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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.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Nelson Mandala said,-“I Am the Master of my Fate and the Captain of my Destiny”… It’s true… The one thing in life which you have complete control over: You’re thinking!

Unfortunately, I have heard parents tell their children they were stupid and would never amount to anything. Ten years later, the child does not work, is on drugs, and is an alcoholic with a wasted life. Those words got into the heart and spirit of that child and directed that life. Everything said, came to pass!

Hear me and hear me good. If someone says to you, “You will never be successful.” “Your dreams will never come to pass” and you dwell on those words then by your own action you have given them life. Things people say about you cannot hurt you UNLESS planted, watered, and nurtured. What do I mean? You plant it by believing it. You water and fertilize it by dwelling upon it. If you do that, it will produce fruit. You must realize that YOU control your own destiny through the power of YOUR WORDS. You cannot control what people say about you, but you can control if those words take root and grow in your life. Don’t you know that WHAT YOU SAY about yourself SUPERSEDES anything that anyone says about you? You need to begin saying about yourself what God says about you. God says, “You are more than a conquer” (Roman 8:37). God says, “You can do all things” (Phil 4:13). God says, “You are the head and not the tail. (Deut. 28:13.) God sees you, “healthy and prospering” (3 John 1:2). You are an overcomer (1 John 4:4). NOTHING CAN STOP YOU! Not even the Devil (1 John 2:14). Your attitude must be, “I don’t care what anyone says about me, I am destined to win. God is on my side. He has a plan to prosper me and give me a hope and a future.” Because if you are going to live a victorious life you must think victorious and not allow negative words to take root in your heart. Refuse them and begin speaking God’s vision for you over your own life. God’s plan for your life is so much larger than you have every imagined.

Remember David? He had a dream to be king of Israel. At every turn, people were negative. His dad left him out of the selection process when Samuel came to anoint the next King. With Goliath, David’s brother Eliab was negative towards him (1 Sam 17:28), but can I tell you what David did? David just turned away and kept pursuing success (1 Sam 17:30). Your family may not understand but don’t let that stop you. People in authority may not understand. David didn’t allow that to take root either. David saw himself as God saw him – Victorious! You got to see yourself as God sees you. It doesn’t matter what people say. I have been criticized in every way you can imagine, but I refuse to allow those words to take root. I refuse to allow those seeds to be planted. I am reminded of Isaiah 54:17 that says, “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shall condemn.” Do you hear what I’m saying to you?  We are the ones who are to condemn every tongue that accuses us.  And yes, I know that some of you have had people do nothing but push you down and tell you what you can’t do and what you will be. But I want to encourage and challenge you today. I want you to hear God saying, “You can do all things. You are destined to do great things. You are destined to sit on the throne.” God has seated you in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Break free from every trap set by negative words. Change your way of thinking and see yourself as God sees you. Refute every negative word formed against you.

King Solomon said it best: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). This is necessary for three reasons.   Your heart is extremely valuable. We don’t guard worthless things. I take my garbage to the street every Wednesday night. It is picked up on Thursday morning. It sits on the sidewalk all night, completely unguarded. Why? It is worthless. Not so with your heart. It is the essence of who you are. It is your authentic self – the core of your being. It is where all your dreams, your desires, and your passions live. It is that part of you that connects with God and other people.  If your heart is unhealthy, it has an impact on everything else. It threatens your family, your friends, and your legacy. I tell you, it is therefore, imperative that you guard it.

When Solomon says to guard your heart, he implies that you are living in a combat zone – one in which there are casualties. Many of us are oblivious to the reality of this war. We have an enemy who is bent on our destruction he not only opposes God, but he opposes everything that is aligned with Him – including us. Satan uses all kinds of weapons to attack our heart, even our on family and friends. For me, these attacks often came in the form of some circumstance that led to disappointment, discouragement, or even disillusionment. In these situations, I was tempted to quit – to walk off the field and surrender. This is why if you and I are going to succeed and survive as individuals, we must guard our hearts. It is more important than we can possibly imagine.  If we lose heart, we have lost everything. Guard your heart. Don’t limit God and don’t limit yourself. God will take you to victory after victory. You will enjoy the abundant life that God has planned for you. Now give the Lord a shout. Amen!

Now to all you “Sanctified Christian, Wholly than Thou.” You need to stop saying things that hurt, offend or are actually untrue. You need to stop engaging in unhelpful gossip, as well as using any put-downs or derogatory language. This behavior not only hurts others, but also corrupts you. You might say that sometimes things just slip out, but is that really any excuse? According to the principles of “guarding your heart”, the answer is firmly “NO!” You need to think in appropriate Heavenly Kingdom ways, so that, as a result, you can speak in helpful and God-honoring ways. Now shout unto the Lord, Yes & Amen! “It’s Your Thang Do Whatcha Wanna Do!”

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.

Publisher Recommends… LOCAL MEASURES & STATE PROPS

SAN BERNARDINO CITY

• Measure Q: The City of San Bernardino is presently locked into utilizing a set formula to establish the compensation for police, fire and emergency safety personnel. Every other city in the state negotiates compensation based on ability to pay. San Bernardino, like all other California cities, should not be subject to automatic pay increases for public and emergency safety personnel!  All San Bernardino employee salaries should be set through collective bargaining, just like the other 481 Cities in the State. Vote For Change. Vote YES on Measure Q. (To read all the measures, visit www.wssnews.com).

• Measure R: Presently any City employee in the classified service that has been suspended, discharged or reduced in classification for disciplinary reasons has the right to appeal that decision and receive regular pay for the appeal period, whether they win or lose the appeal.  In other words, the disciplinary action cannot occur until the appeal decision is made. No one should be paid for creating and losing a long drawn out appeal. That is paying for work not done. Vote For Change. Vote YES on Measure R

HIGHLAND

•  Measure I: The Highland Measure would divide the City into five City Council Districts. To elect members “by district” means that City Council candidates must reside in a specific district and be elected only by the registered voters who live in that district. Currently, the voters elect members of the Highland City Council “at large” which means that candidates may live anywhere in the City and voters throughout the City vote for all five members of the City Council.  If the measure passes with a majority of YES votes, candidates would run and be elected ‘by district’ in 2016. Your Neighborhood should have a voice and City Council Districts are a step in that direction! Vote For Change. Vote Yes on Measure I

•  Prop48   Indian Gaming Compacts. Referendum. Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures: A “Yes” vote approves, and a “No” vote rejects, tribal gaming compacts between the state and the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians and the Wiyot Tribe. Fiscal Impact: One-time payments ($16 million to $35 million) and for 20 years annual payments ($10 million) from Indian tribes to state and local governments to address costs related to the operation of a new casino. I Do Not Like Casinos, but I Like The Idea Of Reserving The Right To Own Casinos To One Group Of People Even Less! Maybe This Will Lead To A Black Tribe Owning One, Or At Least Benefiting From One! Vote Yes On Prop 48. Not Change, but may lead to it…
•  Prop 46   Drug and Alcohol Testing Of Doctors. Medical Negligence Lawsuits. Initiative Statute. Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures: Requires drug testing of doctors. Requires review of statewide prescription database before prescribing controlled substances. Increases $250,000 pain/suffering cap in medical negligence lawsuits for inflation. Fiscal Impact: State and local government costs from raising the cap on medical malpractice damages ranging from tens of millions to several hundred million dollars annually, offset to some extent by savings from requirements on health care providers. This would be a great initiative if it included drug testing for Lawyers; however, it is a good start! Vote For Change. Vote Yes On Prop 46
• Prop 45  Healthcare Insurance.  Rate Changes Initiative Statute. Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures: Requires Insurance Commissioner’s approval before health insurer can change its rates or anything else affecting the charges associated with health insurance. Provides for public notice, disclosure, and hearing, and subsequent judicial review. Exempts employer large group health plans. Fiscal Impact: Increased state administrative costs to regulate health insurance, likely not exceeding the low millions of dollars annually in most years, funded from fees paid by health insurance companies.  Regulation Of Insurance Rates Is A Good thing! Vote For Change. Vote Yes On Prop 45
• Prop47   Criminal Sentences. Misdemeanor Penalties. Initiative Statute. Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures: Requires misdemeanor sentence instead of felony for certain drug and property offenses. Inapplicable to persons with prior conviction for serious or violent crime and registered sex offenders. Fiscal Impact: State and county criminal justice savings potentially in the high hundreds of millions of dollars annually. State savings spent on school truancy and dropout prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and victim services. There are too many people in prison who should not be there, taking up room that ought to be used by people who should be there! Vote For Change Vote Yes On Prop 47
•  Prop 1   Water Bond. Funding for Water Quality, Supply, Treatment, and Storage Projects. Put on the Ballot by the Legislature: Authorizes $7.545 billion in general obligation bonds for state water supply infrastructure projects, including surface and groundwater storage, ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration, and drinking water protection. Fiscal Impact: Increased state bond costs averaging $360 million annually over 40 years. Local government savings for water-related projects, likely averaging a couple hundred million dollars annually over the next few decades. Though this money is intended for worthy projects, it will redirect money from our most important program… Education! Vote For Change, Emphasize Education, Vote No on Prop 1

•  Prop 2   State Budget. Budget Stabilization Account. Legislative Constitutional Amendment. Put on the Ballot by the Legislature: Requires annual transfer of state general fund revenues to budget stabilization account. Requires half the revenues be used to repay state debts. Limits use of remaining funds to emergencies or budget deficits. Fiscal Impact: Long-term state savings from faster payment of existing debts. Different levels of state budget reserves, depending on economy and decisions by elected officials. Smaller local reserves for some school districts. Though this money is intended for worthy projects, it will redirect money from our most important program… Education! Vote For Change, Emphasize Education, Vote No on Prop 2

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.”

Gwaap Fam Ent

What it do! What it do! What it do! Let me introduce a talented group out of my city, the Inland Empire (I.E.). Love, Loyalty, Family, and Perseverance; these are just a few of the words that accurately describe the core values of “Gwaap Fam Entertainment.”

Founded in late 2007, “Gwaap Fam Entertainment” has been giving the I.E. Quality music since its creation. The Gwaap Fam was formed on The Northside of San Bernardino, California with the thought process that GOD is over everything, family under God and money over everything else.

The sound of this group, well they don’t really have a sound. This talent refuses to be marginalized. From turn up club music to deep thought provoking conscious rap, The Gwaap Fam is multi-faceted and won’t be tied down by titles of sounds. The group now consists of four main artists, which includes, “Cedric Acrie a.k.a. Bigg Cedd,” “Joshua Rodgers a.k.a. I.E. Swaag,” “Cedric Greene a.k.a. Cedro Mossberg,” and “Jamal Davis a.k.a. King Davis.”

Gwaap Fam Entertainment is a team without a leader. Everybody involved is looked at as their own captain. Some of the musical influences of Gwaap Fam include 2pac, Nipsey Hussle, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, J. Cole, Young Jeezy and Eminem

Please make sure to check out their music on all social media sites under “THE GWAP FAM ENT.”  I totally look forward to hearing more from this group. Until next time, keep it musical!

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

Miss UVI Elisa Thomas made history when she won the title of Miss National Black College Alumni (NBCA) Hall of Fame – becoming the first Miss UVI to win that crown. Thomas competed against 20 other college queens from Historically Black Colleges and Universities from across the nation on Sept. 27, in Atlanta. In addition to winning the crown, Thomas won the “Hats and Heels” segment of the competition.

“Being crowned Miss National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame is an amazing feeling,” said Thomas. “To hear my name and school be called literally brought tears to my eyes. I’m proud that I was able to achieve this national recognition not only for the prestigious University of the Virgin Islands, but also for the United States Virgin Islands.” She continued, “I’m honored to represent an organization geared toward the relevance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, promoting African American achievement, individual school pride and collective HBCU pride.”

“We are elated Elisa will be representing our HBCUs during the next twelve months as Miss Hall of Fame,” said Thomas Dortch, Jr., NBCA Hall of Fame Foundation founder and board chairman. “She has proven herself to be very capable of conveying the message of educational excellence that our HBCUs send. I am also happy that the University was able to have one of its queens to hold this coveted title.”

“I am extremely proud of Elisa Thomas, Miss UVI, for achieving this outstanding honor of being selected as Miss National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame,” said UVI President Dr. David Hall. “She represented UVI in an excellent way, and now she will represent Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” He continued, “When we consider the number of HBCUs and the important role they have played in the past and will continue to play in the future, this honor takes on an even greater significance. Elisa’s accomplishment is a compelling reminder that UVI prepares our students to take on and lead the world.”

“The entire UVI Division of Student Affairs is especially proud of Elisa,” said Doris Battiste, dean of students on the St. Thomas Campus. “This is something that we dreamed of for many years and we finally got it. We believe that she will represent UVI and the NBCA Hall of Fame well during her reign.”

“This win increases awareness that our students are second to none,” said Battiste. “Although we are geographically isolated from other HBCUs, our students measure up and do very well academically and socially. They assume leadership positions locally, regionally, nationally and internationally and serve their communities admirably.”

Thomas traveled to the Miss NBCA Hall of Fame Queens competition in Atlanta with UVI Student Activities Supervisor Leon Lafond and UVI Chaperone Marisel Melendez. She also had a group of 10 supporters, including two integral camp members Sheldon Turnbull and Lorna Freeman that assisted her in the journey and attend the show.

“To see Elisa successfully advance in the competition was superb,” said Lafond. “The various standing ovations that she got from her talent during the preliminaries and the final competition definitely spoke for itself. She is the true definition of a queen.”

Lafond thanked “Team Bubbles” – Thomas’ team of supporters who assisted her during the competition. “Without everyone’s support, none of this would be possible,” he said. “Team work makes the dream work.”

Thomas is a communication major at UVI. She said that her communications classes solidified her presentation skills.

“Communications has definitely helped me,” said Thomas, who plans to own and host her own talk show. She also plans to start an organization geared toward pre-adolescent girls entitled the “Building Blocks of Empowerment,” become a published writer and start a college fund for students in need of financial assistance. “I just think it’s imperative that we always ask ourselves what we can do for others, because any of us would not be where we are today, if it wasn’t for someone assisting us along the way,” she said.

The NBCA queen contestants are judged in four categories, including talent, poise, image and personal and private interviews. In the interviews the contestant has up to two minutes to introduce herself and discuss her platform. As Miss NBCA Hall of Fame, Thomas will serve as a national representative and advocate of HBCUs, and was awarded an academic scholarship and other prizes.

“Elisa is unquestionably a person who is the essence of beauty and intellect,” said Prince Brown, NBCA Hall of Fame Foundation executive director. “We look very much forward to having her represent us.”

During her reign as Miss NBCA Hall of Fame, Thomas plans to be an advocate promoting the importance of HBCU’s, serve as an effective panellist at the various seminars, campus tours and the events she attends. She will also promote more awareness and preventative measures to Domestic Violence. Her platform as Miss UVI and Miss NBCA Hall of Fame is “Combatting domestic violence by Building Stronger Women from a Young Age.” “If I’m able to positively influence at least one person, then I feel I have efficiently carried out my duty as a true queen – a humble servant,” said Thomas.

The NBCA queens competition is sponsored by the NBCA Hall of Fame organization, which is dedicated to the growth and development of HBCUs through scholarships, internships, training and technical assistance, alumni recognition, and programs to encourage humanitarian involvement.

“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.