Highland, CA – For the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, this valley and San Bernardino are our home; part of our aboriginal lands that we hold sacred.

In our hearts we share a common purpose to protect and sustain this land and the people who share it with us. This is Yawa’, which is a Serrano term meaning “to act on one’s beliefs.”

Yawa’ is a concept that has been passed throughout the generations since our creation.

In recent years, Yawa’ has become known to the wider world through our philanthropic giving.

But for much of our modern history our people experienced Yawa’ from others through periods of hardship on the reservation.  Our belief in human kindness brought help from our neighbors. To this day, we are grateful for that help that allowed us to grow into one of the Inland Empire’s largest employers. It has led to a desire for our tribe to continue the circle of cooperation to better the region for everyone who calls it home.

This week, we follow our Yawa’ by helping Goodwill (Goodwill Transforming Lives Through #SBWorks) and the incredible work they do to give our San Bernardino neighbors the assistance necessary to become employable. We are donating $3.4 million to expand their job placement services as a part of #SBWorks, an initiative created in collaboration with Goodwill Southern California and the City of San Bernardino to put people to work in Greater San Bernardino.

We all play a role in the success of our community. San Manuel takes pride in our own job growth and economic impact on the region. We currently have more than 4,300 employees and are excited that we’re not only giving as a part of this initiative, but we are hiring! Over the next two years we will be looking to fill hundreds of jobs and we are working with Goodwill’s expert team to start the search for employees right here in our community.

Tackling a large issue like unemployment will never be an easy task, but when we can work collaboratively with entities like Goodwill and the City of San Bernardino toward a common goal, we can create a bright and prosperous future that will benefit everyone.

Lynn Valbuena
Chairwoman, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians