DRAFT_December Newsletter 12.21.20

“This is a testament to our good work and commitment to strengthening partnerships,” said Charity Douglas, assistant director of Children Services. “We are very proud of Cameron and her commitment to doing what is best for the children and youth in our care.” Galford noted that it was a “humbling experience” to be recognized and considers herself fortunate to sit at the table to advocate for tribal families in Riverside County. While progress has been made, she hopes her work will inspire others. “Our goal is for the next generation to keep this going because we’ve put in the foundation,” Galford said. “We need to keep righting the wrongs of history.” Riverside County Tribal Nations • Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

DPSSNEWS

• Ramona Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians • Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians • Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians • Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians • Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians

• Augustine Band of Mission Indians • Cabazon Band of Mission Indians • Cahuilla Band of Indians • Morongo Band of Mission Indians • Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

Drive Through Jobseekers Connect to Employers in Desert Scores of jobseekers were connected to new work opportunities through their car windows during a drive-through resource fair held earlier this month in Desert Hot Springs. The event was part of the Self Sufficiency Division’s efforts to bring resources to customers of CalWORKS, a program that provides cash aid and services to eligible families who have at least one child in the home. In Riverside County, there are approximately 18,000 CalWORKs cases.

“Many customers in Desert Hot area have been especially hard-hit by the pandemic,” said Eric Ellis, regional manager in the Self Sufficiency Division. In October, unemployment the east county city was approaching 15%, an increase of almost 9% higher over the prior year. More than 200 jobs in the industries from hospitality and service to public health and government service were showcased at the resource fair, which was visited by 66 CalWORKs customers. “We are continuing to come up with new ways to connect our customers to resources during this ongoing crisis,” Ellis said. “We hope this is the beginning of many more.”

Martha’s Village & Kitchen from Indio attends a DPSS drive-through event that assisted nearly 70 jobseekers in Desert Hot Springs on Dec. 3, 2020. (Vanessa Martinez, Supervising Employment Services

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