FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS PARTNERS WITH

FEEDING AMERICA RIVERSIDE|SAN BERNARDINO

Tribe donates more than 40,000 lbs. of food to support community in need

Highland, CA (April 10, 2020) – San Manuel Band of Mission Indians recently donated more than 40,000 pounds of food and supplies to Feeding America Riverside|San Bernardino (FARSB). On Saturday, April 4, FARSB hosted a drive-through distribution event at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino where approximately 1,100 cars came through (representing more than 5,000 members of the community) and were given staple items like rice, beans, and orange juice.

“We know that there are so many people who are in need right now; many have lost their jobs or had their hours greatly cut back and cannot provide basic necessities for their families,” said Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. “The Tribe’s giving spirit is deeply rooted in in our beliefs and values that call on us to care for and support one another in times of need.”

FARSB strives to alleviate hunger in the Inland Empire and distributes over 2 million pounds of food per month with the help of over 250 local non-profit agencies. Due to the economic impacts of the current COVID-19 crisis, the number of people who are struggling to have their basic needs met is much higher.

“San Manuel Band of Mission Indians continues to be a strong partner in the fight against hunger,” said Carolyn Solar, Philanthropy Director at FARSB. “Thanks to their timely donation, residents in the San Bernardino region received much needed items to support their families  during COVID-19.”

About Feeding America Riverside|San Bernardino

Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) is leading the fight against hunger in the Inland Empire by providing food access, emergency relief, education, and advocacy to families in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. FARSB opened in 1980 as Survive Food Bank in response to the increasing concern about the dual problems of hunger and food waste in the Inland Empire. Today, FARSB is the primary source of food for over 250 local nonprofit organizations, distributing over 1 million pounds of food monthly to emergency food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, high-need elementary schools, halfway houses, senior centers, residential treatment centers, shelters for the abused, and after school programs. With the help of these charity partners, we make up the largest hunger relief organization in the Inland Empire, making food security a reality for over 1.2 million people every year. 

About the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a federally-recognized Indian tribe located on the San Manuel Indian Reservation near Highland, California. San Manuel exercises its inherent sovereign right of self-governance and provides essential services for its citizens by building infrastructure, maintaining civil services and promoting social, economic and cultural development. As descendants of the Indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys, mountains and high deserts, the Serrano people of San Manuel have called this area home since time immemorial and are committed to remaining a productive partner in the San Bernardino region.