Photo caption: Arlene and Priscilla Delgado, ages 4 and 8, each used their savings to purchase Christmas toys for a less fortunate child through the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corp’s Giving Tree program at Inland Center Mall. Help the Salvation Army obtain more toys for children in need by going to the Giving Tree near the mall’s Food Court by Dec. 20. Photo by Kelly Silvestri-Raabe
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calf.) Arlene Delgado, age 4, and her sister, Priscilla, age 8, have some fantastic Christmas plans. They ‘re leaving a few days before the holiday to spend an entire month with their mom’s sister in Indiana.
The girls have also made sure two other children have a fantastic Christmas. They did so by purchasing gifts through the Salvation Army Giving Tree set up near the food court of Inland Center Mall. These gifts will go to children ages 0-12 whom the Salvation Army has identified as members of some of the neediest families in our area.
“When these girls brought their gifts to the Giving Tree, they wanted to make sure they would go to the children who had asked for them,” said Kelly Silvestri-Raabe, who was volunteering at the tree the night the girls went shopping. “It turned out they had emptied their piggy banks to buy these presents.”
“That’s what the spirit of Christmas is all about, “ Silvestri-Raabe added. “Two little girls gave all they had.”
Priscilla Delgado, who turns 9 on Dec. 27, had been saving her money all year, according to her mother Regina Delgado. Arlene had saved a smaller amount.
Meanwhile, the family was planning to give Priscilla one Christmas/birthday gift, a trip to Disneyland.
But, when their aunt invited the family to stay with them for the girls’ entire Christmas break, that was even more exciting. The trip to Disneyland would have cost even more money than staying with family in Indiana.
“We decided to use our Disneyland money to buy something for other people,” Regina Delgado said. “I encouraged my girls to do this, because our family believes it is more important to give than to receive. We will be spending our Christmas with family, and that is the best gift of all.”
The Giving Tree is a way used by Salvation Army corps worldwide to help less fortunate children receive at least one gift on their Christmas wish lists. From Thanksgiving until a few days before Christmas, trees are set up in local malls and other shopping areas.
Attached to branches of the tree are cards with names of children whose families simply cannot afford to buy gifts, as much as they would love to. Shoppers who want to take part by helping disadvantaged children simply pluck a tag off the Giving Tree, read the child’s name and wish list, then head for the appropriate store for a little sharing of their own.
Shoppers don’t even have to stay in the mall where they found the Giving Tree. After obtaining the information for their gift tree recipients, the Delgado family purchased gifts at Target.
Others have taken advantage of a partnership the Salvation Army has formed with JCPenny for the Giving Tree program. Online shoppers can go to JCPenny.com/Angel and search for children (and in some places senior citizens) in any ZIP Code.
The website allows online shoppers to order a gift from Penney’s online catalog, and gives them the choice of dropping the gift off at their local Salvation Army’s collection center, or of having UPS ship it, at no charge, to that collection center.
It is not too late to be matched with a child either at Inland Center Mall or through JCPenny.com
Salvation Army volunteers make sure the presents are earmarked for the specific child.
To help, or for more information, call (909) 888-1336. About the Salvations Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
For local help, call (909) 888-1336.
Kathleen Dameron, president, KD Conseil helps multi-national firms understand different cultures within their organization. Recently, it conducted a training session for a worldwide technology such as being the leader with more than 70,000 employees in 165 countries.
(MIAMI, Fla.) How does the worldwide leader in computer conductivity guarantor loans technology overcome the cultural communications challenges of its 70,000 employees in 165 countries, and keep them working together productively? They call on KD Conseil (KDConseil.com).
KD Conseil is a training and coaching firm that specializes in assisting companies “seeking to improve the intercontinental communication skills of employees who work in an international environment.”
An international leader in intercultural business training based in Paris, France, KD Conseil recently completed a two-day workshop in Miami for high-level leaders in Internet networking.
KD Conseil president and founder Kathleen Dameron, along with training coach Caroline Obolensky conducted the team-building session for the owners of the company managers promoting different products starting with electric razor for men and so on – each from a different country in North America, Africa, Latin America and Europe.
“They all spoke English, but with varying understandings of word usage,” notes Obolensky. “They represented many different cultures, different technology backgrounds and were operating out of numerous time zones. Some also had never met before. Particular challenges involved how information is best passed along and how you can learn to trust a person you’ve never even seen – especially while partnering across the globe.”
Working together “virtually” has problems of its own. KD Conseil was charged with addressing this complex issue for the business. Members were asked to exchange ideas that would get them to have a better understanding of each other and discover the best ways to work together from vast distances, spanning greatly differing cultures.
“The purpose,” Obolensky explains, “was basically to get this team together in one place for them to get to know each other, to share common experiences, to work on real issues face to face and to bond as a team.”
Toward this end, Kathleen and Caroline took a few unique paths. For example, the group played volleyball together to break down personality walls and begin fusing a partnership. Another example: the leaders literally started a dance and we observed the influencing process from “the early adaptors” thru to “the laggards” as the team members accepted the challenge to stand up in a meeting room and dance together. We then explored concretely how to get people in the room on board for a new idea.
“Also,” Obolensky adds, “we had them build a ‘village.’ Not a real one, of course, but a model for the dynamics in their team. Within that, they had to make a number of decisions that pointed out their strengths, interests and goals.”
Who was going to be in charge of the project? Who could take on “fund raising” for the “community”? Who might be the workers, the teachers, the retailers and the government officials? “It brought all these diverse managers together,” Obolensky says, “realizing each other’s needs, talents and business obstacles to be overcome.”
“Our experience proves it is possible to adapt to other cultures without having to give up one’s own cultural practices and values,” notes Dameron.
“Let’s look at the Fortune 500 companies in the world in 2010,” she adds. “Three businesses in the Top 20 are in Paris, twenty out of the Top 40 are based in Europe and of the 500, 39 are headquartered in France. So, as an international business person, can you afford to ignore how to deal with those cultures?”
“I have always been fascinated with different cultures and curious about how they can work together.” So in 1992 the U.S.-born and -raised African American woman founded KD Conseil in Paris. Educated in American universities in Cross-Cultural Studies and Communication, then in a French university in Social and Economic Administration, the step to creating her business to aid firms working globally was a natural evolution.
“Our programs,” Dameron says, “target middle to upper management: senior managers of Operations, Human Resources, Marketing, Administration and Finance. We know that individuals and teams are best developed through addressing real life business challenges, so our coaching and advisory services are all applied to simulated work sessions.”
KD Conseil’s clients have included such international leaders as 3M, Alcan, France Telecom, MBDA, Pfizer, PSA and Herman Miller. Kathleen Dameron is certified as a business coach by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as well as certified in Team Management Systems, Success Insights, Situational Leadership, Coaching and Modeling plus Self-Relations, and is a Master in neurolinguistic programming. .
“I’ve coached senior executives in one-on-one sessions and have spoken to groups as large as 400,” she says, “in English, of course, but also in French and Spanish.”
The KD Conseil team of senior bicultural consultants includes:
Eveline Bouillon, a coach/trainer with 15 years experience in various capacities in international advertising, speaking English and French. She specializes in developing creativity in marketing and operational teams. Her book in French on how to spark creativity in individuals and teams in the corporate environment will be out in January of 2011.
Ute Drewniak, executive coach, consultant and trainer, focuses on multicultural management, diversity and strategic HR development. A psychologist with a Master’s in Business Coaching from International Mozaik in France, she has more than 15 years of international experience in the financial sector. She conducts her sessions in English, French or German.
Pascale Reinhardt specializes in leadership development in multicultural environments for teams and individuals, in conflict and crisis resolution and in intercultural negotiation. She has worked in China, Southeast Asia and Western Europe as well as North America, and has lived in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sydney, New York, Lausanne and, naturally, Paris. She’s fluent in English and French, and also speaks Mandarin Chinese and German. She co-authored Glocal Working and regularly contributes to the international magazine, “Negotiations.”
Dr. George Simons is the author of Global Teamwork Diversophy and Cultural Detective: Global Teamwork. His focus with KD Conseil is global team management. Simons has developed virtual teams for the likes of Coca Cola, Bosch-Siemens, Shell IEP, Texas Instruments France, Unilever and the Management Development Program of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Though born in the United States, he has worked in more than 40 other countries.
Caroline Obolensky is a Corporate Coach certified in 2003 by the International Coach Federation, possibly the largest of its kind in the world. She is of Greek and German background, and has lived over much of the world, her parents having been diplomats who changed homes every few years. As a result she speaks French, Greek, German and English fluently, and other languages to varying levels. It’s been said she has a gift for communicating what being multi-cultural is all about. Her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations is from American University in Washington, D.C., and her Master’s from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium is in European Administration.
“Our message is simple,” summarizes Kathleen Dameron. “KD Conseil’s training will help you be more effective when doing business abroad.”
For further information, KD Conseil may be viewed on the Internet at www.kdconseil.com and contacted at info@kdconseil.com. The phone number in Paris is +33 (0) 1-42-21-00-73 and their fax is +33 (0) 1-42-21-00-26.
About KD Conseil
Established in 1992, KD Conseil helps multi-national firms understand the different cultures within their organization. By understanding and working through cultural differences, KD Conseil helps the firm develop “shared practices” that will be highly efficient ways of delivering their services and products in a global market.
A crew of volunteers serves meals from the kitchen at the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving Dinner. About 125 volunteers served a free traditional Thanksgiving meal to about 250 guests. Photo by Ricardo Tombac
Clarissa Ruiz, 14 and Vanessa Cordero, 21, volunteers with the Rock Church in San Bernardino, serve pumpkin pie to the Salvation Army’s guests at Thanksgiving dinner. Clarissa and Vanessa have both volunteered three years in a row. About 125 people volunteered this year, preparing and serving a free Thanksgiving dinner to 250 guests. Photo by Ricardo Tombac
Benjamin Hartnell from the San Bernardino Crossroads Rotary, and Terry Bryan a Scout Master from Troop 110 from Rialto washed pots and pans for several hours during the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving Dinner. Photo by Ricardo Tombac
Sandy and Mike Rowles hand out cold drinks to guests at the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving dinner. The couple came from Fontana to volunteer. Photo by Ricardo Tombac
Jeremy and Shannon Ellsworth and Eric and Stacy Bellinger, all from a Farmers’ Insurance office, relieved other exhausted volunteers at the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving dinner. Photo by Ricardo Tombac
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The San Bernardino Corps of the Salvation Army served a Thanksgiving dinner to about 250 people on Thursday, Nov. 25.
This annual Thanksgiving dinner is a community event involving more than 125 volunteers. Together they provide a traditional dinner of turkey, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, vegetables and pie.
At one table a young family of five quietly enjoyed a full turkey and ham meal with all the trimmings. The father said that “he is working full time, but only makes enough money to pay for the rent; without the Salvation Army, there wouldn’t be a Thanksgiving meal for his family.”
Preparations for the meal start several days before Thanksgiving for kitchen volunteers.
On Thanksgiving Day, more volunteers arrive, and are assigned various jobs and tasks. Kitchen servers work in shifts while dining room crews taken on many responsibilities, such as greeting guests and serving them various courses of the meal.
Among this year’s volunteers were Press-Enterprise editor Maria DeVarenne and her family.
Volunteers Mike and Sandy Rowles went table to table with big pleasant similes, handing out cold drinks, showing their compassion and care. This was their first year volunteering at the Salvation Army.
Mike and Sandy’s children have grown up and are no longer living with them. With their children living out of state, they decided to do something different for Thanksgiving, so they drove from Fontana to help out.
Back in the kitchen, Benjamin Hartnell from the San Bernardino Crossroads Rotary, and Terry Bryan, a Scout Master with Troop 110 from Rialto willingly washed pots and pans non-stop for several hours.
Two hours into this Thanksgiving meal, two couples from a Farmers Insurance office came to relieve some of the exhausted volunteers. Jeremy and Shannon Ellsworth and Eric and Stacy Bellinger, decked out in their white aprons, took their turns serving the meal.
Volunteers like these are already gearing up to do the same thing all over again on Christmas Day, Saturday, Dec. 25. As was true at Thanksgiving, anyone who comes to 746 W. Fifth St between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. can enjoy a traditional holiday meal of turkey, ham, stuffing, vegetables and desert.
“Whatever people have on their heart to donate, we will serve,” said Hospitality House Director Roosevelt Carroll, who is coordinating the meal.
At the Salvation Army, it’s not just giving out a meal a few times a year. Corps Officers Stephen and Nancy Ball not only focus on people’s physical needs, but also tend to their spiritual needs every day.
The San Bernardino Salvation Army has been serving the community since 1887 and has fed, sheltered and otherwise helped thousands of people each year.
For help, or for more information, call (909) 888-1336. About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
For local help, please call (909) 888-1336.
Jon Melzer, general manager of Print Promotions Plus. Photo by Chris Sloan
(COLTON, Calif.) It only takes a brief conversation with Jon Melzer to understand the compassion and commitment he has to helping others better their circumstances, in whatever way he can.
Jon is the general manager of Print Promotions Plus, a family owned printing business, based in the Inland Empire. With 27 years of printing experience, Jon believes that it is his duty as a company and individual to give back, especially during such difficult economic times.
“This is my community too. I grew up right here in this very area,” said Jon. “I believe that I am compelled by God to serve others and it’s good to give to the community. I always feel like I get something back in return.”
As a co-owner of Print Promotions Plus, Jon is a humanitarian who has worked silently, assisting such organizations as Trinity Youth Services. Located in Colton, California, The organization provides foster care, mental health services, therapy and homes for children who have been victims of abuse, violence, neglect and abandonment.
Each year, Jon assists Trinity Youth Services during their major fundraiser, the Trinity Classic. An annual golf tournament, the organization depends on this event to raise much needed funding to support the multiple programs they offer throughout the year.
“We have been doing business with Trinity for the last 27 years,” says Jon. “They are about helping families. They were hit hard by the recession, so more than ever they need for companies like Print Promotion Plus to bridge the gap where possible.”
Donating the printing of programs and tee signs for the Trinity Classic, Print Promotion Plus has become the event’s media sponsor. In addition, the Melzer family has made contributions to Trinity Youth Services on an individual basis as well.
“Jon has been a long time supporter of our organization,” said Vanessa Vizzard, Trinity Youth Services Community Outreach Specialist. “It is wonderful when you can have support like this, during such tough economic times. Print Promotion Plus really helped save the day for our golf classic.”
That same generosity has also been extended to Camino Real Elementary School in Riverside, California. Each year, Print Promotion Plus assists them by donating the printing and production cost of their parent handbooks. By printing and donating 1,000 copies of the handbook, along with other small copy jobs and supplies, Jon says the school is able to direct funding to other things that will help enhance student education.
With one child currently enrolled in this school and another who recently graduated from there, Jon is committed to helping Camino Real Elementary School make the most of the resources that they have available. After finding that teachers were asked to use their own finances to cover the cost for printing, he generously offered to help by cutting cost in that area.
“Jon has been a great on-site parent for his child as well as a wonderful community business partner,” said Caron Winston, principal of Camino Real Elementary School. “He produces our quarterly newsletter too. All we need to do is provide him with a list of names and addresses and he does the printing and bulk mailing. He has been a real godsend.”
To add to Print Promotion Plus’s growing list of community activities, Print Promotions Plus has expanded efforts with the San Bernardino County Museum to include the annual Wildlife Art Festival. The San Bernardino County Museum Association produces the event, which was held from November 20 through 21, 2010.
“This is our biggest event of year,” said Jennifer Reynolds, Media Specialist, San Bernardino County Museum. “Print Promotions Plus has been extremely generous in helping and has agreed to do all print and production at no cost. We have worked with Jon and his team for three years and they have always been very giving with their time and understanding of our budget woes. They are truly wonderful.”
Now celebrating its 28th year, the festival featured more than two-dozen artists, activities for the family and the top entries for the 2010 Federal Duck Stamp competition. The first showing of the stamp competition on the west coast, the revenue raised by this collection is used to enhance wetlands.
For more information about Print Promotion Plus, contact them at 909-370-0860 or visit www. PrintProPlus.com.
About Print Promotion Plus
Print Promotion Plus is family owned and operated business, serving Southern California since 1984. They are located in the Inland Empire and is dedicated to giving clients the highest quality with rapid turnaround, Print Promotion Plus helps clients succeed in the attainment of their goals. Print Promotion Plus offers printing services that include: Full Color Printing, Brochures, Business Cards, Bulk Mailing, Catalogs, Color Copies, Digital Printing, Envelopes, Flyers, Graphic Design Letterhead, Newsletters, Postcards, B&W Copies and much more.
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Media: If you would like any of the photos in the slide show below please send an email to Chris@DameronCommunications.com with the photo id number and i will have it to you within 24 hours. If you require the photo sooner please call Chris Sloan at (909) 888-0017.
Toyota of San Bernardino president Cliff Cummings; Fred Shorett, Fourth Ward San Bernardino City Councilmember and Rikki Van Johnson, Sixth Ward San Bernardino City Councilmember inspecting the Freeway Lincoln Mercury dealership site in its current condition. Photo by Chris Sloan
View of the customer’s entrance to Freeway Lincoln Mercury’s main building, which housed the sales and service offices. Photo by Chris Sloan
Service bays previously operated by Free Lincoln Mercury. Photo by Chris Sloan
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Activity continues at the San Bernardino Auto Center, as Toyota of San Bernardino’s president Cliff Cummings has just acquired the building that once housed the former Freeway-Lincoln Mercury car dealership, located at 1600 Camino Real.
Facing Interstate 215 at the entrance to the city, the former dealership consists of three buildings, which sit on a 3.31acre parcel of land and employed approximately 45 people before ceasing its operations in the summer of 2008. In a current state of disrepair, the acquisition is yet another sign of the revitalization underway at the San Bernardino Auto Center.
“The location is in pretty bad shape and will take some time before we can actually make it functional,” said Cummings. “If you want to attract buyers, image is key and we want to do all we can to increase the visibility and awareness of the auto center.”
Stripped of everything imaginable, amid a sea of broken glass, restoration to the dealership will begin immediately. Cummings predicts the dealership will be operational by January 2011, utilizing the space for vehicle storage, display or perhaps another franchise, highlighting it as an entryway into the city.
With an increase of 17 percent in its workforce over last year, Toyota of San Bernardino is set to add even more members to its staff, due to the anticipated number of employees needed to make the location functional once again.
Cummings says that the signs of the economy rebounding from the recession are everywhere, and sees the auto center providing the Inland Empire as a source for a variety of well paying jobs, such as mechanics, landscapers, security, sales executives and other administration professionals.
“Our plans are to fuel growth and expand market share,” continued Cummings. “This is a prime location, which will go a long way in helping us to do just that.
For more information on Toyota of San Bernardinocall (909) 381-4444 or visit ToyotaSB.com
About Toyota of San Bernardino
Since 1966Toyota of San Bernardino has serviced the Inland Empire’s car buying needs as its premier Toyota dealership. A seven-time recipient of Toyota’s President’s Award, Toyota of San Bernardino continues to earn the highest honors for a Toyota dealership. It is dedicated to satisfying customers – from the day they buy a Toyota and for as long as they own it.
Toyota of San Bernardino is a fast and convenient place where the prompt and courteous sales people help customers find the new Toyota, Scion or a used vehicle that’s right for them.
The service department is staffed by courteous factory trained and ASE certified mechanics. Toyota of San Bernardino’s service department utilizes state-of-the-art diagnostic machines, computerized equipment and a well-stocked parts department to keep vehicles running their best.
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Media: If you would like any of the photos in the slide show below please send an email to Chris@DameronCommunications.com with the photo id number and i will have it to you within 24 hours. If you require the photo sooner please call Chris Sloan at (909) 888-0017.
Mr. Dorthey Gray is the Black Rose Awards’ “Humanitarian of the Year” award winner for 2010.
The Rev. Floyd Lofton is the Black Rose Awards’ “Community Service Award” recipient for 2010.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) “Our 21st annual Black Rose Awards,” says Margaret Hill, program chairman, “honor community leaders who have graciously given of themselves to make our area the best it can be.”
The Valencia Room of the National Orange Show (689 S. East Street in San Bernardino) will be the site of this gala ceremony on Sept. 10. The San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation will recognize eight award recipients.
Heading the list as “Humanitarian of the Year” is Mr. Dorthey “Dorty” Gray who has retired from Southern California Edison and is now simply known as “Coach.”
Selected for the “Community Service Award” is the Rev. Floyd Lofton, assistant pastor of San Bernardino’s New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.
A half-dozen outstanding individuals in San Bernardino County will receive the coveted “Black Rose Award.”
§ Pastor Larry Campbell is the senior pastor at the city’s St. Paul A.M.E. Church
§ Sam Handley is the Highland Family YMCA’s Associate executive director
§ Best-selling local author, Janice Higgins, is the founder and director of Project R.A.G.E. (Release of Anger and Guilt Through Empowerment)
§ From Sovereign Employee Benefits, Inc. is CEO Ron King
§ Will Larkin is an area real estate investor
§ The Director of Youth Action Project, Inc. (YAP) is Joseph Williams
Other nominees, granted “Black Rose Recognition” by the Black Culture Foundation, are Shauna Albright, John Coleman, Dr. Betty Daniels and Brenda Parker.
Hosting the evening’s ceremony for the sixth consecutive year are California State University San Bernardino Professor of Theater Arts Kathryn Ervin and Dameron Communications Carl Dameron.
Tickets for the Black Rose Awards September 10 gala are $60 per person and $600 for reserved tables of 10. The social hour begins at 6 p.m. with the ceremony at 7 p.m. To order tickets or reserve a table, call program chairman Margaret Hill at (909) 991-6422.
“Don’t miss out,” urges Hill. “The evening will be one of the community highlights of 2010.”
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Kelly Silvestri leads children’s activities at the San Bernardino Corps of the Salvation Army as the Young People’s Sgt. Major. Photo by Chris Sloan
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Kelly Silvestri-Raabe thought she had lost everything last year. This year, through the Salvation Army, she has found a new life and new purpose.
The San Bernardino Salvation Army recently named Kelly as the Young People’s Sgt. Major. In this position, she oversees the programs the Salvation Army offers for children ages 6-12.
Kelly believes this simply gives a title and a written job description to the work she’s done gladly for most of 2010. It is a volunteer position, but one to which she devotes most of her time.
“It took me losing everything to see how God wanted to use me,” she said. “I love the Salvation Army. It has completed my life”
Kelly started becoming familiar with the Salvation Army when she checked into the Hospitality House shelter at the end of 2009. She came there three years after her mother’s death, which had led to a downward spiral that included divorce, losing contact with her two sons and being forced out of the house in which she had spent most of her life.
Before she lost her sons, and their father moved them to Ohio, Kelly had largely focused her life on them. She hadn’t planned it that way. Even after she became pregnant in college, she had plans to become an FBI agent, and thought that having children would require only a brief interruption in her career.
“The moment my oldest son was born, I knew that God’s purpose for my life was for me to be a wife and a mother,” she said. “I had never known that kind of love before.”
Her husband had a good job, and the family was living in Kelly’s childhood home, which her mother had sold to them a few years earlier. So, Kelly was able to quit college and become a stay-at-home mom.
When her boys started school she served as the room mother. When they began playing team sports, she served as the team mother.
“My boys were my life,” she said. “I never spent more than a day away from them.”
All that came to a stop in 2005, when her mother suffered a stroke. For the next two years until her mother died, Kelly devoted much of her time to caring for her mother.
Since Kelly’s father had died when she was 7, the feeling of being left alone after her mother’s death caused her to fall into a deep depression. “I turned my back on everyone who loved me,” she said.
Her husband eventually left, and later fled with their sons to Cincinnati, Ohio, where they now live. Kelly has had only limited phone contact with them since then.
Not too long after her husband and sons left California, Kelly came home one day to find the cam locks changed, and her possessions sitting outside. Her house had been foreclosed.
“I had nowhere to go,” she said. “One of my friends suggested the Salvation Army. I said ‘I thought that was a thrift store.’
“I walked into a room where 40 people were sleeping together on the floor, (an arrangement necessary at the time, because the Hospitality House emergency family shelter operated from the Salvation Army Corps headquarters building). I had never felt so safe, because no one looked down on me, they just showed me love and kindness.”
While she was in the shelter, Kelly reached out to the children living there.
“The parents didn’t have anything for them to do,” she said. “When kids are left to their own devices, they can get into trouble.”
She took the shelter’s children on small outings to a nearby park and to the grocery store. On Thursdays, usually a minimum day at the elementary school where shelter children attend, she spent the afternoons teaching them craft projects. She served ice cream to them and baked cakes for them.
“These kids are so thankful for these little things,” Kelly said. “It is a blessing to be able to work with them.”
Once she left the shelter, her work with the children continued and grew. She volunteered with Sunbeams and Adventure Corps, programs the Salvation Army offers during the week to children in first through sixth grade.
In the spring, she participated with them in the Salvation Army’s annual Pinewood Derby, where children and youth leaders from many Corps create racecars from wood and engage them in races on a sloping track. She won.
In the summer, she went with the children to Salvation Army summer camp and taught them to ride bicycles. She took 27 little girls to see a live performance of “The Little Mermaid.”
Now, she is also responsible for Junior Church, a program held on Sunday mornings for children ages 7-12. She also leads Junior Salvationists, a program that prepares preteens to serve their community as part of the Salvation Army Church.
She believes she has found her true calling.
“I had a very comfortable life with my husband and I thought I was happy, she said. “Now, materially, I don’t have anything. But I have so much joy.”
About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
For local help, call (909) 888-1336.
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Media: If you would like any of the photos in the slide show below please send an email to Chris@DameronCommunications.com with the photo id number and i will have it to you within 24 hours. If you require the photo sooner please call Chris Sloan at (909) 888-0017.
(San Bernardino, CA) The annual Holiday Party sponsored by the Inland Empire ad club is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 9 in Rancho Cucamonga.
This year, proceeds will benefit Youth Hope, a non-profit shelter for runaway and homeless youth in the Inland Empire.
“We are very excited to support Youth Hope,” said Victoria Seitz, President of the Inland Empire Chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF). “This organization does a remarkable job of working with and protecting our young people, especially during the holiday season. I encourage all AAF members and the public to join us for a wonderful Holiday Party for such a good cause.”
Seitz said the party will feature a multicultural night of food, languages, music, entertainment and dancing, celebrating holiday traditions from around the world. Food will be provided by The Pines and many door prizes will be raffled off. “This will be a fabulous party, one that is not to be missed. Be sure to register in advance.”
The holiday celebration will be held at Steve Scudder Photography and Digital Empire Studio, 8431 Utica Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, from 6:30-10PM. Cost is $40 per person and $50 at the door. The event is open to the public.
Carey Jenkins, San Bernardino Economic Development Agency’s Director of Housing and Economic Development, taking questions from local residents, concerning proposed rehabilitation of the Lugo Apartment complex. Photo by Chris Sloan
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Elected officials, community leaders and local residents gathered as San Bernardino City 1st Ward Councilmember Virginia Marquez and the San Bernardino Housing and Community Development staff, held an informational meeting regarding the acquisition and rehabilitation proposed for the Lugo Apartments, located at 839 Lugo Avenue.
“Tonight our focus is you, the community,” said councilmember Marquez. “I urge everyone to be engaged and to ask questions. It is important for you to tell us what is wanted and what is important to you. This is our neighborhood.”
Scheduled for presentation during the San Bernardino City Council December 6 meeting, the project has been proposed as an affordable senior living housing complex. Held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, the gathering gave attendees a chance to share their thoughts and concerns, as they discussed the development, cost and management of this project.
According to the City’s 2010 Consolidated Plan, San Bernardino has approximately 7,100 vacant dwelling units, which includes a mix of single family, three and four-plex properties, as well as larger scale multi-plex properties. In addition, a study conducted in 2008 revealed the city is approximately 1,000 units below what is needed for an aging population in the form of affordable senior housing.
“I think tonight was very informative and step in right direction,” said San Bernardino Police Officer Aaron Jones, who patrols the Lugo Apartment neighborhood. “If everything falls in place, as explained, this should make the community a much safer place.”
Currently 120 units, the Lugo Apartments has fallen victim to urban blight and increased criminal activity. Centrally located, the proposed project is seen as playing a key role in reducing many of the problems in the neighborhood and will go a long way in bringing the City in line with the projected need for affordable senior housing as well.
“Ultimately, our plan is to transformed the property into a 119-unit senior-only complex, with a community clubhouse,” said Carey Jenkins, San Bernardino Housing and Community Development director. “It sits on approximately 3 acres and once transformed, this project will go a long way in providing enhanced amenities for our growing population of seniors.
Carrying a total development cost of $18.5 million, the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency will look to partner with Meta Housing Corporation to develop and manage the complex. The San Bernardino Economic Development Agency’s agreed upon subsidy for the project is set at $6.5 million. Funding will subsidize a portion of the site acquisition, assist with tenant relocation and pay for pre-development cost.
Meta Housing Corporations is a Los Angeles-based firm specializing in the development and financing of affordable and market-rate apartment communities for families and seniors, has been proposed as the developer on this project, based on their expertise in acquiring and rehabilitating existing residential units to suit senior living.
“I think this is a great idea,” said local resident Lillice Andreson. “Normally I am very leery about this type of thing, where people can potentially loose their homes, but this is nothing like that. This neighborhood desperately needs an affordable senior facility.”
Meta Housing Corporation has built a reputation of offering amenities and programs that help senior residents embrace the full potential of a high quality lifestyle. Once completed, the complex will feature new interior flooring, paint, energy efficient light and heating, new faucets and toilets in the bathrooms, and new kitchen countertops, appliances and cabinets.
The exterior will offer new property line perimeter wall, landscaping, wheelchair accessible ramps, reconstruction of carports, dual glazed energy efficient windows, new roof, new paint, new asphalt parking and driveway areas, as well as elevators and bridges between buildings for handicapped access.
Plans for a community clubhouse have been developed, designed to create a social gathering space. The clubhouse will offer a fully equipped library, computer room, guest parking and security access gate. There will also be on-site tenant services that include health and wellness classes, lifelong learning and creative arts programs.
“I thought the reaction from the attendees has been very positive and there seems to be support for this,” said Jenkins. “This is the first step, it is a process and we are here to make sure we listen to the community and address any concerns they may have.”
For more information on this project call Carey Jenkins at the City of San Bernardino Economic Development Agency at (909) 663-1044.
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