Office: 760-843-0701
24/7 Hotline: 760-949-4357
My Place has been gaining knowledge through amazing staff trainings to have a better understanding of different youth that may walk through our doors. We continue to grow as a team and welcome new staff to help support our at-risk youth. We have seen an increase in group participation, kids attending school, reunifying families, and participation in life skills classes. This will teach our youth how to be independent as they reach their young adult years.
We have an amazing success story. One of our youth has shown great improvement, not only with starting school, but as well as wanting more for herself. She has completed her community service hours; she has started school and now wants to join the track and field team. We are in the process of getting her an I.D. and to start her process of applying for jobs. She has been following her program and exceeds every expectation. The staff have been there for her from giving boxing lessons, to helping build a garden, to having those conversations with her letting her know we see her improvement each and every day. We are so proud of her!
Hope House received a message from Midge at Community Services Council. Midge was collaborating with Sandy from the Grocery Outlet in Victorville. Sandy had many bouquets of flowers from Valentines Day and was taking them to non-profits, seniors, and other programs with participants who would appreciate them. They showed up and gave each of our participants a bouquet of flowers. This brought a smile to all their faces and to the employee’s faces, as well. It is truly amazing how flowers can be such a positive impact on a persons well being, especially for those who are fleeing domestic violence and having to stay in an emergency shelter during Valentine’s Day. One of our participants who decided to be creative, arranged the bouquet in the top of her curtains over looking her bed in her room. Thank you so much Midge and Sandy for thinking about Hope House and making everyone’s day!
This month we heard back from a former participant that likes to keep in touch with us, she graduated late last year and moved back to Bakersfield with her two children to be closer to family. She has begun to build a strong support system for herself and has begun to lay roots down in her community as she was recently hired on at the Boys and Girls Club of Bakersfield as an Activity Supervisor. She describes it as her “dream job” and couldn’t thank Family Assistance Program enough for our continued support.
“This program is the greatest stepping stone of my life, and without it, I couldn’t have achieved what I have achieved.”
In our ongoing after-care support, we have provided beds for her and her two kids in her new apartment. She added that this was a tremendous help because it helped her achieve one of her recent goals to pass the home inspection by her social worker. The inspection was required to obtain custody of her first child, for which she is currently fighting for in the courts. She now feels safe in her fully furnished home for her and her children.
Open Door is in their third week of the 40-hour Human Trafficking Training. If you missed this one, the next free certified Human Trafficking Advocacy training will be held in May 2022. If you would like to join our next training, please reach out to bernadette@familyassist.org.
This month we would like to highlight and thank one of our community partners, Dignity Health. We were one of the agencies selected for their Community Grant Awards. Thank you for your continued support with your check for $40,500. These funds will go directly towards victim’s immediate needs. Dignity Health and Open Door continues to be committed to helping victims of human trafficking. Open Door continues to provide on call advocates to respond to any calls from the hospital staff and provide training on human trafficking for hospital staff. This month were honored to work with the San Bernardino Human Trafficking Task Force. We both participated in the 7th annual “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild”. More than 80 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, along with 11 task forces from across California participated in this statewide effort to curb human trafficking. The cities, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, and Victorville, were selected due to their high volume of activity and advertisements directly related to the commercial sex trafficking industry. Open Door provided victim support and services, along with shelter and safehouse services. Thank you SBHTTF for letting us provide services to victims. We were featured on the San Bernardino District Attorney’s website for the work we do in the community. Thank you for spotlighting our work with victims of human trafficking. See the spotlight story here: opens in a new windowCommunity Spotlight: The Open Door Program Combats Human Trafficking in San Bernardino County – San Bernardino County District Attorney (sbcountyda.org)
The C Street Community Center is thankful for our new updated computers in the lobby! Clients are now able to complete job applications, rental applications, or other documents that may be asked of them by other service agencies. Even more so, community members can come prepare their own taxes for FREE and receive guidance as needed, again for FREE! We are so excited that we currently have nine employees throughout the agency training to become registered tax preparers with the State of California! Wishing lots of luck on their tax preparer training to Jobi W., Ginger B., Elsa S., Raquel A., Shelly T., Laura G., Sylvia R., Bernadette V., and Oscar L. By this time next year, these individuals will have the ability to prepare and e-file taxes for our clients and others in the community for free. Don’t forget, on March 10, 2022 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm the San Bernardino County TAD office will have Volunteer Tax Preparers available for service. This is by appointment only, call 909-421-4091 or 909-421-4093 to schedule your appointment!
Family Assistance Program and the Community Center took the lead on the 2022 Point In Time Count for Adelanto, what a success! Our volunteers were able to make contact with 13 homeless individuals in the Adelanto area, as well as report dwellings, tents or those they see sleeping in a car.
Being able to count and report these individuals assist the County in acquiring money to assist the homeless community, and create resources for them. Thank you to those who came out to Volunteer, you are appreciated! Thank you to our own Diana Penaloza, Shelly Thomas, Jose Chavez, and Board Member Sir Duplechan for coming out and participating in the count! A HUGE thank you to the Starbucks at Palmdale and Highway 395 for allowing us to use their store as our check-in/check-out base for the Adelanto PITC, the Staff there is awesome!
The Community Center and Fam Spot will be joining R.O.O.T. for the Community Clean-Up in April. Come out and help us revive our Old Town Victorville.
We have almost completed our ADA unit at one of Family Assistance Program’s domestic violence transitional locations. This one bedroom unit went through a complete rehab thanks to the contractor John Farinelli. The bathroom sink and kitchen sink have room for a person in a wheel chair to be self sufficient. A desk was also made for accessibility. Our maintenance guys Raul and Antonio installed the flooring and carpeting. This unit will make some deserving participants feel very comfortable at their new home.
Join us for a free tax workshop to get information about how to file your taxes.
Thursday, March 17th at 12 noon, join us in person or on Zoom, whichever one you are more comfortable with.
In Person: 16857 C St., Victorville, CA 92395
On Zoom: ZOOM LINK
We will talk about:
Who can file taxes? Work (W-2), Self-employment (1099 or yourself), LLC/LLP and Corp.
– Filing Status
– Documents you need for filing
– Credits – EITC, CalEITC
– Stimulus Payments
– PPP & EIDL Payment/Forgiveness
– Did you get all your money?
– Where is my refund?
Ask questions to tax professional and get answers!
There’s A LOT happening at YAB in San Bernardino County! We’re doing:
Social Media Planning,
Legislative Research,
Practice Telling Your Story to help your advocacy
Prepping for a Virtual Hill Day educating Legislators in DC!
Not much homework, but a LOT of opportunities to get involved!! Tell your friends to register and join us!
Come check it out!
SB County Youth Advisory Board:
Wednesday afternoons at 4:30p (Get paid $15/meeting)
For more info email JIM
We are currently hiring full and part time for this and other open positions.
Click here to see all of the open positions at Family Assistance Program:
Open Positions
If you are interested in applying for any of our open positions, email your resume to hr@familyassist.org
Why did you get vaccinated? People have many different reasons why they got the shot. Share your story on your social media and get paid for it. We are looking for volunteers to start the conversation about COVID-19 Vaccine. Earn up to $400 when people engage with your post.
If you are interested in becoming a COVID Champion or have any questions you can email lindsey@familyassist.org
If you want to help the most at-risk members of your community, you can donate to Family Assistance Program:
Donate
If you are interested in donating items or anything other than a monetary donation you can email angela@familyassist.org
Family Assistance Program envisions a community where each person has a loving, nurturing home life. We provide the tools necessary to create healthy interpersonal relationships, economic empowerment, and stable housing.
15075 7th Street, Victorville, CA 92395
Main Office: (760) 843-0701
Toll Free: (866) 770-7867
