farina's husband had his first novel published, and on his way back from a book signing, Richard was killed in a motorcycle accident. To re-group, Mimi moved back to San Francisco and spent the next five years performing with different groups.
By the early 70's, the commercialism of the music industry was getting her down so she looked for a different way to contribute to the world. Farina sang at a concert given by bluesman B. B. King at New York's Sing Sing Prison. It was this experience, along with a visit to a halfway house, that inspired the idea to start an organization that would bring musicians and comedians to institutions that didn’t have much access to entertainment in the Bay Area, such as: jails, prisons, hospitals, children’s wards, convalescent homes, homeless shelters and drug rehabilitation centers.
She started performing at these facilities and other musicians joined her, and in 1974, Bread and Roses was founded.
Ironically, the first concert was canceled. It was scheduled for the end of the year at San Quentin and a few days before the event, violence between inmate factions resulted in a tight lock-down and the cancellation of the show. It was a huge disappointment, but they persevered. Almost all of the scheduled performers, including Boz Scaggs, Jon Hendricks, Joan Baez, Les Dudek, Verlin Sandles and Paul Krassner, showed up at Mimi Farina's house on New Year's Day to tape a program that was later broadcast over the prison radio station.
These Bread & Roses shows soon took off, and Farina organized dozens of events that made a mark in the Bay Area. "Away from the commercial setting, there's an ease in singing for the sake of singing," Mimi said. 'I'm concerned with social change and performers are people who have a power to create change."
LONG-TERM ENDOWMENT | Source
She and Severn devised the current campaign to create an endowment that would keep Bread and Roses solvent for the next quarter century and would be a means for them to step down.
"We've been planning it for three years," said Severn, who joined Bread and Roses 17 years ago. "Of course, it took a radical turn once Mimi became ill." Farina has thrown herself into healing with zeal. In addition to conventional medical treatments, she is following the advice of an herbalist and going to a cancer dance-therapy workshop. She took her family to a Native American sweat lodge healing ceremony.
Only a few years ago, Farina beat another life-threatening illness, hepatitis C. "It didn't have the clout cancer does," she said. "Cancer has benefit concerts, stores, wigs, books, support groups."
She said that there are 15 other community groups modeled after Bread and Roses across the country. "It's something I feel every community should have," she said, "like cancer support groups."
But once Fariña, 54, was told she had cancer, her workaholic days at Bread and Roses ended. She has not been back to the office since.
"This will be one of my biggest learnings this time around," she said. "It will provide me with the time to think about what's next in my life. I have to change my lifestyle, and I don't know what's next. In my best moods, I think this is a great time for rebirth."
Sitting last week in the living room of the Mill Valley hilltop cottage where she has lived for more than 25 years, Farina is composed, as always. Federal Express has just delivered a wig from her sister Joanie. Her hair, she says, has started to fall out because of the chemotherapy. She is thinking of shaving her head, wondering whether to go with wigs or hats for the Opera House show.
"She filled empty souls with hope and song, and knowing that her life's work will remain with us and flourish helps bring solace." - Joan Baez (sister)
These Bread & Roses shows soon took off, and Farina organized dozens of events that made a mark in the Bay Area. "Away from the commercial setting, there's an ease in singing for the sake of singing," Mimi said. 'I'm concerned with social change and performers are people who have a power to create change."
By the late seventies, Bread&Roses had bcome well-known and sucessful enough that they were able to organize a three-day benefit festival to raise money and awareness for their mission. Featuring Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Richie Havens, and dozens of others, the festival was a huge success, both financially and artistically, Mimi was praised not only for her organizational skills but also for the respect she gave to the artists donating their talent, who were given free massages.
The festival became an annual event, and wo albums were released.
Volunteers have always been the lifeblood of Bread and Roses and Mimi asked for the help of her famous talented friends such as Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Huey Lewis, Neil Young etc. No one could resist her pleas.
"Mimi could bewitch anyone from age 7 to age 70 with her wit, beauty and energy, and sha always picked up the tab for the post-performance pizza."
♥
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| Bread & Roses people at the annual Thank You Volunteers! Party, 1996 That’s founder Mimi Fariña front and center, Photo by Robert Altman |
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| Mimi Fariña and Robert Altman at an AASK Benefit, The Fairmont, San Francisco - 1984 |
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| Mimi Fariña and Jan Yanehiro in Alcatraz, 1997 . Bread & Roses Presents had its benefits on the island for five years in the mid 90’s. Photo by Jon Sievert |
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Mimi thanking volunteers at annual volunteer recognition event, 1997 | Photo by Charles Rhone |
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| Mimi Fariña with Dan Nowell |
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| Mimi with Sali Leiberman, Ellen Thomas, Lucci Alexander, Jeanne Bogardus preparing the first benefit concert at Davoods Restaurant in Mill Valley. Photo by Darryll Schiff Fine Art | Source |
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| Bread & Roses office in Mill Valley in the eighties.Eric, Ellen Thomas, Mimi Fariña, Tom Lapinsky, Jeanne Bogardus, Judy. Photo by Richard McCaffrey | Source |
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| From the Booket of Bread&Roses Fifth Annual Festival of Music at the Greek Theatre - Berkeley, October 1981 (courtesy of Mrs. Mary Lanza) |
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| Mimi Fariña, Freebo and Banana rehearsing at the 1978 Bread & Roses Concert |
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| Mimi Fariña with Marian Hubler |
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| Lana Severn, Mimi Fariña and Cassanda Flipper |
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| Mimi Farina, Robin Williams and Joan Baez |
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| ♥ | Source |
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Mimi Fariña dancing with Mrs Rosalie Sorrels |
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Mimi Fariña performing a concert for a senior convalescent facility during the early years of Bread & Roses in the '70s. | Photo Darryll Schiff |
LONG-TERM ENDOWMENT | Source
She and Severn devised the current campaign to create an endowment that would keep Bread and Roses solvent for the next quarter century and would be a means for them to step down.
"We've been planning it for three years," said Severn, who joined Bread and Roses 17 years ago. "Of course, it took a radical turn once Mimi became ill." Farina has thrown herself into healing with zeal. In addition to conventional medical treatments, she is following the advice of an herbalist and going to a cancer dance-therapy workshop. She took her family to a Native American sweat lodge healing ceremony.
Only a few years ago, Farina beat another life-threatening illness, hepatitis C. "It didn't have the clout cancer does," she said. "Cancer has benefit concerts, stores, wigs, books, support groups."
She said that there are 15 other community groups modeled after Bread and Roses across the country. "It's something I feel every community should have," she said, "like cancer support groups."
But once Fariña, 54, was told she had cancer, her workaholic days at Bread and Roses ended. She has not been back to the office since.
"This will be one of my biggest learnings this time around," she said. "It will provide me with the time to think about what's next in my life. I have to change my lifestyle, and I don't know what's next. In my best moods, I think this is a great time for rebirth."
Sitting last week in the living room of the Mill Valley hilltop cottage where she has lived for more than 25 years, Farina is composed, as always. Federal Express has just delivered a wig from her sister Joanie. Her hair, she says, has started to fall out because of the chemotherapy. She is thinking of shaving her head, wondering whether to go with wigs or hats for the Opera House show.
Farina died of cancer the following year in the summer of 2001 in Mill Valley. Mimi’s legacy continues - the group produces over 600 shows a year across the nation in 125 facilities, presenting the talent of over 1,000 volunteers to over 32,000 audience members. Its roots are anchored here in the Bay Area and is considered to be Mimi’s true life's work and mission.
"She filled empty souls with hope and song, and knowing that her life's work will remain with us and flourish helps bring solace." - Joan Baez (sister)
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| Photo from the Bread & Roses Newsletter Archives |
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| Photo from the Bread & Roses Office |
Source
Bread & Roses inspired a number of similar organizations across the country. David Lescht, director of Outside In in Santa Fe, said "Mimi was not only an inspiration but a mentor and shining light for us. I hope it gave her comfort to know that (her work continues to touch) many lives in difficult circumstances, as far away as the mountains and deserts of New Mexico."
In an IJ interview 18 months ago, Ms. Farina expressed gratitude for her 25 years with the agency. "I have gone to work every day with people whose job was to give to other people," she said. "I have been very lucky."
Bread & Roses inspired a number of similar organizations across the country. David Lescht, director of Outside In in Santa Fe, said "Mimi was not only an inspiration but a mentor and shining light for us. I hope it gave her comfort to know that (her work continues to touch) many lives in difficult circumstances, as far away as the mountains and deserts of New Mexico."
In an IJ interview 18 months ago, Ms. Farina expressed gratitude for her 25 years with the agency. "I have gone to work every day with people whose job was to give to other people," she said. "I have been very lucky."
" I don't know what else I would do that would satisfy me as much as knowing I'm doing right . "
The Eleven Commandments of Wildly Successful Woman by Pamela Gilberd
Excert from Bread & Roses website:
Not everybody can do what Mimi did; take a powerful idea, keep the principles simple, and execute with heart and soul. Mimi created a successful, nonprofit organization that serves other nonprofits and uplifts tens of thousands of people every year. Her accomplishments were recognized by many organizations over the years, including The Easter Seal Society (1989), National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (1993), League of Women Voters (1998), and the National Association of Women Business Owners (2000).
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| Bread & Roses office in Corte Madera - September 2024 |
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| Bread & Roses office in Corte Madera - September 2024 |
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| Bread & Roses office in Corte Madera - September 2024 |
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