Local

Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-The San Bernardino NAACP will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act with a keynote address by the Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr. Brown is most noted for his tenure in the California State Assembly as the longest serving Speaker of the House, and most recently, as the first black Mayor of the city of San Francisco.  Earlier this year, the San Francisco Bay Bridge was named the Willie L. Brown Jr. Bay Bridge, in his honor.

As an undergraduate student, Brown was very active in the San Francisco Branch of the NAACP.  On February 4, 2014, he was inducted into the NAACP Legacy Hall of Fame.  As a keynote speaker, Brown mixes passion and practicality to discuss his wins and losses in the world of politics.  With a dynamic, no-nonsense style, his message will stimulate the audience to add value to their community by getting involved with the local branch of the NAACP.

The Annual Freedom Fund Dinner will take place Thursday, October 30 at 6 p.m. at the Hotel San Bernardino located at 285 East Hospitality Lane.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.SanBernardinoNAACP.org/freedom-fund-dinner.

Lessons Learned from Initial Open Enrollment Applied to Major Changes for Upcoming Open Enrollment Nov. 15 to Feb. 15

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California announced it has begun the renewal process for 1.12 million individuals who enrolled in plans in the exchange last year and unveiled substantial new improvements to facilitate enrollment in coverage for 2015.

“Last year, we succeeded in signing up millions of Californians in health coverage through Covered California and Medi-Cal,” Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “We learned a great deal in the process, and in this second open enrollment we are building on those lessons using effective and concrete changes.”

The first wave of renewal notices was sent to consumers on Wednesday. Consumers who complete the renewal process will hear from their insurance plans in December. Their selected health plan will send a statement reflecting coverage starting Jan. 1, 2015. Consumers who take no action will be renewed into their existing plan.

Individuals who have health coverage through Medi-Cal renew their coverage throughout the year, on a rolling monthly schedule. Medi-Cal will contact them directly if they need to take action. Unless they are contacted by Medi-Cal, these individuals do not need to go to the Covered California website to renew or apply.

Covered California also provided updated enrollment numbers for 2014 on Thursday. Of the Californians who selected a plan during the initial open enrollment, 1,140,000 (or 81 percent) had their coverage take effect by paying their first month’s premium. Today, a total of 1.12 million individuals have effectuated coverage and will be part of the renewal process. Covered California expects this number to increase as special enrollment continues and as recent enrollees effectuate their coverage, with about 1.3 million Californians participating in the renewal process through the end of the year.

For more information about the enrollment numbers, see the October 2014 “Individual Market Enrollment Report” online at http://news.CoveredCA.com/p/covered-california-individual-market.html.

“This is our very first experience with renewal, and we will learn things during this process just as we learned a great deal about open enrollment during 2013-2014. We do believe many significant improvements have been made that will assist our consumers during both renewal and open enrollment this year,” Lee said.

In the meantime, Covered California continues to gear up for open enrollment, which will begin Nov. 15 and continue through Feb. 15. Open enrollment is the next opportunity for all Californians to benefit from new insurance rules, including the requirement that insurance be offered regardless of health status. In addition, this is the window of time when Californians can buy subsidized coverage starting in 2015.

Covered California has adopted changes, guided by a newly released report titled “Covered California Open Enrollment 2013-2014: Lessons Learned,” to improve consumers’ experience. The report commissioned by Covered California offers an in-depth look at Covered California’s work during the first open-enrollment period. It is available online at www.CoveredCA.com/resources/PDFs/10-14-2014-Lessons-Learned-final.pdf.

“We know this open-enrollment period will be more challenging in some ways. Consumers will only have three months to enroll, compared with the six months they had last time. This is complicated by our knowledge that many who are uninsured have adapted to a culture of coping and have become accustomed to living without health insurance,” Lee said.

With less than one month before open enrollment begins, consumers can begin the process of shopping for 2015 coverage. They can find out if they are eligible for financial assistance and find out how much a health plan will cost them, by using Covered California’s Shop and Compare Tool (on CoveredCA.com atwww.CoveredCA.com/shopandcompare/#calculator). Covered California also offers a full listing of the plans and their rates in the booklet “Health Insurance Companies and Plan Rates for 2015” (online at www.CoveredCA.com/PDFs/CC-health-plans-booklet-2015.pdf)

Following are the top lessons learned and the ways that Covered California is improving its work for the coming open-enrollment period.

The volume of consumer interest and interactions exceeded expectations and challenged all systems and service channels. As a result:

• Covered California will start open enrollment with more than double the number of Service Center representatives — state employed and contractors — to dramatically reduce wait times and help consumers enroll. More than 1,300 representatives will help consumers over the phone, by chat or by processing their paper applications or documents. The majority of these representatives are state employees working in Rancho Cordova and Fresno, but two private vendors — Faneuil and Maximus — will operate call centers to boost capacity during this period. Last year, Covered California began open enrollment with 381 Service Center representatives and ended with 709.
• While the vast majority of consumers are served in their own languages by Covered California staff, the capacity of the Service Center will be expanded more in order to serve callers in Spanish, Chinese and other languages without the use of interpreters. This year Covered California will have 254 Service Center representatives able to serve consumers in languages other than English, compared with 55 during open enrollment in 2013.
• Service Center hours — including phone service and online chat — have been expanded to accommodate consumers after hours, with representatives now available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. In addition, the Service Center will be open on many Sundays during open enrollment, including every Sunday from Nov. 16 through Dec. 15.
• Covered California is working with health plans to make it possible for consumers to make their first premium payment online as soon as they have selected a plan. This will give consumers peace of mind that they have evidence that their payment has been received and that they will have coverage in place.
• To meet high consumer demand, Covered California spent $22.6 million to upgrade the enrollment portal infrastructure to allow for greater user capacity and speedier page loads so that consumers do not have to return later to complete an application.
• For self-service, Covered California is redesigning its interactive voice response (IVR) system to handle more consumer calls while decreasing wait times and updating consumers on wait times when they are placed on hold.
• Covered California is continuing to make significant improvements so that notices consumers receive are clearer, explanations on the website are better — in both English and Spanish — and the consumer experience is more seamless.

Many consumers are new to insurance and need extensive education about health insurance terminology, how to enroll in coverage and how to use insurance. As a result:

• Advertising this year features real Californians speaking to the ways that coverage has benefited them as a result of the Affordable Care Act, including testimonials from people who were able to get vital care as a result of their coverage. The volume of advertising will taper down in the coming two weeks and then ramp up significantly before open enrollment starts on Nov. 15.
• Realizing that Certified Enrollment Counselors and Certified Insurance Agents are some of the agency’s strongest connections to consumers, Covered California is giving these valued partners enhanced and expanded tools to educate enrollees, including biweekly webinars, training from subject matter experts, a bimonthly newsletter to highlight best practices and modifications to the enrollment process, and an updated glossary of terminology.
• This year, Covered California will expand dedicated call lines to help Certified Insurance Agents and Certified Enrollment Counselors help consumers during the application process.

Most consumers relied on a variety of touch points, including in-person assistance, to successfully complete enrollment. As a result:

• Covered California’s partners will open more than 200 storefronts in retail locations, such as malls, to help serve consumers on a drop-in basis that meets their scheduling needs. Consumers can get help at these sites to enroll, renew and learn more about health coverage options.
• Covered California will begin the open-enrollment period with more than 12,000 Certified Insurance Agents, 10,000 county eligibility workers, and 6,400 Certified Enrollment Counselors to help educate and enroll consumers. To get free, confidential, in-person assistance, consumers should visit CoveredCA.com and click “Find Help Near You.”
• Enrollment of African-Americans, Latinos and Asian-Americans will be emphasized and broadened through targeted advertising in relevant media outlets, through Navigator grants supporting in-person enrollment guidance from expert communicators specializing in outreach to underserviced communities, and through engagement of African-American churches to host community-wide enrollment events.

“We are extremely excited about the changes we have put in place, and we look forward to building on the enthusiasm around open enrollment this year as we did last year,” Lee said, noting that more than 70 events are scheduled in the Los Angeles area alone between now and Nov. 15. “The Affordable Care Act is working, and it is changing the lives of people for the better.

“At the same time, we know we have more work to do. We want Covered California to deliver best-in-class customer service, and we know we’re not there yet,” Lee said. “But we’re getting better every week, and we will continue to learn and improve.”

Covered California offers a range of choices of private health insurance plans. Consumers can choose the health plan and level of coverage (Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum) that best meets their health needs and budget.

About Covered California

Covered California is the state’s marketplace for the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Covered California, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, was charged with creating a new health insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get access to affordable health insurance plans. Covered California helps individuals determine whether they are eligible for premium assistance that is available on a sliding-scale basis to reduce insurance costs or whether they are eligible for low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Small businesses can purchase competitively priced health insurance plans and offer their employees the ability to choose from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax credits.

Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the governor and the Legislature. For more information about Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.

County Schools’ Deputy Superintendent Ted Alejandre (left) puts supplies in backpacks, along with County Schools’ Homeless Education specialist Brenda Dowdy (left) and Earl Smith, coordinator of Child, Welfare and Attendance for County Schools.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The Homeless Education program for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools soon will distribute a shipment of 1,920 backpacks donated by the national organization, Feed The Children, to homeless students across the county. The backpacks are stuffed with accompanying school supplies, books, snacks and hygiene products.

Feed The Children, which was founded in 1979, distributed more than $344 million in food, essentials, education supplies and medicine to more than 10 million individuals last year. The organization delivered its backpacks and supplies to County Schools’ Homeless Education program on October 7.

During the last reporting year, more than 35,700 homeless students were reported countywide, said Brenda Dowdy, County Schools’ homeless education specialist.

Many of this year’s supplies will be delivered during the week of Oct. 20 to 30 districts across the county.

For more information about the donations of the County Schools’ Homeless Education program, contact Dowdy at (909) 386-2634.

Kim Carter, CEO of Time For Change Foundation, speaks at the Monday morning protest that the foundation held on the steps of city hall.

Submitted by Time for Change Foundation staff

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Time for Change Foundation held a press conference on the steps of City Hall Monday, October 13, to expose the dirty politics, once again plaguing the bankrupt City of San Bernardino.  Concerned citizens, community activists, spiritual leaders and the homeless joined with Time for Change Foundation (TFCF) to demand that the City Council do at least what the community does for them, VOTE.  The community united in one voice for Honesty, Integrity and Transparency (HIT) within the city leadership holding signs declaring “Stop the Dirty Politics” and “Cheating is Bad for Business.”

TFCF, a local non-profit organization, and low income housing developer, dedicated to serving the disenfranchised, has been denied Federal Home Investment Partnership Funds designed to be administered through the City after winning a recent bid competition for their new low income housing development project.  “We won that competition fair and square. This is about the jobs that are going to be created in our community, it’s about the safe and decent housing that we are going to have in our community,” said Kim Carter, Executive Director and Founder of TFCF, “we’re not going to allow dirty politicians to rob us one more time.  We’re here today about the residents of San Bernardino who can’t afford to be cheated out of one more taxpayer dollar in our city.  We need investments in our community and that’s not going to happen if we keep allowing leadership to come in here and play dirty politics.  Is this city open for business or what?“ San Bernardino is a city trying to rebuild itself.  No entity will be willing to come to San Bernardino to invest if the City does not hold to the competition process.

The community, along with the hardworking staff at TFCF want answers.  If the City Council went through the pretense of soliciting proposals, having the proposals analyzed by a Proposal Review Committee, publicly declaring a winner, and writing a Resolution to award the funds, the least the City Council can do is VOTE!  Today, the community called for the City Council to place the project item back on their agenda and to VOTE, publicly, yes or no.   The community is calling for the matter to be moved forward according to the democratic process which has been set in place for the orderly conducting of business.

Sergio Luna of Inland Congregations United For Change (ICUC) asserted “this is a fight that every single person in San Bernardino should take…we at ICUC we are standing with Time for Change in every way possible…we will continue to collaborate until we find justice in our community.”  Reverend Bronica Taylor was passionate, declaring “we are the people. It is our vote that can truly make the change. “

HERE ARE THE FACTS:

• an open bid competition RFP was released by the City for the purpose of low income housing development
• a Proposal Review Committee declared TFCF the agency scoring the highest in the competition
• the Mayor and City Council issued a Resolution stating the funds had been identified and were available
• the Resolution authorized the City Manager and City Attorney to negotiate terms of the development project
• the Resolution was placed on the City Council agenda 9/15/14 and then removed
• the Resolution was placed on the City Council agenda 10/6/14 and then removed

No one within the City government will publicly state why this development project is not moving forward in the normal course of business.  The community, attempting to pull out of bankruptcy, has been disappointed once again because of the lack of Honesty, Integrity and Transparency within the new leaders they voted into office.  How can you ask people to vote for you during reelection time when you are sitting in the seat and not living up to the promises of openness, transparency and accountability?  If the City was truly moving forward, the transparency and accountability would be obvious.  Kim Carter reiterated: “This is not about me, this is about the process which is honest, integrity filled and transparent … a healthy competition.  Is any business safe to come here and enter a competition only to be awarded but not rewarded? No one likes a “cheater!”

The next City Council meeting will take place October 20, 2014 and the public was encouraged to attend and demand answers from public officials, from the dais, in that public forum.  TFCF put the matter publicly to the City Council to place the development project item back on the agenda and for every member to publicly vote to approve or disapprove.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- It is with great expectation that The Fire Center Church of San Bernardino will host a special event with world renowned guest speaker Bishop & Prophet William Tomusange. The message will take place on Thursday, October 23 at 6 p.m. at 1700 W. Highland Avenue in San Bernardino. For more information on the church please visit www.facebook.com/thefirecenterchurch.

Bishop Tomusange grew up in Kampala Uganda Africa, where at the age of 12-years-old he was an orphan who was eventually taken in and cared for by a deeply spiritual Bishop that raised him in the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Tom, as he is affectionately called by his family fellow ministers and co-laborers in the gospel, received the Holy Spirit at the age of 15. He preached his first sermon two years later at the young age of 17 at Mount Carmel Church in Uganda Africa.

Currently, Bishop Tom travels all over the globe speaking the prophetic heart of God to people of many nations. His prophetic Mantel is unparallel and news of the anointing that flows through his vessel is spreading like Holy Ghost Fire. Founder of Joy Mission International Ministries and Joy Christian Center, Bishop Tom is also C.E.O of 98.0 Kampala Uganda Joy FM radio.

He also continues traveling around the globe raising funds for Source of Hope Orphanage, which is filled with Uganda’s precious and most desperate children left abandoned and orphaned by the ravages of civil wars. S.O.H.O continues to rescue children forced to live in deplorable conditions in Africa.  To visit the orphanage’s website, please visit www.facebook.com/sourceofhopeorphanage .

“Bishop William Coming to our humble Church is a grand blessing of epic proportions. I had the pleasure of serving with this man when I visited Africa and I personally witnessed firsthand his endless passion for Christ and compassion for God’s people,”           The Fire Center Church Apostle Ulysses Watson said.

He continues, “I am extremely excited for those here in America who will have the opportunity to see a move of God such as this in our homeland, and I’m blessed beyond words to host such an amazingly honorable man of God at The Fire Center.”

Darralyn

Explain exactly what you business is.         

I’m in the beauty industry.

What type of services or products do you offer?

I perform all phases of hair care; however, I specialize in natural hair. I use products containing natural ingredients like sea kelp, vanilla bean etc, that add shine and promote growth and health, and that are free of parabens and sulfates and other ingredients which have been shown to be harmful.

Why did you start this particular business?

I’ve always been intrigued by fashion and hair makes a statement in fashion all its own, from there I learned the importance of beautifying hair in the most healthy way.

What in your background or what did you have to do to prepare for this business?

I always welcome a challenge; I have a creative mind so those things along with education and experience allow me to assist clients with special circumstance to abusive their desired results

What are the special or unique features of your business that distinguish you or are different from your competitors?

In this area I’ve heard that clients with locks or other natural hairstyles must travel a distance, but I do service those clients.

If, through this article you could reach out and touch just one person and aid them in turning their lives around, what would you say?

I would stress the importance of regular maintenance if only once per month or at least every 6 weeks have a professional look at your scalp to help alleviate long term damage from dryness, buildup, split ends or other conditions that may not be really detected

“We are excited to launch the next phase of our grantmaking,” said Judy Belk, president and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation.  “Advancing Wellness builds on the Foundation’s long history of responding to the needs of California communities and addressing the root causes of health and wellness inequities.”

The process for submitting letters of interest to the Foundation has been streamlined with the introduction of an online grants application process to increase efficiency and support grantees’ efforts. Grantseekers can apply here.

Building upon its legacy, the Foundation remains committed to responsive, statewide grantmaking; core operating support; funding of direct services, public policy and capacity building; and improving the health of underserved populations.

Grants made under the Bridging the Gaps in Access and Quality Care portfolio will be related to: the equitable implementation of the Affordable Care Act; the health care safety net; oral health care for low-income adults, including seniors; and increasing diversity in the health care professions.

Grants made under the Promoting Healthy and Safe Neighborhoods portfolio will be related to: ensuring that effective systems, infrastructures and resources are in place to support healthy living and to minimize trauma and injury resulting from violence, particularly gun violence.

Grants made under the Expanding Education and Employment Pathways portfolio will be related to: charting a path to greater access to resources, opportunities, and support for adolescents and young adults whom Cal Wellness defines as “resilient youth,” i.e., young people who are in, or have exited, the juvenile justice system; are current or former foster youth; have been or are currently homeless or runaways; or are pregnant and/or parenting youth. The goals of this portfolio are also to ensure that there is access to sufficient income and other resources through fair employment and appropriate government benefits, as well as the building and protection of financial assets for resilient youth, military veterans and formerly incarcerated adults.

The Opportunity Fund will support capacity building, public policy and innovation among nonprofit agencies and philanthropic organizations working to improve the health of Californians.

To view a video and other materials on the grantmaking program, please visit the CalWellness.org newsroom.

The California Wellness Foundation is a private independent foundation created in 1992 with a mission to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention. Since its founding in 1992, Cal Wellness has awarded 7,523 grants totaling more than $899 million.

After months of waiting, the official arrival is now here! While teens are surrounded by a world of social media, selfies and hashtags, one teen in Fontana is making a difference by breaking the mold of conformity. Her name is Brittany Evans, 18, unlike most teens Brittany would rather be about business than taking tons of pictures to show off to her friends.

She not only has beauty and brains but she is the first in her family to become an inventor. Her invention is called Sparkbudz (patent pending) it is an all new earphone in which you can magnetically attach and detach when you are alone or with a friend.

The product is now available through IndieGoGo. She is asking for your support. For more information, visit www.Sparkbudz.com or www.Facebook.com/Sparkbudz.

REDLANDS, CA- The “Pink and Green Divas” team of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc., Eta Nu Omega Chapter participated in the Stater Bros. 7^th Annual Believe Walk.  The walk benefits several cancer fighting organizations in the Inland Empire where Eta Nu Omega is chartered and their members reside.

“It is very important for us to participate in this walk because all of the funds generated will go to support cancer patients and their family’s right here in our community,” stated Team Captain Kimberly Isaac.

The members of Eta Nu Omega are very invested in health education and awareness and participate in many activities such as health fairs, monthly health education tips for members and even ran a Men’s Health Month campaign to spread the word about prostate cancer by visiting barbershops, men’s groups, and churches where they distributed materials from the Prostate Cancer Foundation. For future events, please visit www.etanuomega.org.

LOS ANGELES, CA- Maxwell Dickson: Creative Canvas Art Print Company will host the “Pink Tie Affair” art show fundraiser on Saturday, October 11 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the California Market Center, with the goal of raising $200K for the Breast Cancer Care and Research Fund.

The event is powered by Coca Cola, Amante Restaurant, California Market Center, APT2B.com, Valley Voice, Zizi Showroom, The Cougar Chronicle, Bakersfield News Observer, Wantickets, OPI, ABS Special Events, Trea Day PR, Maddalena Vineyard Brands, Event Message Services and Gents Closet, just to name a few. “Pink Tie Affair” will feature red carpet, gourmet cuisine, wine and spirits, gift bags, massage services, live entertainment and more. Art world enthusiasts, celebrity guests, elite Los Angeles philanthropic taste-makers and socialites will be sporting pink ties in support of BCCRF a non-profit 501 © 3 organization.

The art gallery is located on the 9^th floor of the California Market Center at 110 E. 9^th Street, C919 in Los Angeles (90079). Remember to get social at the event by using the event hashtags #PINKTIEAFFAIR #THINKPINK #MAXWELLDICKSON.