When Lorena Thompson left her house the day after Halloween, she gave her young son and daughter each a kiss. “She loved us, and we knew we were loved,” said her daughter, Deborah Kemper. “That was really key for me growing up because I was angry after she was murdered, and I could have taken a bad turn in life.”

San Bruno -- A decade-long effort to tell the story of 8,000 Bay Area residents of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated during World War II at the site of what is now the Tanforan shopping center in San Bruno is now reality.

 This article was first published in July 2016. More than a century ago Rue Clifford rode a horse through the streets of South San Francisco to gather signatures to support building a library. Her work paid off: industrialist turned philanthropist Andrew Carnegie gave the young city $10,000 to build its first free public library on Grand Avenue.

The 2020 Census gets underway soon and it’s critical that every person living in the county is counted to secure federal funding for medical services, including clinics and children’s health insurance, housing, emergency preparedness, nutrition programs, infrastructure and a host of other services.

Whether you are an orphan, a prisoner, sick, a refugee, homeless or mentally ill, the Daughters of Charity for nearly 400 years provided charitable health care for the most vulnerable among us. They’ve been the heroes of the poor for centuries all around the world.

Depending on which side of the aisle you sit on, the future of Medicare either looks grim or promising as its fiscal strength shows signs of improvement despite the program being constantly under siege by fraudsters. In Congress, there has been talks for years now to either phase out the medical insurance program that benefits nearly 58 million Americans, the vast majority seniors, or possibly even privatize it.

San Mateo County will be one of the first in the state to implement the exchange zone and follows Daly City, which established its zone last year at City Hall directly in front of the police station.

Do you or someone you know need help putting food on the table? Qualifying for food assistance might be easier than you think. A family of four earning $40,000 or less can qualify for CalFresh, and if you just need food to tide your family over until your next paycheck, Second Harvest Food Bank may be able to help.

Taking care of your family's health is a priority, so the next time you find yourself in need of prescription medication save up to 65% just by using a free Discount Prescription Card that can be used at more than 59,000 pharmacies nationwide, including all chain and most independent pharmacies. The card was made available to San Mateo County residents by the Board of Supervisors in 2009. Residents can obtain this convenient card without qualifying, paying a fee, or meeting any deadlines.  It's ready to use.

The Network of Care is a county funded and supported website that allows the user to find services for seniors or those with disabilities in San Mateo County, research medical conditions and medications, follow the progress of state and federal legislation, and maintain your own or a loved one’s health records in a secure part of the website.  The site can be translated into fifty languages.   Additionally, the Network of Care can be accessed by the visually impaired by use of computer screen readers, such as JAWS.

Pharmaceutical  Pharmaceuticals flushed into the sanitary sewer system eventually end up in streams, creeks, rivers and reservoirs. To prevent unwanted toxins reaching our precious Bay water, pharmaceutical drop-off locations with dedicated containers provide a safer and more sensible option. Nearly every law enforcement agency in San Mateo County participates in this convenient disposal program.