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(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— U.S. Navy Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Atrian Voorhees, from Apple Valley, California, prepares lobsters in the wardroom galley aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the South China Sea, March 1, 2019. The John C. Stennis is deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ikenna Tanaka)

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOMA LINDA, CA— Josh Maldonado, an engineer for Loma Linda Fire Department, was recognized with the Hometown Hero Award at the 26^th annual Foundation Gala on Thursday, February 21.

Maldonado has been a key player in raising over $50,000 through the annual Tip-a-Firefighter at The Old Spaghetti Factory, an event that he initiated in 2012. He continues to volunteer for a full day at the event, which is hosted at the Redlands and Rancho Mirage restaurant locations.

With two kids of his own who had both been treated at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Maldonado has been committed to giving back to the hospital that has been integral in his family’s life. He volunteers at numerous events, including the K-Froggers for KidsRadiothon, Gingerbread Village, Dishes for Wishes and the Quaid Harley-Davidson Toy Run. He has also coordinated thousands of dollars’ worth of toys to be donated to patients.

Maldonado not only gives of his personal time, but he also supports Children’s Hospital with an annual monetary donation. He shares his passion of giving back with others as well, being the voice for those who don’t have one, something that was instilled in him as a child.

“My family has always been one to help out where we can,” Maldonado said. “As a kid we always outreached in the city parks and at events. I’m trying to pass that on to my kids — that we can make life better for people, even if it’s just opening a door for someone.”

An Inland Empire native, Maldonado grew up in Colton. He married his high school sweetheart, Katie, 20 years ago, and they now reside in Grand Terrace.

After going through the explorer program at Colton Fire Department during high school, Maldonado attended Crafton Hills College Fire Academy. He was a firefighter at San Bernardino County Fire and then Fort Irwin before coming to LLFD in 2007.

“I feel very lucky to do what I do every day,” he said. “To be able to put this uniform on — to be able to have the platform to do things is humbling for me.”

According to Tiffany Hoekstra of the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Foundation, Maldonado is a true champion for children.

“He is always right there willing to help without any reservation,” Hoekstra said. “Josh is so incredibly humble and never seeks recognition for all that he has done, but from the bottom of our hearts we know he truly deserves it.”

Akoma Unity Center has partnered with Empowered Mindz Stem Academy to bring a free, rigorous, robotics classes to Young Engineers. Students from all over the Inland Empire and Orange County attended this program.

According to Jennifer Xicara, the center’s operations manager, “Akoma is excited to inspire the next generation of Engineers with 5 more sessions to go”.

Akoma Unity Center is located on the West Side of San Bernardino at 1367 N. California Street. The phone number is 909-217-7956.

Date of event: Saturday, March 2, 2019

Purpose: Recognizing mental health and substance use challenges can be difficult, which is why it’s so important for everyone to understand the warning signs and risk factors.

Mental Health First Aid USA is an 8-hour training to teach participants how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it helps trainees identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Participants of the Social Lites, Inc. Beautillion Program attended both 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.  Church services at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday, February 24, 2019. It was a wonderful experience to celebrate the end of Black History Month at one of the historic African American Churches in the Inland Empire.  New Hope Missionary Baptist Church located at 1575 W. 17^th Street, San Bernardino has been in the community for over 106 years.  One of the most wonderful experiences for all to take part in was a Black History exhibit set up in the fellowship hall that included samples of southern cooking all to enjoy.

Morning worship also included a guest speaker from Live Stream in partnership with the Blood of the Martyrs Blood Drive Committee in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to inform congregation of the upcoming Blood Drive at New Hope Missionary Baptist church from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 31, 2019.

The Beautillion program will commence on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at the National Orange Show of San Bernardino.  For more information, please contact: knight.beautillion@gmail.com

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—CORPSU CHRISTI, Texas (Feb. 14, 2019) — NHC Corpus Christi Sailors of the Quarter for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2019. From left, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF) David B. Butler, of Munford, Tennessee, Sailor of the Quarter; Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF) Raul M. Cervantes, of Yoakum, Texas, Senior Sailor of the Quarter; and Hospitalman Dominic Briones, of Apple Valley, California, Blue Jacket of the Quarter. Not pictured: Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Alec Bushong, of San Antonio Detachment, Junior Sailor of the Quarter. (U.S. Navy photo/Bill W. Love)

by Alan Nunn, Recruit Training Command Public Affairs

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)– GREAT LAKES, Ill— Seaman Recruit Jasmine Recio, an Upland High School graduate and Upland, California, native, graduated as top Sailor from Recruit Training Command, Division 914, earning the Military Excellence Award on February 8.

Recio said she was honored to receive the MEA.

“I’ve been bestowed one of the greatest honors an RTC graduate can achieve, and having been compared against countless of other talented and motivated recruits in my training group, I consider it a blessing,” Recio said.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—ALEXANDRIA, VA— In celebration of its 25^th anniversary, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), a nonprofit humanitarian and advocacy organization, has awarded a $25,000 “Silver Anniversary” grant to two Redlands-based agencies – Building Resilient Communities (BRC) and Redlands Area Interfaith Council (RAIC) – to help develop a new platform for emergency management.  

The two organizations will work together on the Emergency Preparedness and Response Collaborative project. For the project, the organizations will partner with the Redlands Emergency Management and Human Relations Commission to give different faith groups (Muslims, Catholics, Mormons, Christians, among others) the opportunity to work together. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide toolkits and train 45 volunteers from the various RAIC member agencies to become cultural liaisons who will work with first responders and establish an emotional and spiritual care team.

“Building Resilient Communities (BRC) was established to help community and faith-based organizations prepare for that inevitable moment when they are called upon to build, repair and restore their community,” said Debra J. Williams, president of Building Resilient Communities. “This project is a wonderful opportunity for the entire faith community to come together to learn and collaborate for a common cause.  The relationships built through this project will go far beyond preparing for a disaster.  Building Resilient Communities is proud to be a part of such an important endeavor and we truly thank Islamic Relief USA for recognizing the value of our project.”

“This Islamic Relief USA grant will allow Building Resilient Communities, Redlands Area Interfaith Council, the City of Redlands Emergency Management and other groups to collaborate on providing disaster preparedness and response services that incorporate and respect cultural and religious norms,” said Dr. Shaheen Zakaria, M.D., vice president of the Redlands Area Interfaith Council (RAIC) and a commissioner of the Redlands Human Relations Commission. “An intricate tapestry of individual values, norms and culture tie every community together. To understand their culture is to understand them. This will be a great way forward towards understanding and building bridges among various community groups in Redlands”.

The “Silver Anniversary Community Bridge-Building” program is an initiative designed to bridge the differences that frequently divide communities – such as religion, race, or political opinion. The grant announcement generated 175 formal inquiries from organizations working in 36 states and the territory of Puerto Rico. That response demonstrates that people all across America are interested in finding common bonds and are committed to a common mission for the sake of their communities. 

“The tremendous response from grassroots, community-based and national organizations shows that people who on the surface have little in common can come together to make the world a better place – a place where there’s more unity, more sensitivity, and an endless amount of potential and promise,” said Anne Wilson, director of programs for IRUSA.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—SACRAMENTO, CA— Last month, Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the recipients of Prop 56 grants to reduce illegal sales of tobacco which included $798,795 for the Cities of Colton and Fontana in the 47^th Assembly District.  The Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant funds will support programs to reduce illegal tobacco sales, particularly to minors. This announcement comes after Assemblymember Eloise Reyes (D-San Bernardino) sent a letter of support for the cities’ grant application to the California Department of Justice.

 “I am so pleased that our cities are taking advantage of the resources available through the State of California,” said Assemblymember Reyes. “I continue to stay committed to doing my part in helping our community gain access to these funds.”

The Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program is funded by Proposition 56, the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016. Proposition 56 raised the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with an equivalent increase on other tobacco products. Funded activities include retailer training programs, decoy operations, youth outreach and prevention programs, tobacco retail license inspections, training for sworn peace officers, the installation of vapor and smoke detectors, and more.

The Colton Police Department will hire a school resource officer to educate, promote and deter students from using tobacco products. In addition, the police department will also install signage and vape detectors in schools and conduct decoy stings at retail establishments. The Fontana Police Department will identify and target problematic retailers, conduct enforcement and post-enforcement operations, conduct officer and retailer education classes and conduct intensive youth outreach.

Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes represents Assembly District 47 which includes the cities of Fontana, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, San Bernardino and the unincorporated areas of Muscoy and Bloomington.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOMA LINDA, CA— Two kidney transplant recipients and their donors who were part of a paired kidney exchange in December met for the first time on Sunday, Jan. 20 — just weeks after their surgeries took place at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

These two families are forever united through the altruism of one Coachella valley man: Danny Morin. Morin was a match for his wife, Ana, and was slated to donate his kidney to her in early 2018. While this couple was a match, two brothers, Jesus Verduzco from Colton and Billy Verduzco, who was in the Marines stationed in Japan, were hoping for a match. Although Billy was willing to leave the Marines to donate to Jesus, their blood types were not compatible. The saving grace however was that Danny agreed to donate to Jesus instead of his wife who would in turn receive a kidney from Billy.

Michael E. De Vera, MD director of  Loma Linda University Transplant Institute, said it is because of connections like this that Loma Linda University Health really pushes for living donors.

“These unique and special circumstances really highlight the mission of Loma Linda University Health,” De Vera says. “This is an example of going above and beyond to save more lives and make people whole.”

After waiting six years for a new kidney, Marin is now dreaming about having her first child and traveling with her husband. 

Marin’s husband, Danny, said he is grateful he was able to save more than just his wife. He was able to save Jesus — a father, a husband and an entire family. “We are all now connected for life, and I am grateful to be a part of this amazing story,” he said.

Jesus had been on dialysis for two years until receiving his new kidney from Danny. He’s now ready to get back to work to support his family and watch his children grow up.

“The living kidney donor program gave me life — a second chance at life,” Jesus said. “I have no words because it is everything to me.”