Lake Isabella Tribal TANF Newsletter Volume 17 Issue 7 Serving the Native American Community in the Kern River Valley Native American Indians celebrate the 4th of July in remembrance and respect for all men and women who have served honorably for our country. Native American perspective on war addresses not only the physical, but emotional consequences of violence on the spirit of the soldier himself. Traditionally, Native Americans have great respect for warriors and venerably acknowledge the strength, honor, pride, devotion, and wisdom that veterans gain from their experiences. Thus, war can be seen as an internalized process of maturation, of coming-of-age-veterans become respected tribal leaders, leading ceremonies and offering guidance to the community. However, Native Americans refrain from glorifying war; rather, they regard the destruction of war very seriously, as a part of the cyclical nature of life and death. A Winnebago elder once said, We honor our veterans for their bravery and because by seeing death on the battlefield, they truly know the greatness of life. Tribes such as the Navajo and Comanche have specific ceremonies designed to cleanse returning Native Americans are able to separate the evils of war from the virtues of bravery, and respect the latter in their veterans. For more than a century, the Fourth of July has been a big day across Indian country. Many tribes turned the Fourth of July holiday into one of their own celebrations. Many tribes now have special powwows on this holiday. The Quapaw in Oklahoma, the Ojibwe in Minnesota and the Northern Cheyenne in Montana are just a few of the tribes that have established big rodeos and powwows on the Fourth, celebrating the holiday. In the southwest, the Navajo Nation has special reasons for celebrating the holiday. Many of their grandfathers and great grandfathers were Navajo code talkers during World War II. Actually, Native Americans have a higher percentage of enlistment rates into the military than any other ethnic We as Americans are grateful for the service and sacrifices made Site Manager Samantha Kessler Case Counselor Renee Garcia Site Project Coordinator Tiffani Ballew 1-Open Position Youth Activity Leaders Alberta Garrett Loretta Motley WEX YAL Serena Winston Employment Coordinator Joseph Flores Language Artist Miguel Carvajal The office is located at: 6404 Lake Isabella Blvd, Lake Isabella, Ca 93240 Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm Phone: (760) 379-4770 Fax:
Case Management TANF Participant Reminders Monthly Eligibility Reports: TANF Policy 128 To ensure your Monthly Eligibility Report is received complete and is able to be processed when it is received without delay, please submit the Monthly Eligibility and Change Report along with the Weekly Work Participation Reports and all supporting documents; check stubs, child support verification, resource verification, etc. together and at one time. Take your time when completing the report, review each step thoughtfully and ensure that each adult signs and dates in the appropriate areas. The monthly report may be completed beginning the first day of the following month after the reporting month. Example: when the reporting month of June is over, as of July 1st you may complete, sign/date your report to be submitted with all required verification and supporting documents to be received in the office no later than July 10th to ensure timely benefits for August 1st. Reports received after the 10th of the month are considered late and are not guaranteed processing for timely benefits. Late benefits are made available on the 10th of the benefit month. If you know your report will be late, please include the 10 Day Waiver Notice of Action with your report. The month/year will be the benefit month/year. For late reports received in July, the benefit month/year will be July/2017. Supportive Services: TANF Policy 117 Supportive Service Payments often make the difference between continued unemployment and the participant's ability to attain employment and/or meet assigned work activities. The need must be specific, identified in the Family Self Sufficiency Plan (FSSP), and directly related to an approved work activity/goal. Supportive service payments are not automatic or an entitlement. Each request must be examined to determine if the participant truly has a need for the service and will assist the family in achieving self-sufficiency. The participant's personal resources may be considered prior to authorization of a service. To ensure Supportive Service Requests are received complete and are able to be processed without delay, please submit the Supportive Service Request form along with all supporting documents for the request together and at one time. Requests are due by 12:00pm on Tuesday s.
TANF Participant Reminders Student Report Cards: TANF Policy 100-3, 108-4, 112-8, 119-3 As part of eligibility, all school age children are required to attend school full time and with regular attendance. Verification of enrollment and current status is required ongoing. Regardless if the student is eligible for a Performance Incentive or not, regular report cards and attendance records are required to be submitted each reporting period. TANF Policy: Satisfactory school attendance is based on the respective school district s attendance policy. If the school district does not have a policy on what constitutes satisfactory attendance, or the policy is not readily available, then OVCDC will apply a 90% attendance rate as satisfactory school attendance. Cash benefits will be reduced until child(ren) return to school or attend regularly. Postage Due: When mailing paperwork to the OVCDC office As a courtesy, we provide envelopes that have been meter stamped with postage for up to 2 oz. Prior to mailing your envelope, please check with the postal service counter to ensure the postage is sufficient for your mailing. If not, you will need to pay the postage due. OVCDC offices do not have petty cash on hand to pay for postage due to accept incoming mail. Any postage due mail will be returned to the sender by the postal service which will delay your mail reaching our office and may affect timely receipt and processing of reports, Supportive Service Requests and verification documents. Thank you for taking the time to ensure your mail has the appropriate postage when mailing. Mandatory Drug Testing Requirements: TANF Policy 111-1 All mandatory work participants and adult recipients in the assistance unit are required to complete substance abuse testing once eligibility is established, at redetermination and when specific circumstances warrant an automatic drug test. A positive test will require recipients to be referred to the appropriate local service provider for assessment and/or treatment. TANF assistance will continue through vendor payments.
2017 Fall School Clothing Allowance The Tribal TANF will be providing a $200.00 School Clothing Allowance for each eligible school age child, Pre-Kindergarten (Head Start/Transitional) through high school, who is active on the TANF Grant and who has verification of enrollment in the 2017-2018 school year. Verification of enrollment must include current parent/guardian and physical address and is required to be provided along with the Supportive Service Request Form to be considered complete for processing. Submittals will be accepted beginning July September only. Early submittals are encouraged so children can start off the new school year with needed Fall clothing and shoes. For questions, please contact your Case Counselor in the office at (760) 379-4770 x314
Congratulations To This Year s Graduates!! 8th Grade Graduates Here are some of the highlights from our 2017 Graduation Luncheon recognizing our 8th grade and GED graduates accomplishments.
Rachel Redenius, Troy Brewer, Eric Stockton, & Rachel Barrett. Staff & GED Instructor
Activity Club (Interest Only) Stay Busy, keep learning & have fun this Summer! Where: OVCDC office in Lake Isabella When: Tuesday-Thursday, Month of July Activities begin July 5th, 2017 Time: 9am-2pm Ages: 5-17 *Gardening *Cooking *Sports *Crafts *Reading *Math *Swimming...and more! Call the PREVENTION TEAM to sign up (760)379-4770 FAMiLY NiGHT (PROPOSED) Positive Family Time Hosted by OVCDC Staff Make positive family memories! Call the PREVENTION team to reserve a spot for your family (760)379-4770 Native Wellness Curriculum Once Monthly beginning in July 2017 - June 2018 5:30-7:30pm (TBD)
Lake Isabella OVCDC office. Looking for youth 10-17 August 2017 Date to be announced Beading Group (Proposed) Acting Writing Film Making Cultural Themes Story Telling We will be having a Beading Group starting in SEPTEMBER 2017 at the OVCDC Lake Isabella office. Come learn the basics of Native beading and express your creativity! Time & Dates TBD. Contact Lake Isabella Prevention Team 760-379-4770 Call the PREVENTION team to sign up (760) 379-4770 Proposed Back to School Event (Interest Only) Come get ready to go back to school with us! Kids will receive a backpack with supplies & they will be excited to READ after our Scholastic Book Fair! Event will be happening in August Time & Date TBD Call the PREVENTION team to sign up (760)379-4770
Kawaiisu Language Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Tubatulabal Study Session LI Tubatulabal Kawaiisu Learn- Youth 9 10 11 Study 12 Session LI Tubatulabal 13 Fam- 14 15 Tubatulabal Pahkaanil Lan- Classroom 8-12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Tubatulabal Pahkaanil Lan- Study Session LI Tubatulabal Kawaiisu Learn- 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Tubatulabal Tubatulabal Study Session 8- Tubatulabal Kawaiisu Learn-
Our Kern Language Teachers recognized all our students hard work, dedication and commitment to learning indigenous languages and cultural preservation this past year. We are looking forward to another successful year! Family Formation Language Empowerment
7 8 21 22 28 29 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 3 4 10 MER DUE 17 Entrepreneurship @10am (Pending Approval) OFFICE CLOSED 11 18 24 25 31 Youth Film (pending Approval) 5 ATTENTION TANF CLIENTS MERs are due every 10th of the month. Each blank on the form must be completed in ink with information or n/a (not applicable). MERs being turned in late or incomplete may result in a late cash aid payment. Supportive Service requests may not be processed or may be denied until MER has been turned in. 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 14 Family Night 5:30pm-7:30pm 1 15 m
Tribal TANF PO Box 2895 Lake Isabella, CA 93240 Serving the Native American Community of the Kern River Valley If you would like to be taken off our mailing list please call 760-379-4770 OVCDC Mission Statement The Owens Valley Career Development Center is a consortium of Sovereign Nations advancing quality of life for Native people through education and self-sufficiency, protecting, preserving and promoting our cultures through Nation building, today and tomorrow. OVCDC Core Values Compassion: We will deal with each individual and the communities that we serve with compassion. Self-Sufficiency: We will promote and encourage self-sufficiency through education and increased opportunities for Native Americans and above all, do no harm. Respect: We will deal with every client, community member, tribe, Board member and employee with respect at all times. Native Culture: We will strive to preserve, enhance and promote indigenous Native American culture and traditions. Integrity: We will operate in an ethical manner with integrity and honesty at all times.