Three-year strategy to put people to work presented by Tribe, Goodwill and City of San Bernardino

San Bernardino, Calif., – A $3.4 million grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to Goodwill Southern California is the cornerstone to a #SBWorks initiative that will put people to work in greater San Bernardino.

• Creating Jobs for Our Community by Following Our Yawa’ – Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
• Goodwill Transforming Lives Through #SBWorks – Patrick McClenahan, President and CEO, Goodwill Southern California

The need for job-placement services in the Inland Empire is significant, and the #SBWorks initiative aims to place over 1,500 people in jobs over the next three years. As part of the #SBWorks kick-off, a Goodwill Hiring Event was held featuring 14 Inland Empire employers who met over 150 pre-screened candidates immediately available for hire.

“We are honored to receive this generous grant award from San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to expand our employment services and to have their support to make a positive and lasting change in our region,” said Patrick McClenahan, president and CEO of Goodwill Southern California. “This grant allows us to invest in building our regional capacity to aggressively assist the region’s job seekers.”

“The Inland Empire is our home, and our ancestral lands cover the majority of San Bernardino County. We feel an obligation to work with our neighboring communities to help bring economic growth and stability to the region,” said Lynn Valbuena, chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. “We are excited to collaborate with Goodwill and the City on this initiative as well as serving as a regional employer that is creating jobs for our community.”

Over the course of the three-year grant period, Goodwill is expected to:

• Serve 3,760 job seekers and place 1,580 in employment
• Create a partner network by engaging up to 75 organizations
• Host at least 10 organizational trainings to enhance partner efforts
• Create eight regional workforce initiatives to facilitate career advancement for those with barriers to employment
• Provide professional development training for 210 nonprofit professionals
• Host four forums to address strategies for engaging the disconnected job seeker

These efforts will ultimately result in a wage gain estimate of $22 million for the region.

To support Goodwill’s efforts, San Manuel and the City are taking active roles to ensure the success of the #SBWorks initiative:

• San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has been a generous supporter of Goodwill since 2009 and is planning to add hundreds of jobs to their 4,300-strong employee force over the next two years.
• The City of San Bernardino, now out of bankruptcy, continues to prioritize job creation. They are partnering with San Bernardino County Workforce Development to offer career counseling and job training. Work also continues to grow the City’s infrastructure, which can lead to employment opportunities in areas such as the surrounding the San Bernardino Airport.

The unemployment rate for those living below the poverty rate (about 20% of the population) is 31.8% and 29.8% in San Bernardino and Riverside counties respectively.

About The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, Calif. The Serrano Indians are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains who share a common language and culture. The San Manuel reservation was established in 1891 and recognized as a sovereign nation with the right of self-government. As an indigenous community the origins and history of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians stem from our relationship with the land and to all who share it. Since ancient times we have expressed ourselves through a culture of giving. Today, San Manuel is able to answer the call of Yawa’ (Serrano word meaning “to act on one’s beliefs”) through partnerships with charitable organizations. We have drawn upon our history, knowledge, expertise and cultural values to direct our philanthropic giving in our local region, as well as to Native American causes nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.sanmanuel-nsn.gov.

About Goodwill Southern California:

Transforming lives through the power of work, Goodwill Southern California (GSC) serves individuals with disabilities or other vocational challenges, as well as businesses, by providing education, training, work experience and job placement services.  Each year, GSC prepares and places thousands of individuals into sustainable employment through programs and services offered at three campuses, Career Resource Centers, WorkSource Centers, Deaf, Youth and Veteran Employment Programs throughout Los Angeles (north of Rosecrans Ave.), Riverside and San Bernardino counties.  GSC supports its mission with proceeds generated from 81 stores and 46 attended donation centers.  GSC spends 95 percent of its budget on programs and services.  Committed to caring for the earth, last year GSC diverted 100 million pounds of reusable or recyclable goods from landfills. Goodwill is Good for Everyone!