SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (March 8, 2021) – Today, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians donated 9,700 school supplies to the San Bernardino Unified School District (SBCUSD) Community Day School for the Access to Learning for All Students program (A.T.L.A.S).
This donation comes just as SBCUSD announced that campuses within the district will continue distance learning for the remainder of the school year for all grade levels. The A.T.L.A.S program relies on community partnerships to help make students successful academically.
The A.T.L.A.S program seeks to remove barriers and provide support services to approximately 1,000 SBCUSD students who are in foster care or facing homelessness. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians called on their employees and leveraged their partners, School Specialty and Mark-it Smart, to donate pencils, notepads, paper, earbuds with microphones, hand sanitizer and other essential items.
“We saw an opportunity to serve local students and reached out to our partners to provide necessary supplies that will help make online learning for the remainder of the year a success,” said Alberto Jasso, manager of strategic philanthropy for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
“It has been a challenge to meet the demand of our students while working remotely, but we have continued to provided support services to those most in need by offering drive through food distribution and now school supplies. We are grateful to have a community partner like the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to offer assistance to programs like A.T.L.A.S that have been heavily impacted this past year,” said Ginger Ontiveros, executive director of community engagement for the San Bernardino Unified School District.
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians expresses themselves through a culture of giving across four key areas including education. The Tribe believes that education is fundamental in creating paths to a better future that uplift the surrounding community.
About San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, Calif. The Serrano Indians are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains who share a common language and culture. The San Manuel reservation was established in 1891 and recognized as a sovereign nation with the right of selfgovernment. As an indigenous community the origins and history of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians stem from our relationship with the land and to all who share it. For more information, visit https://www.sanmanuel-nsn.gov