The now-defunct Soboba Livestock Association has found a way to continue its original mission of education by donating funds to Noli Indian School’s 4H program. Formed on July 28, 1977 with about 30 members, the Association’s founding officers were President Marion Silvas Sr., Vice President Norbit Arres, Secretary Donna Silvas and Treasurer Marian Chacon.

The Association was authorized and sanctioned at a duly called Soboba Tribal Meeting on August 4, 1977 and certified by the Soboba Tribal Council consisting of Robert Salgado Sr., Lupe Boniface, Martina Boniface, Marion Silvas Sr. and Ernest Salgado Sr. at that time.

An active organization for about 15 years, the Soboba Livestock Association had as many as 50 members at its height. Each member had several cows which were kept in Indian Canyon. They each had their own brand and earmark and could easily identify which were their cows.

“My mom, Tillie Valdez, would say that is my cow and that belongs to so and so; to me they all looked alike,” Marian Chacon recalled.

She explained that about once or twice a year all members would participate in a roundup. The cows were rounded up in a corral and the new calves would be branded and earmarked. Then a big barbecue would be held with all kinds of food as everyone brought something to share. Some cows were taken to the local auction in San Jacinto and sold. During hard times these funds came in handy and helped families to survive.

Always at the heart of the Association was its dedication to education. It had been determined at the start that if the group was ever dissolved, any assets would be distributed to a nonprofit or group which operated for education. After being inactive for many years, and with most of the members having passed on, the remaining members met on Oct. 28, 2021 to vote on where to donate the remaining funds. This resulted in a decision to donate $2,464 to the Noli Indian School 4H program.

Participating members at that meeting were Scott Cozart, Terry Post, Carlene Masiel, Maurice “Buster” Mojado and Marian Chacon. Vice Chairwoman Geneva Mojado represented the Soboba Tribal Council. Donovan Post, Noli’s principal, graciously accepted the donation.

Noli science teacher Jay Dagostino, who has been at the school for 10 years, oversees the agriculture and 4H programs. The last couple of years the 4H program has been inactive due to COVID-19 pandemic closures but students still work with animals at the campus, currently raising pigs.

The shed and enclosure used for the pigs is constructed of reclaimed materials from the old stadium at The Oaks as the school is always looking for ways to fund their projects, which is why this donation was especially welcomed.

“I love activities but for now we are just doing things here and not taking any field trips or anything,” Dagostino said. “Just to be cautious we are going to wait until things are more normalized.”

Principal Post recalled the fun of all the families getting together for the roundups when he was a young boy. He was grateful that the Soboba Livestock Association reached out with this donation to the school.

“The idea of being able to add cattle is something the program has been looking forward to for the last six or seven years,” he said. “This donation will help us make that happen.”

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Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) has sourced and donated more than 221,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies to local government agencies, medical societies, associations and hospitals in Riverside and San Bernardino counties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Receiving organizations include:

Allstar Health Providers

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center

Community Health Association of Inland Southern Region

Dignity Health

Hemet Global Medical Center

Illumination Foundation

Inland Empire Autism Center

Loma Linda University Health

Martha’s Village and Kitchen

Riverside County Medical Association

Riverside Department of Public Health and Emergency Operation Center

Riverside University Health System

SAC Health System

San Bernardino County Department of Public Health and Emergency Operation Center

San Bernardino County Medical Society

To date, the plan has provided 53,000 disposable masks, 13,000 N95 masks, 50,000 surgical gowns, 70,000 isolation gowns, 80,000 boxes of gloves and 3,000 containers of sanitizing wipes.

Recipients have been very thankful for the supplies. “Thank you, IEHP, for providing safety and protection,” said Loma Linda University President Richard Hart. “IEHP’s gift for COVID-19 Clinical Care means critical medical supplies are present. Every time our healthcare providers don personal protective equipment—IEHP’s compassion becomes a reality. When a caregiver reaches for available hand sanitizer and gloves—IEHP’s gift makes a difference.”

IEHP’s Business Continuity and Facilities Teams have worked with receiving organizations to coordinate distributions by low-contact delivery or pick-up options.

“Supporting our community is part of our mission,” said IEHP Chief Executive Officer Jarrod McNaughton. “It was a necessary pivot to support our providers and community in the way that was needed. We are prepared to continue these efforts and stand with our partners as we fight COVID-19, together.”

About IEHPIEHP, Inland Empire Health Plan, is a top 10 largest Medicaid health plan and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. With a network of more than 6,400 providers and more than 2,000 employees, IEHP serves more than 1.2 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan). Through a dynamic partnership with providers and community, award-winning service and innovative products, IEHP is fully committed to advocating for our members and providing them with quality, accessible and wellness-based health care services. For more information, visit www.iehp.org.

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Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) provided students with computers and hot spots and donated high-demand items to hospitals as the college moved to open as an online institution on Monday, April 6, following a three-week break in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. MSJC packaged the first phase of 50 Chromebooks and hot spots and sent them via overnight mail to students so they could continue with their courses online.

The MSJC Foundation ordered about 200 additional Google Chromebook laptops for more students as the college transitions 99 percent of its spring semester classes online. Students recently took the MSJC Technology Needs Assessment Survey to help the college identify how to best help students succeed online and deliver the technology to students who had the greatest need for the technology.

“MSJC took a data-informed approach so we could deliver technology directly to those students who were most in need of access to a computer or the Internet,” said Dr. Roger Schultz, MSJC Superintendent/President. “We want them to stay at home, and healthy, but we want them to succeed online and complete their educational journeys. We understand not every student has access to computers and other technology when they’re away from our campuses. We’re glad we could help and we plan to help even more.”

The devices are on loan through the MSJC library tracking system and students must return them by June 1. The loan may be extended for those students who continue with online instruction through the summer semester. The college district, which has a robust Allied Health program, also donated gurneys, N95 masks, non-N95 masks, nitrile gloves and other equipment that are in high-demand to protect medical professionals as the COVID-19 crisis grows. “We were honored to be able to help our medical partners at Riverside Community hospital and have offered to help other local hospitals who indicated they had a need for these types of items,” said Joyce Johnson, MSJC’s Executive Dean of Instruction and a registered nurse. “The school closures mean our students cannot use this equipment at this time.

We wanted to make sure we did our part to help protect medical professionals and patients alike during this pandemic. Once we are able to reopen, there will be funding available to replace the equipment for our students.” Perris Union High School District contributed to the Chromebook loan effort with a generous donation of more than 50 recently retired Chromebooks to MSJC to help its students. “The Perris Union High School District is pleased that we were able to help out some MSJC students that may not have been prepared for the sudden move to distance learning due to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Joseph Williams, Executive Director of Technology for the high school district.

“During this public health crisis, we hope these devices will not only allow MSJC students to access their coursework, but also serve as a vital link to the outside world during the stay-at-home order. PUHSD values our partnership and friendship with MSJC and we are pleased that we could join together to support students in need.” On Monday, MSJC resumed its spring semester online. Forty percent of MSJC students were already in at least one online class and nearly 17 percent were in a hybrid class, which is part online and part face-to-face.

Those students succeed at almost the same rate as their peers enrolled in face-to-face classes. MSJC can be followed on social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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TEMECULA (CNS) – After shutting down Saturday, Pechanga Resort Casino announced today it has given a storehouse of food — about $100,000 worth from its 20 restaurants and bars — to needy and homeless people in the region, a spokesperson said.

On Wednesday, Pechanga began sharing 25-pound bags of onions, carrots and celery, in addition to pallets of fresh strawberries and blackberries, thousands of pounds of cantaloupes and honeydew melons, more than 460 gallons of milk, as well as dairy products, among many other food items, said Media and Public Relations Director Ciara Green.

The food was given to three Riverside County charities that regularly support the region’s disadvantaged and homeless populations: Project T.O.U.C.H. and the Community Mission of Hope, both Temecula-based, and the Murrieta Pantry.

“We debated whether we would stop taking new clients because of the food issue,” said Anne Unmacht, director of Project T.O.U.C.H. which offers an emergency women’s shelter and transitional housing for homeless individuals and families. “We get between five and 10 new clients each week who need emergency transitional housing and this donation from Pechanga will allow us to continue offering those services. We are so grateful.”

One of the recipients of the generosity was single mother of three and client of Project T.O.U.C.H, Juliann Gonzalez.

“Honestly, I feel blessed … it kind of gives me a lot of weight off my shoulders, especially these next coming weeks, where there’s not going to be really anything at the store,” Gonzalez said. “I am worried about that because I have three kids always needing something.”

Gonzalez said that she also has an elderly mother she cares for.

The Community Mission of Hope provides food services and assistance for more than 5,000 families each year throughout southwest Riverside County.

It is currently offering drive-through food assistance for the needy, but recent grocery store product unavailability has severely cut what it can offer.

Jared Munoa, president of the Pechanga Development Corporation, said he was glad the resort could be there for those who need it.

“We’re happy to know that people who need it most in our region will be getting the food assistance they need during this difficult time,” said Munoa. “The amount of food service our team provides can be staggering, and we give our guests the best quality. We are very glad it’s going to deserving folks who are undergoing unprecedented circumstances.”

Pechanga’s closure was announced to last through the end of March, and its team members are receiving their base pay and benefits during that time.

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Home Instead’s “Be a Santa for Seniors” Event a huge success

Hundreds and hundreds of caring volunteers joined Home Instead owners Jason and Debbie Baker and family to celebrate the, “Be a Santa to a senior” program, held Wednesday, December 18 at the Hemet Library.

According to Debbie Baker, “We are here to wrap presents for seniors in our community who otherwise would not be getting a present. Home Instead provides companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, personal services and other care services to seniors in our community, and this is just another way of giving back to the people who have given us so much,” said Baker.

While there was a joyous, raucous, cheerful feel to the festivities, Home Instead co-owner Jason Baker was able to oversee the event with precision due to having been through this before. “This is a Home Instead event, and we’ve been holding the event in the valley for 14 years. We work with approximately 35 different senior organizations such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, mobile home parks, etcetera, so they give us the name and gift ideas of people within their facilities who would like a gift or need a gift. We had between 1,500 and 1,600 names that were given to us this year.” That might seem a daunting amount of needy people but Baker says, “…we had about 150 names left over…but we were able to match them up with miscellaneous gifts which were given to us, and so we were able to meet the needs of everyone. These things included blankets, toiletries, warmers, etcetera, so we were able to help everyone.”

The Destination Coffeehouse and Bistro was on-hand as a food donation vendor as was Jersey Mike’s. The Bank of Hemet, Desert Hills Memory Care Center, The Medicine Shoppe, SJ Medical Group, Pacifica Senior Living and Arbor Hospice were among those who gave monetary donations. “We put names on tags, along with the needed gift, at places like Walmarts and malls, the Hemet Hospital…and the people of the community stepped up as they always do, and donated to us.”

Volunteer and Mrs. Riverside, Valerie Vandever said, “It’s a great time to be down here, and a great sense of community. We’re having a wonderful time wrapping gifts for our seniors. We love this and we’ve done it every year for fourteen years.”

Volunteer, AFLAC Representative and Hemet-San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce member Laurel Netherton said, “I’m here to help the community. We love this event. I’m so thankful for all of the support given us by this community and we just feel that it’s only right to give back to the community.”

To donate your time or dollars, or to donate gifts next year, please visit Home Instead at 414 S. Palm Street in Hemet or call (951) 929-1050

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Actual Christmas Tree Lighting event to take place Saturday, November 30

Standing more than 17 feet tall at the corner of Florida Avenue on the east corner of Florida Avenue and Harvard St. a majestic Christmas tree now stands, donated by Matt McPherson, the McPherson family and the Farmers Market.

“This is our second year,” said Matt McPherson. “It came together last year when we realized that there wasn’t going to be a Christmas tree event downtown. We couldn’t let that happen. True Value stepped in with heavily discounted lights, and we and the Yepremians made it happen.”

Not only did everyone enjoy last year’s beautifully-lit tree…others enjoyed the um, free electricity. “I used to take my dog for a walk at three or four in the morning, just to admire the tree. Well, a couple of nights after we first lit it up, I saw a group of homeless teens nestled at the bottom of the tree, huddled together. I thought for a moment that they were sleeping there, until I realized that they were all charging their cell phones because each light-socket had a USB port!!! They said, “Hey man, we’re not vandalizing it…we’re just chargin’ our phones,” McPherson laughs, adding, “We’re hoping to out-do the five or six-thousand lights we had last year.”

And out-do it, they have. This year’s tree will cost a total of $7,500 including lights and permits.

You simply cannot miss the massive pine tree on the East corner of Florida, but as if that wasn’t enough…there is artwork a-plenty, supplied by local artist Amber Spikerman. “I’ve been doing this for some years, and I’m branching out to larger murals and works of art,” says Spikerman.

“I think what Amber is doing is beautiful, and I think what Matt is doing with this whole event is a good thing. When the community can celebrate an event like this-together, in this fashion-you can actually see and feel it bringing our community together. It’s good to see the community come together, even if it’s just once a year.  It would be nice if we could find other ways and other reasons to come together,” said Eddie George of Hemet Eye News.

George’s feelings were echoed by Hemet Eye News’ Laurie Cain. “This time of the year is the most beautiful part of the year for so many of us. I think it’s just the wonderful how Matt McPherson and his family have donated this Christmas tree as a symbol of solidarity for the whole community, young and old alike, so that we may come out every evening and stroll by this beautifully-lit Christmas tree and catch the spirit of the season. I especially love to see the glow of the little children with their happy faces, smiling when they see the tree and when they see Santa Claus.”

No amount of “inner Grinch” can steal the glow you’ll get by walking past a lit Christmas tree on a frosty holiday night while Christmas music plays in the background. Try it and see.

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