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REDLANDS, CA—– San Bernardino, CA – Today Rep. Pete Aguilar announced that SAC Health System (SACHS) has received $4.8 million in Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to continue its work as a Teaching Health Center. The grant program, established by the Affordable Care Act, supports the expansion of community-based health care and allows regions like San Bernardino County to attract graduate medical residents to help provide primary and ambulatory care.

“SACHS plays an integral role in providing high quality health care to middle class and low-income families throughout the Inland Empire, and their physicians have been on the front lines of providing testing and treatment to help our region manage the coronavirus crisis. I’m proud to announce this funding, which will allow SACHS to continue attracting physicians to the Inland Empire, leading to better health outcomes for our underserved communities,” said Rep. Aguilar.

“SAC Health System has benefitted from Teaching Health Center grant funding continuously since July 2013. In the first few years, the funding was at real risk, so I traveled to Washington to meet Rep. Aguilar in his congressional office in 2015.  He listened patiently, asked clarifying questions, and has been a faithful supporter ever since. We have now received over $25 million in total, which has supported the education of 74 primary care doctors to date at SACHS. This funding is truly making a difference for our clinic and for our community,” said Kevin Shannon, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, LLU School of Medicine and Principal Investigator for the SACHS THC Program.

“When the COVID-19 outbreak started, I never could have predicted how it would change our daily lives. I was asked to be a part of the COVID-19 screening clinic and initially was hesitant. I was worried about being exposed to someone and possibly exposing my wife. But with further prayer and consideration, this is exactly the type of thing I wanted to be a part of. Meeting current needs of the local community, being able to give accurate information, and reassure and pray with the people we see is exactly what I want to,” said Dr. Eric Steele, who came to SACHS through the THC program. Dr. Steele is one of nine SACHS physicians assisting with COVID-19 testing.

Rep. Aguilar serves as Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, the committee responsible for allocating federal funds to agencies like HRSA.

HIGH DESERT, CA—– In light of COVID-19 and to support our community we would like to thank you for supporting the “Pull Up and Pick Up”.

Thank you for everyone that registered for the “Pull Up and Pick Up” Drive Thru Free Family Support Day for over 500 Families. The event is going to be a huge success and registration was at Capacity in 24 hours.

We are now in need of volunteers for the next event on Saturday, June 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Excelsior Charter School located at 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Yoselyn Aldama at (909) 723-1543

RIVERSIDE, CA—- Leading black organizations sent letters requesting for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to create an African American Fatality Taskforce. Participating organizations include:

• Riverside NAACP
• Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE)
• Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce
• 100 Black Men of the Inland Empire
• Coalition for Black Health and Wellness
• The Black Collective
• The Black Student Advocate

The letters state “we are calling the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to establish a county African American Fatality Taskforce to propose recommendations to you on addressing the mortality rate and addressing the historic underlined conditions that are contributing to it. The county is in the position to finally bring justice to this community. We ask that you please act now.”

The African American community has historically been marginalized and oppressed since the founding of this nation and county. Due to these historical atrocities, the African American community has biological, social, and emotional adverse outcomes that is being passed from one generation to another. Covid-19 has only magnified the systemic inequalities that persist in the United States and Riverside County. And nonwhite Americans, especially African Americans, have been hit hard on nearly every front.

African Americans are dying at disproportionately higher rates compared to all other ethnicities. As of last week, 16,329 black Americans are known to have died due to Covid-19, according to an analysis from the American Public Media (APM) Research Lab. That’s out of approximately 61,000 deaths for which race and ethnicity data was available. About 75,000 people total had lost their lives to the coronavirus at the time of the analysis, a number that has risen to more than 77,000. African Americans make up about 13% of the US population, according to the Census Bureau, but 27% of known Covid-19 deaths.

In Riverside County we are seeing the same disproportionate fatality rates as we are seeing throughout the nation.

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Maxwell Higgins, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Public Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) – A Rancho Cucamonga, California, Sailor was serving as an aviation maintenance technician aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) on Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, May 24.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Julia Carrasco reported to the “Knighthawks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136’s airframes division in August 2018 as an Aviation Structural Mechanic.

Aircraft carrier flight operations would not be possible without the aircraft maintainers that work around the clock to make sure the aircraft are mission ready.

“My job means not only maintaining the aircraft itself but the pilot’s and crew’s life,” said Carrasco.

A maintainer must be properly qualified due to the complexity and safety-of-flight related equipment they work on. Each maintainer undergoes specific technical training that pertains to their assigned rating before they are allowed to start working on aircraft or equipment.

“I maintain all hydraulic and structural components of F/A-18s, including the landing gear, tires and tale hooks,” said Carrasco.

Within the Navy, maintainers can work in a variety of different places and with a wide range of people.

“Seeing how we as team are constantly improving and getting better is really amazing,” said Carrasco. I really enjoy swapping out tires. For the most part, it’s like changing a tire on a car. A car that that flies through air at hundreds of miles per hour.”

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) remains at sea in the Atlantic as a certified carrier strike group force ready for tasking in order to protect the crew from the risks posed by COVID-19, following their successful deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. Keeping HSTCSG at sea in U.S. 2nd Fleet, in the sustainment phase of OFRP, allows the ship to maintain a high level of readiness during the global COVID-19 pandemic

For more news from Truman, visit www.navy.mil/local.cvn75/, www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Because San Bernardino County has flattened the COVID-19 curve and secured the resources needed to continue keeping the novel coronavirus under control, dine-in restaurants, stores and malls can now reopen with safety measures throughout the county after a state-ordered shutdown that lasted more than two months.

“San Bernardino County businesses and residents worked very hard and made tremendous sacrifices to make this moment possible,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “Your efforts to keep our community safe and healthy have paid off. We can now proceed significantly further toward resuming our normal lives.”

“This virus is still very present throughout our county, state and nation, so we must remain vigilant by physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and washing our hands often. But our goal of minimizing illness and building the capacity to protect the vulnerable, serve the sick, and track the virus in our communities has been achieved,” Hagman said.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to our public health and healthcare professionals, who are putting in long hours on the front lines of this battle, and to our County Government team for working around the clock in support of those efforts,” he said.

The California Department of Public Health on Saturday, May 23, approved the county’s request to reopen more businesses as part of the governor’s accelerated phase two. The county submitted a revised request to move into the next phase on Friday, May 22 based on the new criteria announced by the state on Monday, May 18.

As part of the accelerated Stage 2 phase of the state recovery plan, destination retail stores, including shopping malls and swap meets, and dine-in restaurants can now reopen in San Bernardino County. Businesses that plan to reopen are required to follow state guidance detailed at https://covid19.ca.gov/industry-guidance/. Gyms, hair and nail salons, barber shops, movie theaters, sports and entertainment venues, libraries, bars and wineries, hotels and motels, and public swimming facilities won’t be authorized to reopen until stages 3 and 4.

Drive-in and virtual worship services and faith-based counseling services are authorized to proceed, and the governor said additional guidance for religious services will be announced on Monday, May 25.

The governor on Monday announced new benchmarks counties had to achieve to accelerate business reopening. The announcement came shortly after San Bernardino County sent the governor two letters seeking flexibility in charting a course for recovery. One letter was signed by the Board of Supervisors and the mayors of the county’s 24 cities and towns, the other was a joint letter from the counties of San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and San Diego, which combined account for about a third of the state’s population.

“Our efforts clearly made a difference,” Hagman said. “Our goal now, besides achieving additional openings, is to keep our businesses open by continuing to keep our curve flat by taking precautions and avoiding unnecessary risk.”

The county is helping small businesses operate safely and stay open through the COVID- Compliant Business Partnership Program. By agreeing to enforce physical distancing, require customers and employees to wear face coverings, and practicing prudent hygiene, small businesses can receive up to $2,500 to implement those measures. Businesses can apply through the county’s COVID-19 website, http://sbcovid19.com.

Businesses should also heed county and state guidance for a safe and sustainable reopening:

San Bernardino County Readiness and Reopening Plan:

http://www.sbcounty.gov/Uploads/CAO/Feature/Content/San_Bernardino_County_Readiness_a nd_Reopening_Plan_-_FINAL_Update_5-22-20.pdf

State guidance for dine-in restaurants: http://www.sbcounty.gov/Uploads/CAO/Feature/Content/guidance-dine-in-restaurants.pdf

State guidance for shopping centers: http://www.sbcounty.gov/Uploads/CAO/Feature/Content/guidance-shopping-centers.pdf

State guidance for retail: http://www.sbcounty.gov/Uploads/CAO/Feature/Content/guidance-retail.pdf

The County today announced the reopening of places of worship with new State- specified guidelines. Under the new State guidance, issued this morning, places of worship can hold religious services, including funerals, if attendance is limited to 25 percent of a building’s capacity, but no more than 100 attendees.

“This is a great first step for our residents of faith who have refrained from gathering for more than two months,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “The COVID- 19 virus is still very present throughout our county. With places of worship, dine-in restaurants, stores, and malls now suddenly open, it is more important than ever that we practice physical distancing, wear face coverings in public, and frequently wash our hands to protect ourselves and those around us.”

The State issued new guidance for religious services and cultural ceremonies, https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-places-of-worship.pdf, that encourage organizations to continue online services and activities, especially for the protection of those who are most at risk from COVID-19, including older adults and people with specific medical conditions.

To reopen for religious services and funerals, places of worship must:

• Establish and implement a COVID-19 prevention plan for every location, train staff on the plan, and regularly evaluate workplaces for compliance.
• Train employees and volunteers on COVID-19, including how to prevent it from spreading and which underlying health conditions may make individuals more susceptible to contracting the virus.
• Implement cleaning and disinfecting protocols.
• Set physical distancing guidelines.
• Recommend that staff and guests wear cloth face coverings, and screen staff for temperature and symptoms at the beginning of their shifts.
• Set parameters around or consider eliminating singing and group recitations. These activities dramatically increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission. For this reason, congregants engaging in singing, particularly in the choir, and group recitation should wear face coverings at all times and when possible, these activities should be conducted outside with greater than 6-foot distancing.

Not adhering to all of the guidelines in their entirely could result in the spread of illness and the re-closing of places of worship. In 21 days, the State Department of Public Health, in consultation with the County Department of Public Health, will review and

assess the impact of the religious services guidelines and provide further direction as part of a phased-in restoration of activities. This 21-day interval accounts for seven days for religious communities to prepare and reopen in addition to a 14-day incubation period of COVID-19.

Local information about COVID-19 can be found on the County’s COVID-19 website, http://sbcovid19.com.

The House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act, a bill to provide relief to first responders, frontline workers and Americans affected by the spread and economic effects of the coronavirus crisis. The bill includes nearly $1 trillion for state, local, territorial and tribal governments to ensure first responders, police officers, teachers, and other key municipal and frontline workers avoid pay cuts or layoffs. The bill also establishes a Heroes’ Fund of $200 billion to give hazard pay to frontline workers, provides additional stimulus payments of up to $6,000 per family, and funds an additional $75 billion for coronavirus testing, treatment and prevention efforts. If the bill is enacted, the most recent estimates indicate that cities within California’s 31^st Congressional District and the County of San Bernardino would be eligible for over $1.9 billion in combined federal funding over the next two years, with the following individual allocations:

Local Coronavirus Relief Fund	2020 Allocation Estimate	2021 Allocation Estimate
Colton	18,017,068	9,008,534
Fontana	100,408,635	50,204,318
Grand Terrace	4,141,809	2,070,905
Loma Linda	8,024,920	4,012,460
Rancho Cucamonga	49,168,937	24,584,468
Redlands	23,561,313	11,780,657
Rialto	58,071,493	29,035,746
San Bernardino	162,878,418	81,439,209
San Bernardino County	824,817,734	412,408,867
Upland	30,545,657	15,272,829
Estimated Total CA-31 Funding	1,279,635,986	639,817,993

“As a former mayor, I know firsthand how our communities are suffering as a result of the damage this virus has done to local economies. The Heroes Act ensures that our first responders and frontline workers won’t go unpaid while they work to keep our community safe, and provides additional relief to help Inland Empire residents meet the economic hardship our region is facing. I was proud to vote for this bill because San Bernardino County residents cannot afford to wait any longer for Congress to step up and provide solutions to this crisis,” said Rep. Aguilar.

Rep. Aguilar serves as the Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, the committee responsible for allocating federal funding.

CHINO, CA— Family members and advocates will gather at a “Car Caravan Protest” on Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 12:00 pm at the California Institution for Men (CIM), then drive to nearby California Institution for Women (CIW), to highlight ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks at both prisons and to call for the compassionate release of incarcerated people in response to the deadly epidemic.

WHO: Families and supporters of incarcerated people, F.U.E.L. (Families United to End LWOP), Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, Families Against Solitary Confinement, California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP).

WHAT: COVID-19 Car Caravan Protest against prison failures to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths. This event will respect social distancing measures, with participants either staying in their cars or keeping six feet away from each other with masks on at all times.

WHERE: Outside of CIM Prison in Chino, CA (14901 Central Avenue, Chino, CA 91710)

WHEN: Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 12 noon PST

Over the past week, CDCR has reported an explosion of cases at both overcrowded prisons: 398 new infections and five preventable COVID-19 deaths at CIM (112% population capacity) and a developing crisis at nearby CIW (110% capacity), where more than 60 people have been informed of their positive statuses and hundreds more await their results.

Advocates and family members who organized the car caravan are calling for the expedited release of incarcerated people vulnerable to COVID-19, beginning with those age 50 or older and people with underlying medical issues, regardless of conviction type; testing for all incarcerated people that want one, as well as mandatory, daily testing for all staff entering the facilities; better protective equipment for all people in the facilities; better sanitation practices, through means other than compelling people in prison to work grueling cleaning shifts; and enforced but non-punitive social distancing protocols for all incarcerated people and staff.

A source at CIM who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation said, “In early May, when we asked why guards were not wearing masks, the captain responded by saying it was not mandatory. As of now, it is mandatory and still some guards are not wearing them.”

CIM has been the most severely affected by COVID-19 of all the prisons in the state, with an outbreak raging inside since early April. 

Since mid-March, community organizers have warned federal, state and local officials that if they failed to urgently act to reduce prison populations, an outbreak of the coronavirus in both CIM and CIW would be inevitable. Now, people in both prisons –– especially the aging and medically vulnerable –– face the possibility of severe illness and death as a direct result of the inaction by Governor Newsom and CDCR. 

REDLANDS, CA—- As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the City of Redlands Senior Services Division has teamed with the Redlands Community Foundation to establish a “Meals for Seniors Fund.”

To date more than $3,000 has been raised, which has provided 500 meals to Redlands low-income seniors who are at high risk and are unable to leave their homes.

Additional financial support is still needed to continue to provide support for the senior meals program.  Donations collected are used to provide a Meals on Wheels service with Senior Services Division employees and volunteers delivering lunch and providing a daily welfare check-in Monday through Friday.

Every $30 donation provides meals for one senior citizen for a week. A separate supplemental package including food and sanitation supplies is also available for pickup at the senior center.

Donations to the Meals for Seniors fund may be made on line at: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/meals-for-seniors1/redlandscommunityfou.

Donations may also be made payable to the Redlands Community Foundation and mailed to:   PO Box 8908, Redlands, CA 92375.

Contact your tax professional to determine if your donation is tax deductible.

RIVERSIDE, CA—- COVID19 has taken a toll on our World in several different ways; from economics to families not able to say their final and proper good-byes to loved ones lost during this time due to the limit of how many people can attend funeral services. Speaking of funeral services, how prepared are you for when that times comes? Will your family be able to bury with a peace of mind knowing that everything for a suitable memorial is covered?

Some will say, “Yes, of course!”, many will say no, and some will say that they have life insurance, so doesn’t that cover funeral expenses? While Life insurance is great, it is different from pre-need insurance. Life insurance is for the living, while pre-need is for those who have passed. Life insurance seeks to give a degree of coverage and peace of mind for survivors of the insured; it is perpetual meaning that as long as you are alive you pay life insurance.

FEP Consultants helps clients to understand the difference between the two. Once clients know how life insurance and pre-need differs, FEP Consultants guides them in setting and locking in their desires on how they would like their life to be celebrated. For example, pre-need identifies cremation and burial. All that determines the casket, flowers, hearse, mortuary, embalming and more. The purpose of pre-need is to create peace knowing that all of your wishes are accounted for.

“I sleep much better knowing that Porsha will be available to present my heirs with my final wishes for less than what I used to spend daily on Starbucks,” Veronica Lawrence, FEP client, explains. “No car wash or selling dinners for loved ones. They can mourn and celebrate my life without having to experience additional or unnecessary financial or emotional stress or hardship. Best decision I made.”

FEP Consultants is the premier pre-need provider for memorial and burial services. They help families to keep their dignity. One of the most loving gifts you can give your loved ones is making arrangements in advanced. There is no need for car washes, selling dinner plates, creating GoFund Me accounts or just flat out begging. FEP Consultants can meet anyone’s budget; with them “no detail is too small”.

“What encouraged me to get a policy was seeing people holding signs asking for donations to bury a family member that had passed away,” Darryl Gross, FEP client, stated. “I couldn’t allow my family to go through such heartache and stress.”

Pre-need is completely transferrable, it goes whenever you go. Pre-need protects you from the negative effects of inflation by locking in the price of your service. It is customizable, allowing you to make changes according to the individual. Most importantly, you pay pre-need off; life insurance you can’t pay off.

For more information about Pre-need services and how you can set yours up, please contact Porsha Harris at (951) 269-3556 or visit www.fepconsultants.org.