Assemblymember Brown Holds 1st Annual Tools for Success Day

Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) in partnership with the San Bernardino County Library, the National Investment Division of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NID) Housing Counseling Agency, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), Westech College and the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County hosted the first annual Tools for Success Day, a back-to-school celebration with giveaways, entertainment, food and gifts on Aug.17 at Ayala Park in Bloomington and Aug. 24 at the Baker Family Learning Center in Muscoy. Between both events, nearly 250 students were provided a backpack stuffed with pencils, pens, notebook paper, coloring books, activity books, colored pencils or crayons, back-to-school haircut coupons, stickers, a ruler, a cookbook and literature. During the event, special remarks were given by Assemblymember Brown, San Bernardino County Librarian Leonard Hernández, San Bernardino County Superintendent Gary Thomas and Executive Director Linda Jackson, NID Housing Agency. Assemblymember Brown shared information about California’s Legislature implementing the local control funding formula. This initiative allows area school districts to control the money that comes from the state and use it to close the achievement gap in struggling schools at the local level. Assemblymember Brown encouraged parents to be proactive and engage their children’s school principals, teachers and counselors to ensure that funding is being used to meet the educational needs of their children. Dr. Gary Thomas spoke about the importance of focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs to prepare students for work in the global economy. “There’s more money in STEM professions,” explained Dr. Thomas. Jackson encouraged parents to visit her office in San Bernardino to gain helpful tips on financial literacy. She spoke about how she overcame her challenges and took control of her finances by empowering herself with information. “When students have a stable home life, they will perform better in school,” she explained. “I’m so excited that my first annual Tools for Success Day in the unincorporated areas of Bloomington and Muscoy was a great success. I wanted to start the new school year off right by ensuring that these students have the tools they need to be successful in the classroom,” said Assemblymember Brown. “I believe that we have a responsibility in teaching, mentoring and preparing our children for the future, which includes equipping them with the fundamental tools to succeed when they return to school.” The event also featured free health screenings, financial literacy information, financial assistance services for homeowners and other educational resources for classroom success. “We were excited about the opportunity to partner with Assemblymember Cheryl Brown on the Tools for Success Day Event. As an agency working daily with parents who are struggling to make ends meet, we are keenly aware of difficulties for parents to provide the tools necessary to ensure their children’s success in school. We couldn’t pass up an opportunity to be part of this event,” said Patricia L. Nickols-Butler, CEO of Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County. “As a housing counseling agency, we recognize the hardship that is placed on the children as the parents go through challenging times,” said Jackson. “This year, we wanted to support our communities by giving back to the children and meeting their needs.” “If we’re going to improve the economic climate of the 47th District, we need to make sure that our students are successfully completing their education. I am extremely grateful to have our community partners and sponsors come together to make this a successful event, and I am extremely excited about all of the vendors that joined us to connect the communities to valuable resources that will help them in their everyday lives,” concluded Assemblymember Brown. Additional sponsors included Farmdale Creamery, Molina Healthcare, the Incredible Edible Community Garden, SEIU Local 1000, Chaffey College, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire, California State University, San Bernardino, Franklin Career College, First 5 San Bernardino and the San Bernardino Valley Links, Inc., Community Health Systems, Inc. and the African American Mental Health Coalition.