Verification is a critical process that allows Veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses to access Veteran-specific benefits, including certain government contracts and the purchase of surplus government property. This process  establishes eligibility by confirming that VOSBs and SDVOSBS are, in fact, run by Veterans.

To facilitate the transition to SBA, VA will stop taking applications for verification or reverification of VOSBs and SDVOSBs Oct. 24, 2022. The department is reaching out to all Veterans who may be impacted by this action to inform them of VA’s Oct. 24th application deadline. Until then, Veterans can continue to apply for verification at VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.

“We value our partnership with the Small Business Administration in this effort,” said Executive Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Sharon Ridley. “VA will reach out to all impacted Veterans to ensure a transparent, seamless transition of the verification process.”  

This transition is part of a government-wide effort, mandated by the William H. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act, to streamline and consolidate services offered to VOSBs and SDVOSBs under SBA.

The only VA function that is transitioning to SBA is the responsibility for verification. VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization will continue to advocate and provide education, training and guidance to help VOSBs and SDVOSBs secure government contracts.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Inflation isn’t only costing small businesses money. It’s costing them customers as well.

At the Bushwick Grind Cafe in Brooklyn, New York, Kymme Williams-Davis has raised prices and switched to different types of goods to keep up with the rising costs of milk, coffee, paper goods and plastic, as well as shortages of items such as paper cups and plastic lids. She hasn’t experienced anything like this since opening in 2015.

Williams-Davis says she has lost nearly half of her regular customers. Some have traded down and are buying coffee for $1 at the McDonald’s or bodega on either side of the café instead of paying the $3 she charges.

“If (customers) can get it for a dollar for not that notable of a difference, they’re going next door.”

One customer who had been coming in for years stopped in to tell Williams-Davis he bought himself a coffeemaker.

“He said I’m going to start making coffee at home, I need to budget, so I won’t be coming in here every day,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been on a goodbye campaign.”

Inflation has been rising at nearly the fastest pace in 40 years, driven up by strong consumer spending and higher costs for food, rent, medical care, and other necessities.

On Tuesday, the government is expected to report that price increases slowed in August compared with a year ago, largely because of a steady drop in the cost of gas. Prices for other items, particularly food, are likely to keep rising quickly. Overall, economists forecast consumer prices rose 8.1% in August, compared with a year ago, down from 8.5% in July, according to data provider FactSet.

For much of the pandemic, small business customers were largely tolerant of price increases and kept on spending. But now owners say they’re seeing some pushback.

Ninety-seven percent of small business owners say inflationary pressure is the same or worse than it was three months ago, according to a survey of more than 1,500 small businesses by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Voices. Sixty-five percent have raised prices to offset higher costs. And 38% say they’ve seen a decline in customer demand due to price increases.

Nicole Miskelley, who manages PMR, an auto and diesel repair shop in Marion, Illinois, said she has seen customers delay repairs that aren’t urgent such as scheduled maintenance or getting new tires.

At the beginning of the year, Miskelley’s labor costs rose 12% and the cost of towing cars to the shop went up due to higher gas prices. Parts are more expensive too. Last year, an air conditioner processor would cost her $200, but this year she can’t find one for under $400. So, she’s had to raise her average price for a repair by 30% to 40%.

Her customers have noticed.

“Typically, I am able to joke about how drastically different things are now and most agree with me,” she said. “On occasion, I deal with push back,” including the rare bout of yelling or cursing by a customer.

“Among a lot of my older customers, who are on restricted income like Social Security, they say they have to cut back,” she said. “They say, ‘I know I need these tires, but I need to make a couple more rounds (of Social Security) to save up.’”

She says she’s a little worried but hopes people can adjust to inflation.

“Right now , it kind of sucks because costs increased faster than I could catch up with. In time, I hope people budget better and their incomes change to reflect the economy.”

The pullback is more dramatic among consumers with less discretionary income. Walmart says its customers, who tend to have lower incomes, are spending more on food and less on other items. Small business owners are seeing much of the same.

Kim Shanahan operates the online store Gifts Fulfilled in Berlin, Maryland, which sells gift baskets and care packages and employs people with disabilities.

“Last year has been challenging to say the least,” she said. “All prices across the board have gone up.” Everything from cardboard, containers and the food that she includes in the baskets have become more expensive.

She implemented a 5% increase to cover some costs. After she raised the price of her most popular get-well gift basket called “One Tough Cookie,” from $27.50 to $28.95, sales went down, she said.

Less expensive baskets, such as those with gifts and candy that sell for $25 and under, have been the most affected, with unit sales down about 50% in 2022 compared with last year. “The whole segment of the market is gone for us,” she said.

“We are a ‘want to-’ not ‘have to-’ have item in our primary categories,” Shanahan said. “What we sort of see is people maybe buying a $50 gift dropping down to $35. And the whole lower tier aren’t even buying at all, they don’t have the discretionary funds.”

Schuyler Northstrom of Uinta Mattress, a mattress maker in Salt Lake City, Utah, says he’s raised his prices by 15% since 2020. A mattress that used to sell for $289 wholesale is now $330.

The increase doesn’t fully cover Uinta’s higher costs. Raw materials such as springs and foam have increased by 40%. But Northstrom fears that raising prices any higher could cause his customers to drop him.

“The pushback from retailers is pretty strong there,” he said. His retail partners include John Paras mattress stores and 2Brothers Mattress, both in Utah. “Sometimes we’re displaced by some of the larger guys with a lower cost product because of their volume.”

To adapt, Northstrom is redesigning the mattress to cut down on costs, and taking less profit, which isn’t sustainable in the long term, he said. He’s also focusing more on the higher end, mattresses that cost up to $1,200, which hasn’t been hit as hard.

“We’re feeling it, we’re not a necessary purchase, people buy food and gas,” he said.

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“With three new rounds to aid equitable economic recovery, California is keeping its promise to small businesses, families and individuals to push back on the pandemic-induced financial hardships and create the environment for small businesses to come back better than before,” said Tara Lynn Gray, Director of the Office of the Small Business Advocate.

Guided by a principle of equity, the program provides a crucial financial recovery resource to traditionally underserved small businesses and nonprofits. As of now, in the first six funding rounds of the program, 180,939 small businesses and nonprofits have been awarded for a total of $2,034,395,811 in grant funding. Additional data can be found at https://business.ca.gov/coronavirus-2019/.

The additional $1.5 billion expansion, for a total of $4 billion, makes this the largest small business grant program of its kind in the country and provides grants up to $25,000 for small businesses impacted by the pandemic. The three new competitive funding rounds will be conducted by CalOSBA’s selected intermediary, Lendistry.

In accordance with the signed legislation (SB 151), there will be a closed round for existing eligible applicants who were waitlisted in previous rounds. These applicants do not need to reapply. There will be at least one additional round for nonprofit cultural institutions. Additional information can be found at CAReliefGrant.com and below:

Round 7: Waitlisted applicants from certain previous rounds

Selection Window: Tuesday, August 3 through Thursday, September 16

Eligible applicants: This is a closed round and only available to eligible applicants who were waitlisted in certain previous rounds. Selection does not guarantee approval or an award. If you were waitlisted, you do not need to reapply. New applications will not be accepted in this round.

Eligible grant award: $5,000 to $25,000

Details: This is a closed funding round; no new applications will be accepted.

Round 8: Nonprofit cultural institutions only

Application window: Friday, August 27 through Wednesday, September 8

Eligible applicants: Only nonprofit cultural institutions of any revenue size that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com

Eligible grant award: $5,000 – $25,000

Details: Approximately $16 million remain under the Nonprofit Cultural Institutions Program. Eligible nonprofit cultural institutions must complete a new application even if they already applied in Rounds 1, 2, 5 or 6; nonprofit cultural institutions that applied in Round 4 do not need to reapply. Grants will only be available to nonprofit cultural institutions that did not receive funding in any previous rounds. Grants will be prioritized based on the documented percentage revenue declines based on a reporting period comparing Q2 and Q3 of 2020 versus Q2 and Q3 of 2019.

Round 9: New Applicants and Waitlisted applicants from certain previous rounds

Application window: Thursday, September 9 through Thursday, September 30

Eligible applicants: Current waitlisted applicants from certain previous rounds and new applicants that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com

Eligible grant award: $5,000 – $25,000

Details: Applicants not selected to move forward in the review process in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, or 7 do not need to re-apply and will be automatically moved into Round 9. New applicants will need to apply at CAReliefGrant.com.

The California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program is administered by CalOSBA through a competitive bid award to its intermediary, Lendistry, and its statewide network of community-based lenders and partners. Many of the state-supported small business centers, which prioritize the expansion of technical assistance to underserved business groups, are also available to help small businesses with the application process in multiple languages and formats.

For more information on grant requirements and eligibility, along with links to application tips and webinars, visit CAReliefGrant.com.

Einpresswire | Contributed

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Sarah Trubnick is starting to make peace with a gut-wrenching reality: She may never reopen The Barrel Room, her beloved 5-year-old restaurant in San Francisco’s financial district. The sweeping $900 billion pandemic relief package that Congress has approved contains billions in aid directed specifically at struggling small businesses like Trubnick’s.

But even if she gets the $350,000 she figures she needs before the end of January, Trubnick can’t afford to reopen right away. Her business won’t be viable until her regular customers — office workers who commute into the city and go out for lunch and dinner — return from work-at-home exile. She’s also contending with California’s temporary ban on indoor or outdoor dining. “We can’t open until the summer, even if we got the thumbs-up,” Trubnick said.

America’s entrepreneurs welcomed the long-delayed relief package, which provides $325 billion in aid to small companies and makes it easier for them to gain access to grants and loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. But the rescue comes too late for tens of thousands of businesses that have already closed, a consequence of a pandemic that has kept away diners, shoppers and customers since early spring.

The National Restaurant Association estimates that 110,000 U.S. restaurants — 17% — have shut down indefinitely or for good, doomed by restrictions on their hours or capacity and by Americans’ reluctance to eat out. “If you closed already, it doesn’t help you a bit,’’ said Henry Pertman, director of operations at Total Image Creative, a Maryland-based hospitality consulting firm. “We lost a lot of restaurants that didn’t have to go under. They saw no light at the end of the tunnel.’’ Many small and independent retailers are also in jeopardy. They typically collect an outsize proportion of their annual revenue during the holiday shopping season.

But government restrictions are limiting how many customers can be in a store at one time. Even apart from such restrictions, many consumers are staying home anyway as a precaution against the resurgent virus. Especially vulnerable are small independent shops, many of which are barely hanging on and will likely close their doors after the holidays — joining more than 8,600 retailers that have already gone out of business this year, according to market researcher CoreSight.

For them, Congress took too long and probably offered too little relief on top of a $2 trillion rescue package that the government enacted in March but whose benefits had largely expired. That aid package introduced PPP loans, which are meant to help small businesses keep employees on their payrolls. “We really needed this second round and renewal of the program back in August to help many businesses to get through the last quarter of 2020,” said Karen Kerrigan, president of the advocacy group Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. Still, for small businesses, the new aid is in some ways an improvement on the original rescue package. It will, for example, let small businesses take a tax deduction for expenses paid for with PPP money, including payroll, rent and utilities.

And companies that already received one PPP loan can seek another if their revenue has dropped by 25% in any quarter of 2020 from a year earlier. Under the new relief measure, hard-hit restaurants and hotels receive especially generous treatment: They can obtain PPP loans worth up to 3.5 times their payroll expenses, versus only 2.5 times payroll expenses for other companies. And the loans are available to hotels and restaurants that employ up to 300 workers per location.

For other businesses, loans are limited to companies that employ 300 in total. “The PPP money is going to be a huge difference maker if you’re on the cusp right now,’’ said Pertman, the restaurant consultant. “For the people on the bubble, who are putting their own money in day and day out, it’s going to be huge.’’ That said, some of the problems that small businesses now face are simply beyond Congress’ capacity to solve. How long, for instance, can they survive when their customers are either locked down or choosing to stay home? Arrichion Hot Yoga and Circuit Training received a PPP loan in the spring.

But co-owner Clay Reynolds needs another. Business was down 75% in the third quarter. The fourth quarter is likely to be worse. Like other independent fitness studios and gyms, the company has lost many longtime members who feared working out alongside others indoors or don’t want to wear a mask while they exercise. And after being forced to shut down during the spring, Reynolds worries that the surge in virus cases will bring new government restrictions. “There’s a good chance this type of business will be shut down again in the next few weeks,” said Reynolds, whose studios are in North Carolina and Utah.

Reynolds is hoping for government help to tide his business over until a coronavirus vaccine becomes widely available and customers feel comfortable enough to return to Arrichion. Now, he said, “would be the right time to get it, to get us through the winter.’’ Tiffany Joy Murchison, who couldn’t receive a PPP loan during the first round because of a series of miscommunications with her bank, is willing to try again now that there’s more money available.

She needs the aid to help her New York-based publicity firm find new clients. She’s lost revenue during the pandemic because her clients are generally small, struggling organizations. “I would be able to continue paying my staff while putting full effort into scaling my business, going after larger corporations, organizations, and government agencies that are less likely to be impacted by swings in the economy,” Murchison said. At the Barrel Room in San Francisco, Trubnick received a PPP loan during the spring that helped her pay her staff.

Her landlord has agreed to defer some rent payments. But Trubnick has been unable to shift to takeout and outdoor dining as many other restaurants have. Her core customers are office workers who normally commute into the city from San Francisco’s suburbs. And for the foreseeable future, they’re stuck working from home. When outdoor dining started, “we were open all of two weeks,” Trubnick said. “The losses we showed were so great that if we continued doing that, we were putting ourselves at risk of closing permanently.” In the meantime, Trubnick is doing consulting work to earn money for herself and her 6-year-old daughter.

And she’s been contemplating the prospect of shutting the Barrel Room down for good. “I have stopped losing sleep,” she said. “It’s kind of going through mourning.’’

-By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG and PAUL WISEMAN AP Business Writers

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“Ensuring small businesses have access to capital will help stimulate economic growth across the state and support entrepreneurs working harder than ever to keep their doors open,” said Governor Newsom. “This public-private partnership will give underserved communities across California access to capital, making for a more inclusive economy.” The California Rebuilding Fund is a public-private partnership that drives capital from private, philanthropic and public sector resources – including a $25 million anchor commitment and $50 million guarantee allocation from the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) – to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

With this new Fund, California’s CDFIs will be better able to help under-banked small businesses recover and reposition themselves to survive the realities of the COVID-19 marketplace. “As we work to recover from this recession, one of the most pressing issues we need to confront is the state of our small businesses,” said Scott Wu, Executive Director of IBank. “This unique collaboration will provide affordable capital to community lenders so they can get necessary funds into the hands of small businesses.” The lenders will offer a standardized loan product with affordable and flexible terms for small businesses with loan sizes of up to $100,000. These loans are meant to be timed and structured to support businesses that are adapting their business and face upfront or ongoing expenses to operate safely in a post-COVID economy.

The Fund will seek to distribute funds equitably across the state. “We need to leverage the full strength and capacity of public-private partnerships to help the small business sector rebound and preserve the vital jobs they provide,” said Bill Daley, Vice Chairman of Public Affairs for Wells Fargo. “Wells Fargo is pleased to further extend its support to small business recovery through the California Rebuilding Fund, which will unlock new capital and expertise for small business owners, and we hope will help catalyze support for this important initiative in the state. The California Small Enterprise (CASE) Task Force, a collaborative of individuals and organizations across industries and sectors, is leading the development and implementation of the Fund, which is being arranged by Calvert Impact Capital and will be administered by Kiva Capital Management.

The Task Force is comprised of leaders from the community development sector, national and state-based nonprofit organizations, philanthropic donors and investors, attorneys and others. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime crisis for small businesses that requires a concerted and collaborative effort to overcome. The California Rebuilding Fund is the kind of innovative effort we need to help small businesses retool, rebuild, and reopen,” said Laura Tyson, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School at the UC, Berkeley Haas School of Business who is Co-Chair of Governor Newsom’s Council of Economic Advisers, has been serving on the Governor’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery and has been working on the design and development of the Fund with Professor Adair Morse and UC Berkeley’s Sustainable and Impact Finance initiative.

“This is a smart way to leverage private and public resources for maximum impact where it is most needed.” All interested small business owners can apply for a loan at www.CALoanFund.org, which will collect standard information about their business and match them with a community lender. If matched, the lender will assist the business owners with the application and provide free advisory support alongside a network of business support organizations organized by the California Association of Micro Enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO), Small Business Majority, California’s Small Business Development Centers and Women’s Business Centers. The portal will begin accepting applications at 12:00 p.m. PST on Friday, November 20 and can be accessed through the Fund’s website.

The California Rebuilding Fund is just one of the tools available to support small businesses as they work to safely reopen and recover from this public health crisis. Learn more here. The California Rebuilding Fund is funded with support from IBank and initial private funders including Wells Fargo, First Republic Bank, the Grove Foundation, Kapor Center, the Panta Rhea Foundation and generous individual donors. Community Reinvestment Fund’s Connect2Capital platform is hosting applications at www.CALoanFund.org.

-Office of Governor California

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Now more than ever, building relationships is important to small businesses so they can compete in the global marketplace.

The Smart Money Network is a community of digital marketing experts whose mission is to support entrepreneurs as they grow their businesses, especially in the new and increasingly online economy.

Having a partner to navigate the field of digital marketing can help small businesses get the edge they need. The Smart Money Network collaborates with small business clients and coaches them on how to engage a target audience with the right message at the right time, using a combination of digital tools and the power of persuasion.

The Collaboration Starts with A Conversation.

“Conversation is the seed of opportunity,” according to the Smart Money Network website. Experts work with small business owners and entrepreneurs to find and build relationships with their target audiences using social media platforms such as LinkedIn, then deploy tried-and-true principles of persuasion that convert to new business opportunities.

Author Robert Cialdini describes six principles of persuasion in his book, “Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion.” These principles include the concepts of scarcity (making your product or service seem more desirable), reciprocity (using small favors to entice), likability (pleasantness can go a long way), consensus (word of mouth that others use your product or service), consistency (customers need to feel they can count on what you say you will deliver), and authority (make sure you support your products or services with facts about your experience and credentials).

These principles can be applied in the world of digital marketing, which is becoming increasingly essential in the post-COVID-19 entrepreneurial environment. More people are spending more time online, and learning how to grab the attention of potential clients can help businesses flourish.

Smart Money Network creates intentional done-for-you social media campaigns that position clients as authoritative and credible resources, and drives up to 30 new business opportunities a month.

According to Smart Money Founder and CEO Mike Harris, “You only have about three seconds to capture someone’s attention and give them enough information to determine whether you are worth connecting with.”

Visit smartmoneynetwork.net to learn more about how to make the digital connections that can boost your business.

-NewsUSA

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“My mom took courses in floral arrangement and has owned several stores including a florist shop in Compton,” said Roxanna Bautista.  “We know what we’re doing,” said Rosa Bautista. When Rosa relocated to the San Jacinto area, she noticed the lack of floral shops in the area. She started asking people where they shopped for their flowers. “No one that we asked shopped at a florist in San Jacinto. We decided to change that,“ said Roxanna.

Adams offers arrangements for businesses and corporate plant programs to beautify any size corporation. “Along with our corporate work, we are also experts in funerals. Any personal floral arrangement or gifts, weddings, quinceaneras (a sweet 15 celebration), and we offer exotic arrangements as well. These services are something that very few stores can offer.”

The store’s sales have risen steadily in the four-plus years since its opening. “Business has been fantastic and is only getting better. We are always fully stocked. We always carry plants and flowers that other stores do not have. Mom always makes sure that we have a large stock of “baby’s breath,” for those people who like to raise their flowers and create their arrangements.”

Same day delivery is another reason for the store’s success. “We deliver to many points in Riverside including Temecula, Valle Vista, San Jacinto, Winchester, Beaumont, and even Perris.” The store also carries a full line of party supplies including chairs, helium and a wide array of balloons. “Another reason for our success is our every day special, which is a $5 bouquet. We get many compliments for those, and we are always fully stocked.”

For those who like the ambiance of a clean, bright, beautiful store with people who take pride in their work, you can’t beat Adams arrangements, 420 S. State St., 951 254-6946. Please see their coupon located elsewhere in today’s newspaper.

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Mrs. Hemet, Valerie Vandeveer, and Jodie True, Center Director of Sylvan Learning, John Peterson, Certified Insurance Counselor for DFI Insurance and Richard “The Hemet car guy,” Perry, Chairman of the Board of the Coz and owner of VIP Auto, were all in attendance. “The business community is what helps fuel our wider community. I would just like to offer congratulations to Laurel Netherton of Aflac and the Destinations Coffeehouse. AFLAC is a great organization,” said Peterson.

CoC board member Patricia Scott explained how the Chamber of Commerce is vital for local businesses. “I own Virtue Services Consulting, which is a bookkeeping organization. Laurel had a client that needed bookkeeping services, so she referred that client to me. To help Laurel in her business, we nominated her to cut the ribbon at today’s ceremony. The Chamber of Commerce is all about businesses helping businesses. I’m so excited for Laurel; she’s a very active person in the community. She’s a real asset. And the Destination Coffeehouse is a beautiful setting.”

Lakshman Koka, immediate past President of the Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Koka and Associates, was glad to have Laurel Netherton from AFLAC as new members. “The grand opening is always a great opportunity to network with other businesses and to share information with other business members. For example, I am the CEO of Dr. Koka and Associates, along with my wife, Dr. Vidhya Koka. Well, our employees are covered by Workmen’s Compensation, but we are not. When Laura explained that to us, we were grateful that AFLAC was there.”

Destination Coffeehouse co-owners Patricia Yepremian, and son Nick couldn’t have been more pleased with the turnout. “Last week we held a women’s empowerment conference here, and this week we have our ribbon-cutting ceremony. We’re here for the community just as the Chamber of Commerce is here for us,” said Nick Yepremian.

Laurel Netherton of AFLAC couldn’t have been happier. “I’m overwhelmed by the care and concern of the Chamber of Commerce members. To put me in charge of the ribbon-cutting ceremony to promote AFLAC and my business and the wonderful Destination Coffeehouse is just amazing. The food and drinks here are fantastic,” said Netherton.

“One of the many ways we maximize our membership is by offering a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It is really important that businesses find a platform to tell the public who they are, what they do, and why people should come to them. The Chamber of Commerce loves to give that platform to our members.,” said Cindy Lemke, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, adding, “I…we, want members who are going to be engaged and involved in our community, just as you see Laurel here from AFLAC and this wonderful crowd enjoying the food and drinks and ambiance at the destination coffee house.”
The beautiful afternoon was yet another success for the Hemet San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce.

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“We value the Hemet and San Jacinto communities,” said TMI Executive Director Rachel Harris. “Our clients love it there, and the community partnerships we have established are helping us to make a meaningful difference in their lives.”

The TMI Employment Solutions program seeks to assist their clients with finding employment if they desire and/or help them integrate into the community by volunteering at local businesses in order to be contributing members of society. Their Riverside County programs are funded by Inland Regional Center (IRC).

Currently, TMI has 15 workgroups volunteering throughout Hemet and San Jacinto at 40 local businesses. One such group is Corey, Michael, and Stephen, who volunteers at the Bread Basket Food Bank in Hemet with the support of their TMI Job Coach Alejandro “Alex” Verduzco. The team assists with flipping bread, making sure all bread is fresh, carrying boxes, bagging potatoes, and other day to day needs of the Food Bank.

“Our team enjoys working at the Food Bank because the people we work with are enjoyable, welcoming, and treat each of us with respect. We are a family,” Verduzco said. “The Food Bank has clearly expressed to us multiple times how much they value our help. They have also communicated to us that they could not operate as efficiently without us. The team feels a sense of worth and accomplishment in giving back to the community. We see the need for food in the community and the appreciation of the patrons when they receive food that our team helped put together.”

The mission of the Bread Basket Food Bank is to feed souls spiritually and physically. The Food Bank is operated through donations and is available to anyone to shop by donation. There are no applications or qualifications needed. There are a variety of breads and different foods available each week. Emergency food is also available.

“Alex and his young men are an amazing help and make our work so much easier,” Bread Basket Food Bank Coordinator Lynnea Hiebert said. “All are hard-working men and a joy to be around and talk with as we serve others. They are also committed, prompt, neat, and personable. Because of their help, they save us hours of time.

There are truly no words to explain what help the TMI teams are to the Food Bank.” Additional local businesses that have partnered with TMI to provide volunteer opportunities for their clients include: Cops 4 Kids, Hemet Public Library, San Jacinto Senior Center, My City Youth Center, Old Hemet Theater, Cagliero Ranch Nursery, Harvard Street Music Exchange, San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce, and the Salvation Army, among many others.

“Before working for TMI, I was a supervisor at a warehouse, and I didn’t see the need in our communities for companies like TMI until I started working here,” Verduzco added. “There’s so much to do for our clients and not so many resources available. I am glad God put me in this type of job. I enjoy every day, and every minute I get to work with these guys. I thank TMI for the opportunity they gave me and hope the government can do more for people with disabilities.”

Another TMI group making a difference in the Hemet Community is Harry, Christopher, and Andrew, who recently began volunteering at the Hemet Chamber of Commerce. The team assists with housekeeping, as well as promoting upcoming events within the community by passing out flyers and visiting new businesses around Hemet.

“The group had some anxiety about starting something new and unknown, but with confidence and teamwork they have become the ultimate trio,” TMI Hemet and San Jacinto Division Manager Jose Mayorga said. “These gentlemen have become active role models within the community and have become a strong force of unity. We are extremely excited to see the continuous growth and confidence rise within these young men. Not only are they helping the Hemet and San Jacinto community grow, but they are also becoming positive advocates for individuals with autism and other disabilities.”

TMI believes that disability does not mean inability and that the three cornerstones of a strong life foundation are: living as independently as possible, having the opportunity for real work for real pay, and all children belong in safe and caring homes.

In addition to Employment Solutions, TMI offers Assessment and Intervention Services in Hemet and San Jacinto, which is designed to provide person-centered services and supports to individuals with IDD to maintain the least restrictive environment within the context of family homes, group homes, and independent living arrangements.

If you know of a local business who could benefit from TMI volunteers or employees, please contact TMI at (800) 877-5452 or visit their website at tmi-inc.org. Toward Maximum Independence (TMI) is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation that has provided services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1981 and the deaf and hard of hearing since 2000.

It is the mission of TMI to provide personalized services to those who require support, enabling them to make informed choices regarding how they live, work, and function productively and independently in the community. With offices in San Diego, Temecula, El Centro, and Corona, TMI currently serves more than 800 children and adults.

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