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Welcome to the Summer edition of Milestones!
SanWhile the thermometer doesn’t reflect it, back to school season is here. We recently visited the YMCA preschool in Upland with a pop-up lemonade stand providing school supplies and books as our Gift a Kid a Book literacy campaign launched for the third consecutive year. We read, sang and even danced a little celebrating the benefits of reading at an early age.
Our Community Engagement Specialist LuCretia Dowdy has been representing First 5 San Bernardino in many back-to-school events throughout the county. Maybe you’ve seen her out and about, or perhaps you’ve seen our new social media segment titled “LuCretia in the Neighborhood.” Make sure to read about this digital outreach strategy and how she’s engaging with parents, caregivers and even little children.
Last month, the recipients of our Family Support Initiative funding gathered for a collaborative contract orientation meeting. This new $12 million investment was designed to improve parenting, family self-sufficiency and the long-term safety and healthy development of children prenatal to 5 years old. We’re excited to see what they accomplish in the upcoming years.
Throughout the summer, we conducted our Kid Safe Summer campaign once again promoting the importance of water, heat/sun and on the move safety. Check out the Good Day LA/Fox 11 segment featuring our own Mary Curtis Santoya, office assistant III. And speaking of our front office staff, next time you come to the First 5 San Bernardino building, you’ll want to say hi to Victor Valenzuela, office assistant III who is the employee spotlight this month.
Sincerely,
Karen Scott
First 5 San Bernardino Executive Director
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'Gift a Kid a Book' Brought Free Books to Upland Preschoolers at Pop-up Lemonade Stand to Help Prepare Them for School
First 5 San Bernardino prepared pre-schoolers for school at the Upland YMCA Early Childhood Development Center. Through our annual Gift a Kid a Book campaign, 40 children received a free book and other goodies at a pop-up lemonade stand to say goodbye to summer.
The pre-schoolers went home with the classic children’s book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” along with a cookie! Gift a Kid a Book encourages parents and caregivers to give their children a book -- instead of toys -- for life’s special occasions, like going back to school. There is no better gift you can give to your child than the gift of learning, and by incorporating books into a routine, getting little ones ready for school is even easier.
Check out our NEW video to watch our sweet lemonade stand pop-up, where we gifted books at the Upland YMCA.
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New 'LuCretia in the Neighborhood Series' is a Hit with County Families
In our Spring Milestones edition, we let you in on a little secret about our brand new social media series called “LuCretia in the Neighborhood.” Starring Community Engagement Specialist LuCretia Dowdy, our 19-year team member has been traveling the county talking to parents, caregivers and even our littlest residents. She does this at over 50 events per year, but now families are joining her online!
With its casual “person on the street” style, LuCretia in the Neighborhood gets heartfelt, silly and educational right in the neighborhoods where our residents play, live and work.
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$12 Million Family Support Initiative on the Way
First 5 San Bernardino, well-known for its 25-year history of investing in children prenatal through 5 years old, has implemented a new three-year $12 million funding opportunity facilitating investments to San Bernardino County-based organizations. Named the Family Supports Initiative, it was designed to improve parenting, family self-sufficiency and the long-term safety and healthy development of children prenatal to 5 years old.
The following organizations were selected as recipients of the funding: Child Care Resource Center, Children’s Fund, Chino Valley Unified School District, Hearts and Lives, The Mom and Dad Project, Moses House Ministries and Walden Family Services.
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Partners First 5 San Bernardino and SBC Department of Public Health Featured on FOX 11 Good Day L.A. for Summer Safety Demos
Summer means more time on the move and on the road. Can you believe that an astounding 46 percent of people install car seats incorrectly? In the summer months especially, parents and caregivers need to know, or be reminded of, the correct way to install and use car seats and helmets.
First 5 San Bernardino and the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health visited FOX 11 studios in Los Angeles in the height of summer to show viewers of “Good Day LA” how to make sure a child is buckled in safely and correctly.
The news segment was on the heels of First 5 San Bernardino’s annual Kid Safe Summer campaign which focuses on water, sun and on-the-move safety for children under 5. The partnership with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health also brought attention to the County’s free car seat safety classes.
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Employee Spotlight
Victor Valenzuela
Office Assistant III
Meet Victor Valenzuela, who joined the organization in May and brings a diversified background to his role as an office assistant III. Victor is part of the front office team at First 5 San Bernardino that conducts a host of duties including triaging phone inquiries from the community seeking resources, assisting with preparation for Commission meetings and facilitating hosting logistics for outside entities just to name a few.
Prior to joining the organization, Victor provided administrative assistant support for private practice mental health professionals. Fun fact - he is also a certified welder and spent about eight years in this line of work for companies in Alabama and California.
Victor certainly has a passion for helping others. He served two years as a high school baseball coach and educational mentor at Covina Valley High School after his own baseball career concluded.
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About First 5 San Bernardino
The Children and Families Commission for San Bernardino County (First 5 San Bernardino) was created in December 1998, in order to realize the benefits of Proposition 10 (California Children and Families Act) for the County's youngest residents and their families. The act created a program for the purpose of promoting, supporting and improving the early development of children from the prenatal stage to five years of age, under the guidance of the Children and Families Commission for San Bernardino, and in collaboration with the community and agencies providing services to children.
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