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Community Noticias

Emergency funding for victims of freeze

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has authorized $1.75 million in emergency funding to help freeze victims in Tulare, Fresno, Kern, Riverside and Ventura counties.

 The funding will be provided as a grant to the community-based organization, La Cooperativa to provide financial assistance for freeze victims to make rent, mortgage and utility payments for the months of February and March.

 “Until the President signs the comprehensive federal aid package pushed by several members of California’s Congressional Delegation, we need to do everything we can at the state level to provide assistance to all those impacted by the freeze,” said Schwarzenegger in a news release. “Today’s authorization will help workers and families to pay their rent, mortgage and utility bills, to provide relief from the devastation caused by the loss of crops in California.”

A United Farm Worker Foundation meeting Feb. 8 in Arvin brought out more than 150 workers and family members to voice concerns to city officials and a representative for State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter.

With little or no work available to them at this time, farmworkers are struggling to make rents and other household costs, they told officials.

Florez previously also made his views known to the governor, asking for additional relief — specifically for migrant housing — in a letter. Florez thanked the governor for the help in increased food bank services, but asked that additional aid also be applied to housing matters as well.

The pending federal aid package is expected to include reauthorization of the FEMA Mortgage and Rental Assistance Program which will provide significant funding to help victims with their housing needs. 

The grant includes:
 • $1.5 million ($750,000 per month) for rental and mortgage assistance in the form of vouchers.
• $250,000 ($125,000 per month) for utility assistance vouchers.

License plate theft on rise

The Kern County Sheriff’s Department is warning vehicle owners about a steady increase in license plate thefts.

During 2006, there were 507 reported license plate thefts in the unincorporated area of Bakersfield. It is likely the license plates are being stolen so that the registration tabs can be removed from the license plates and either used by the suspect or resold.

It is much quicker for a criminal to remove the license plate, take it to a safe location and then remove the registration tab than to attempt to remove the tab with the license plate on the vehicle. In light of this recent trend, the Kern County Sheriff’s Department Crime Prevention Unit is offering free, license plate security screw kits. The security screws can be used to permanently attach a license plate to a vehicle, making it much more difficult to remove.

The kits are available at the Sheriff’s Department Headquarters Facility, 1350 Norris Road, Bakersfield, at the Crime Reports desk, or by calling the Crime Prevention Unit at 391-7559.

A food drive from the heart

The Partnership Food Bank, Bakersfield and Tulare Albertsons‚ stores, KERO Channel 23 ABC, and Azteca America Channel 42, are organizing “Give from their Hearts,” a nine-day food drive through Saturday, Feb. 17 to help combat the food shortages.

The food drive was organized as a result of the 2007 citrus freeze. Food shortages are already impacting vulnerable Kern County families and are expected to continue

Albertsons is helping the cause with the “Give from the Heart — Fighting Hunger is in the Bag” food drive by offering a special, pre-packaged store-brand bag of items. Customers pay $9.99 and receive $18.76 worth of food (selected to best serve undernourished families), which then goes into the Partnership Food Bank’s supplies.

The bags of food include toasted oats cereal, chicken noodle soup, chunk light tuna, creamy peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, long grain rice, pinto beans, cut green beans, whole kernel corn, spaghetti noodles and sauce, whole or diced tomatoes and fruit cocktail in juice.

The Partnership Food Bank is part of Community Action Partnerships work to help people and change the lives of the impoverished in Kern County by providing education, child care, food, health care and other services.

For more information on how you can help, call 398-4520 or e-mail: foodbank@capk.org

Donations can be sent to:
Partnership Food Bank
P.O. Box 134
Bakersfield, CA. 93301

— Community News items compiled by MÁS staffer Isaac Rocha