SAN BERNARDINO, CA – The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (SMBMI) is providing a $300,000 grant to three organizations in support of victims of the Monterey Park Lunar New Year shooting. The Asian American Educational and Cultural Resources Center San Bernardino, Chinatown Service Center (CSC) and Pacific Asian Counseling Services (PACS) will each receive $100,000 to support long-term trauma resulting from the devastating shooting.
“A senseless tragedy such as this affects us all, but especially those in the Asian community,” said Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. “We selected these three organizations who we felt could best support the emotional healing required after such a horrific incident.”
The Asian American Educational and Cultural Resources Center is the only non-profit agency in San Bernardino and Riverside counties focusing on providing services and programs for Asian Americans in the Inland Empire. CSC is an organization with established healthcare services that provides mental and behavioral health assistance to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in the Los Angeles region. PACS provides culturally sensitive and language-specific social service needs to the AAPI community. The organization delivers resources with case management, counseling, mental health services and basic needs.
All three organizations are 501(c)(3)s and funding will go directly to providing program services to those impacted.
“We have worked on a strategy for long-term support and connected with organizations we feel will provide mental and behavioral health support by victims and their families,” said Valbuena. “The long-term process of recovery is the most important.”