ICUCPICO

Category: Community Organizing

ICUC’s Clergy Caucus Meeting Today October 22 had San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran

Posted on by Frank Garcia

San Bernardino, Calif. – Yesterday ICUC joined Just San Bernardino, Inland Empire Labor Council, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Arts Council of SB, Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit Center, Peoples’s and Collective for Environmental Justice to show unity at the City Council’s Meeting. We want to make sure that the vacant land at the Carousel Mall is developed in a way the benefits the community. “We want to make sure that our input is taken into account in those decisions” stated Christian Flores. More than 50 community leaders spoke at this meeting.

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Students and parents urge CVUSD to take immediate action on establishing mental health wellness centers

Posted on by Frank Garcia

Mecca, Calif. – Students and parents affiliated with Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) held an action Friday to call on Coachella Valley Unified School District officials to set a date to open long-awaited mental health wellness centers for students at middle and high school sites. 

CVUSD committed $4.5 million in May 2021 to establish mental health wellness centers at schools district wide to help address alarming issues related to depression and anxiety among students in K-12 schools. After almost a full school year later, only one wellness center has been opened at Desert Mirage High School – with no immediate action or indication by school district officials of opening centers at other schools. Students and parents during the action asked questions related to the opening of future centers, staffing levels and funding support. 

“We want our school district leaders to keep their word about the establishment of wellness centers because students deserve mental health support,” reads a statement from the Coachella Valley Youth group that is composed of Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) across the Coachella Valley. “Students cannot continue to afford to wait any longer to have these important mental health support spaces opened.”

The need for student mental health support has been further elevated by the economic and health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Hunger remains at record levels in the area due to COVID-19 and suicide and depression rates statewide have severely impacted thousands of students who been forced to navigate existing stressors with the realities of the pandemic. 

“Parents are already juggling the stressors of having to make rent or put food on the table. And our children are also suffering from those impacts,” says Maria “Conchita” Pozar, parent leader. “We appreciate the initial steps the district has made to prioritize mental health, but our children need immediate action now.” 

ICUC students and parents expect a follow up meeting with CVUSD board president Blanca Hall within the next 60 days to discuss future funding and expansion of wellness centers. 

New ‘Center for Community Organizing’ to provide training, education for future Inland Empire leaders

Posted on by Frank Garcia

The Inland Congregations United for Change has helped transform an old, dilapidated building into a “positive space” for people looking to bring social change

 

The Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) is proud to announce the official Grand Opening of the Inland Empire Center for Community Organizing (IECCO) on Saturday October 2. The IECCO will house various community service organizations who will focus on providing education and leadership training for Inland Empire residents dedicated to community organizing.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, ICUC has used the IECCO as a central base of operations to distribute over 250,000 pounds of food and 200,000 face masks to residents in low-income communities while conducting voter registration drives and directing people to housing services. Organizers say that the IECCO will be used by ICUC and partner organizations to continue providing services, host community events, and train future leaders.

 

“In the last year, youth and parent leaders have helped transform the Inland Empire Center for Community Organizing from a neglected space to a much more positive place for social interaction and political education,” says Miguel Rivera, Events Coordinator for ICUC. “This will be a place where aspiring organizers can help ignite the change they want to see.” 

In the three decades since its founding in 1991, ICUC has dedicated its mission to helping encourage people of faith to transform their lives through civic engagement and community organizing. As a result of the organization’s long-term dedication of serving Riverside and San Bernardino County residents, ICUC was awarded $6 million by the State of California to support civic engagement efforts regionwide. The organization is also a part of various community-led coalitions that focus on sustainable development and economic justice. 

 

“ICUC’s growth is the product of years of labor and commitment from clergy, parent, and youth leaders who have worked to address key social issues through civic engagement and community organizing,” said Tom Dolan, Executive Director of ICUC. “We are confident that the Inland Empire Center for Community Organizing will serve as an important space for emerging grassroots community leaders to further increase civic engagement in this important region of the state.”

The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m and feature performances and cultural vendors. The IECCO is located at 1411 North ‘D’ Street in San Bernardino. For more information, contact Miguel Rivera at miguel@icucpico.com.