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Four organizations receive the prestigious Yawa’ Award from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

HIGHLAND, CA— The 2024 Forging Hope Awards, hosted by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, recognized four outstanding nonprofit organizations for their exemplary contributions to the quality of life in the Inland Empire.

Recipients of the 2024 Yawa’ Award, the Tribe’s highest honors, included California Indian Nations College; Keres Children’s Learning Center; National Indian Child Welfare Association; and The Salvation Army.

“Each Yawa’ Award recipient embodies extraordinary dedication to their communities. In our Serrano language, Yawa’ means to ‘act on one’s beliefs.’ We will never forget the kindness extended to our Tribal family before we had the means to envision a brighter future,” said Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. ”It is an honor to stand with these community heroes.”

San Manuel partners with hundreds of organizations each year, giving nearly $400 million since 2002 to organizations serving Inland Empire and Indian Country communities, to reinforce the spirit of Yawa’ and empower positive change.

To learn more about the Tribe’s giving program, visit sanmanuelcares.org.

By Lou K. Coleman | WSS News Contributor

You best make up your mind and make it up fast. For this is what the Lord God says: ‘Disaster! Unprecedented disaster– is coming! [Ezekiel 7:5-7]. We are on a catastrophic path, one that will be so extreme that the world have never experienced anything like it before. [Matthew 24:21]. Think about that, unprecedented disaster. A day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness— [Zephaniah 1:15]. For the Lord has an indictment against the nations; he is entering into judgment with all flesh, and the wicked he will put to the sword. [Jeremiah 25: 31]. I Tell You, This Ain’t No Time to Be Wishy Washy.

Listen, it is one thing to be confused and need some guidance or direction. It’s another thing to know what needs to be done and go back and forth between options. The Bible clearly tells us that someday the world as we now know it will come to an end. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare” [2 Peter 3:10]. So, I ask you, how long will you falter between two opinions? Make your calling and election sure. [ 2 Peter 1:10]. For, This Ain’t No Time to Be Wishy Washy. Because the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you and surround you and hem you in on every side and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. [Luke 19:43-44]

Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter.” Their slain shall be thrown out; Their stench shall rise from their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion.

Destruction of the Nations – [Isaiah Chapter 34:1-4 8-10; Revelation 14:10-11 Revelation 16:14; Revelation19:3]

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale; the sky vanished like a scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand before it?” [Revelation 6:12-17].

Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. This Ain’t No Time to Be Wishy Washy!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Omnitrans is pleased to welcome Piyumie Wickramasinghe, Ph.D. as the agency’s new Director of Safety & Security.

As leader of the Safety & Security Department, Wickramasinghe will oversee agency safety compliance and initiatives and internal and external security efforts.

“Piyumie’s extensive safety, health management and emergency response experience will be key as she leads Omnitrans’ safety culture and enhanced security efforts,” said CEO/General Manager Erin Rogers.

“I am looking forward to working with the Safety & Security team to enhance customer and employee security and fulfill Omnitrans’ goal of putting safety first in everything we do,” said Wickramasinghe.

Prior to Omnitrans, Wickramasinghe served as Regional Director of Health and Safety for National Express LLC and Regional Safety Manager for Reyes Holdings. She has also held positions in Environmental Health and Chemical Safety at the University of Southern California, where she earned a doctorate degree in Chemistry.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Time for Change Foundation’s (TFCF) 22nd Annual Awards Gala will honor outstanding individuals and organizations that go above and beyond for our communities and continue to make a difference in the lives of others.

Dawn Downs is a beacon of humility and compassion, quietly making an indelible impact in the healthcare field. Behind her unassuming demeanor lies a wealth of achievements and a profound commitment to the well-being of others.

Armed with multiple degrees, including Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Dawn’s expertise is matched only by her unwavering dedication. Her exemplary service has earned her accolades such as the Spirit of Caring award from Sharp and the Guardian Angel award, testament to her exceptional contributions to the field.

Dawn is also a successful entrepreneur, overseeing operations at several healthcare companies, including Symbiosis Ambulance, Symbiosis Urgent Care, and Care Ambulance. Facing her own medical challenges, Dawn navigated a labyrinth of misdiagnoses before advocating for her own health and discovering a rare genetic heart disorder. This deeply personal experience ignited her passion for patient advocacy and instilled in her a fierce determination to ensure that no patient’s concerns go unheard.

Dawn’s story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of empathy. Her own struggles have fueled her unwavering commitment to providing compassionate care to all those she serves. As she continues her journey, Dawn’s legacy of compassion and dedication will undoubtedly continue to inspire those around her.

“For Dawn, true success is measured not in accolades or titles, but in the lives she has touched and the difference she has made in the lives of her patients,” says Mrs. Kim Carter-Tillman, Ambassador at the Time for Change Foundation.

Other Award Honorees include: 

Bobby Wagner, football player of the NFL, with the Philanthropist of the Year Award; Laurena Bolden at San Manuel Band of Mission Indians with the Community Champion Award; Dr. Rita (Faridah) Ali from We 2 Matter with the Humanitarian Award; Rev. George Lamb at F.A.C.C.T with the Lifetime Achievement Award; Kellie Todd Griffin at CA Black Women’s Collective with the Michelle Obama Courage Award; Pastor Craig Hadley from Paradox Church with the Nancy Varner Angel Award; and Rialto ROTC with the Ramos Family Spirit of Compassion Award.

Time for Change Foundation’s 22nd Annual Awards Gala will be held on Friday, April 19th, 2024, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Ontario, California at 6:00 p.m. PST. To support the work of Time for Change Foundation, you can become a sponsor, purchase an ad in the event program book, or purchase a Gala ticket.

To register for the event or to become a sponsor and increase your business’s visibility in the community, please visit our website at www.TimeForChangeFoundation.org, or contact Florence White at (909) 886-2994 or by email at fwhite@timeforchangefoundation.org.

By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media 

California Volunteers, part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California for All initiative, last week announced that it is recruiting hundreds of young people in the across the state to participate in its paid service programs aligned with opportunities to solve some of the state’s most challenging problems like climate change, hatred, education disparities, and more.

Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson joined Josh Fryday, California’s Chief Service Officer at the event organized to celebrate the first anniversary of California Volunteers launch of its Job Corps fellow program in Riverside and to announce the new recruitment.

Lock Dawson said in Riverside alone, 100 California Volunteer college job corps fellows have been placed with a number of organizations.

“Governor Newsom and California Volunteers working in partnership with leaders like Mayor Lock Dawson believe that service has the power to connect us. Service has the power to teach us,” said Fryday.

“We are announcing today here in Riverside to recruit across the State of California over 10,000 members of the California Service Corps,” said Fryday. “We need your help getting the word out about CaServiceCorps.com where you can find out about all the opportunities to fit your needs and your passion.

“You don’t have to let your past define your future. In fact your future is now and it starts today with the Service Corps,” said Lock Dawson.

By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media 

On March 12, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and the Legislative Women’s Caucus partnered to host a screening of the documentary “Respect My Crown: The Rise of African American Women in California Politics.”

The event, held at the Crest Theater in downtown Sacramento, was followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Pamela Bright-Moon, and its producer, Alisa Covington.

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) was one of the organizers of the event co-created with the California Black Women’s Collective Institute.

“It was about celebrating and uplifting women for Women’s History Month,” said McKinnor, a member of CLBC. “(This film) itself is powerful and dynamic. It really takes you across California’s history and It takes you across Black women’s political history in Northern and Southern California.”

Respect My Crown” is a feature-length documentary film that explores the significant contributions of African American women in leadership in the areas of politics, labor, and community activism in the State of California.

McKinnor said the film starts with former California U.S. senator Kamala Harris becoming the first Black woman Vice President and ends with labor activist Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Ladera Heights), who sworn in as a California State Senator in 2022. Between those milestones, the film traces the rich history of Black women in California politics, including the election of Yvonne Braithwaite Burke, the first Black woman elected to the California Legislature in 1966.

A number of state legislators and elected officials attended the event, including California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who is featured in the documentary.

“We now have Black women politicians, district attorneys and state officials. The film also touches on local city council persons and mayors such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. It shows Black women’s footprints on the political landscape of California,” said McKinnor.

By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media 

Two California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) members, Assemblymembers Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) and Mike Gipson (D-Carson) were among the speakers during a special ceremony organized by the California Women’s Caucus last week to celebrate Women’s History Month.

During the ceremony, lawmakers from different groups in the Legislature and the 50-member strong Women Caucus paid tribute to several remarkable women from California and across the United States and urged their colleagues to pass House Resolution (HR) 72, legislation that declared March as Women’s History Month.

“I rise on behalf of the members of the California Legislative Black Caucus and the incredible women of that Caucus in support of this resolution and thank our colleagues for bringing this very important piece of legislation before us today,” said Gipson during the event held on the floor of the State Assembly on March 11.

“Your groundbreaking career is unparalleled, and I am proud we represent San Diego County together,” Weber posted on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter.

Gipson paid tribute to the five women mwmvwea of the CLBC: Sen. Lola Smallwood Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymembers Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa), Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) and Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood).

The Assembly leadership honored Janette Robinson Flint, founder of Black Women for Wellness, at the ceremony. She was escorted to the floor by Mckinnor and Assemblymember Rebacca Bauer-Kahan (D-Walnut Creek).

MEMPHIS, TN — Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., a beacon of service and commitment, celebrated its enduring alliance with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® at the Vicennium Partnership Banquet at the Masonic Temple. The event was hosted by the Memphis (TN) Alumni Chapter, the University of Memphis Chapter, the Kappa Beta of Kappa Alpha Psi, and sponsored by the local Memphis Kappa Alpha Psi ®Achievement Foundation.

For more than two decades, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with St. Jude in efforts to create impactful change in the lives of children worldwide with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Since 2003, the fraternity has raised more than $3 million for the renowned

children’s hospital through programs like St. Jude Sunday of Hope and the annual St. Jude Walk/Run, held during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each September. At the event, the fraternity announced a new goal of raising an additional $2 million in the next three years.

“Our friends at Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. have humbled us with their dedication and sense of service over the past 20 years in their support of the kids and families of St. Jude,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude

Children’s Research Hospital. “With this latest commitment, together, they are not only building a legacy – but they are helping save lives and create hope where it is needed most. Thanks to this partnership, St. Jude can impact more of the 400,000 kids around the world with cancer and other life-threatening diseases each year.”

Fundraising by the fraternity and other partner organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council help ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live.

“We value our partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and this new fundraising commitment will further help us support research and treatment of catastrophic childhood diseases and illness,” said Jimmy McMikle, Kappa Alpha Psi’s Grand Polemarch [International President]. “I encourage our members, affiliates, and friends across the globe to help the fraternity continue our efforts to assist St. Jude in fulfilling its vision.”

Help Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and St. Jude give every child a chance to live their best life and celebrate every moment.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) launched the Take on Alzheimer’s campaign in late February.

The awareness campaign is aimed toward educating all Californians about brain health, the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia, and ways to improve communication between patients’ loved ones and health care providers.

Over the next 20 years, the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dimensions (AD/ADRDs) on the State of California will increase dramatically, according to the CDPH.  Longer life expectancies and the aging of the baby boomer generation will lead to an increase in the number and percentage of Californians who will be 65 years of age and older. Since the primary risk factor for AD/ADRDs is older age, a significant increase is anticipated in the numbers of people who will be living with the disease.

“It’s critical to build dementia expertise into programs and services supporting our state’s increasingly diverse older adult population, including family caregivers and our workforce,” said Susan DeMarois, Director of the California Department of Aging in a press release.

“Widespread prevention, screening and detection will enable more families to make important social, medical, financial, and personal decisions and we want our aging network to be well equipped to meet their needs.”

In 2019, approximately 660,000 Californians over 65 years of age lived with AD/ADRDs, which accounted for roughly 11% of the disease’s prevalence across the United States (5.8 million people).

Between 2019 and 2040 a doubling in the number of Californians living with AD/ADRDs is expected. This increase will affect all regions of the state across various demographic groups.

Women are especially impacted by the disease, making up nearly two-thirds of diagnosed Americans. Other groups disproportionately impacted include older Black Americans, who are twice as likely to develop the disease. In the next 20 years, the number of people living with AD/ADRDs is projected to triple, growing to 91,071 people.

Latinos are one-and-a-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than White older adults.

Additional CDPH estimates indicate that between 2019 and 2040:

California’s population will grow by 16%, while the population of people living with AD/ADRDs will expand by 127%;

• The number of Californians over 75 years of age living with AD/ADRDs will more than double, growing to over 1.3 million.
• The number of Californians between 55 and 74 years of age living with AD/ADRDs will increase 26%, growing to 194,975 people.
• The number of people living with AD/ADRDs in California’s fifteen most populous counties (those with a population of 700,000 or more) will at least double.
• The number of Californians living with AD/ADRDs will increase by 11% for women, growing to 917,482 people; and increase by 8% for men, growing to 609,197 people.
• The number of people living with AD/ADRDs more than double for Californians who identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander, growing to 241,106 people.

The Take on Alzheimer’s Campaign aims to reach these disproportionally impacted communities through multilingual and multicultural advertising, partnerships with community-based organizations and engaging trusted ethnic media journalists. The campaign also plans to educate these communities about brain health, the signs of aging, and ADRD symptoms to make a positive impact on them and their loved ones by promoting brain health and benefiting from early detection and diagnosis.

“This campaign will empower our diverse communities to support brain health, better understand and the difference between signs of aging and symptoms of dementia and encourage individuals to have important conversations with their loved ones and health care providers,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer, Dr. Tomás J. Aragón in a release.

The campaign also believes starting honest and empathetic conversations with friends, loved ones or a healthcare provider can be critical to improving outcomes and combating fear and stigma associated with AD/ADRDs.

Based on population-level evidence, the sex health conditions and behaviors that increase risk for cognitive decline and AD are midlife hypertension (age 45-64), physical inactivity, midlife obesity (age 45-64), diabetes, smoking (age 45 and older) and poor sleep (less than six hours a night).

Visit TakeonALZ.com to learn ways people can help reduce their risk and take charge of their brain health before or after an AD/ADRD diagnosis.

BLOOMINGTON, CA – Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., Dodger Alumni Mickey Hatcher and Derrel

Thomas, and Assembly Member Eloise Gomez Reyes marked the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony highlighting community spirit and a commitment to recreation and youth development. It was a day of celebration in Bloomington as local families and little league teams gathered for the start of the Bloomington Little League’s new season.

The refurbished Kessler Park features newly installed modern lighting to brighten evening events, a decorative iron fence to enhance safety and security, and a revitalized snack bar. These improvements aim to enhance infrastructure and give the Bloomington community a sense of pride.

Supervisor Baca, Jr. stated, “The upgrades to Kessler Park represent our commitment to our families and our youth. By investing in our parks, we are investing in our future. San Bernardino County is laying the groundwork for a healthier, more vibrant community.”

The Fifth District also announced a generous $10,000 donation to the Bloomington Little League. This contribution will facilitate the league’s efforts in organizing sports programs, purchasing new equipment, and ensuring all children could engage in healthy physical activity.

Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. added “We’re building an open space where our kids can just be kids—run around, play ball, and laugh. We’re making sure every hardworking family has the chance to just have fun.

Kessler Park Revitalization marks a significant moment for the Bloomington community, opening new possibilities for families and children to experience joy and community spirit together.