Community
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Coyote Chronicle
March 3, 2023
CSUSB student opens local nonprofit By Ahily Pichardo Staff Writer The Key Nonprofit is a nonprofit organization that offers resources to those in need, it was founded in October of 2022, by Maite Valenzuela, a senior here at California State University, San Bernardino.
open up a business that would allow me to dedicate more time to them and also be able to help families in need because I was once in that position…It feels good to know that I have the opportunity to offer a helping hand to someone who is also in need,” said Valenzuela. When asked how she
The Key Nonprofit Logo. Provided by Maite Valenzuela.
With much success, Valenzuela has been able to help hundreds of people in our community. The shelter is located in Chino, California, but has reached out to many surrounding cities. Valenzuela has shared her experience and some of the difficulties of opening up this nonprofit while being a full-time student. “Honestly, what motivated me the most to start this nonprofit was my three kids. I am a single mom and needed to
managed to not only be a fulltime student, single parent, and run a full-time business all in one, she had something special to share. “I wouldn’t be able to be where I am today without my mom and grandma, they are two strong women who not only I look up to but my kids as well. They’ve given us nothing but love and support,” said Valenzuela. Valenzuela uses the “key” in her organization symbolically for what she
believes it stands for in helping others. “Our mission is to engage with local partners and provide “the key” resources to reduce poverty, improve the economy, and build solid communities for present and future generations,” said Valenzuela. The Key Nonprofit holds weekly food banks every Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. for anyone who needs groceries. This provides a great opportunity for many members of our community who may find themselves struggling right now. These are hard times for many and it’s important for people who don’t have enough food, or for those who don’t qualify to receive help from the government, to have other options like these that allow them to also receive all the help they deserve. Aside from food alone, The Key Nonprofit also offers much more. They take mental health very seriously and offer help and resources to those who need someone to talk to. This is also another important resource for college students who are struggling in any way. The Key Nonprofit prioritizes the community and does anything to make sure people have access to all resources available to them.
“At The Key Nonprofit, we’re passionate about mental health. This passion is deeply rooted in our belief that mental health is just as important as physical health,” said Valenzuela. Valenzuela also shared her thoughts on being a mental health resource to others. “Reach out if you or your loved ones need help. The world is in desperate need of helping those who struggle daily and struggle to ask for help. If you are one of them, The Key has its doors open so you can receive the proper help,” said Valenzuela.
Currently The Key Nonprofit only has one Resource Center located at 13641 Central Ave Unit N in Chino, CA. Valenzuela is aware that they are still fairly new but would love nothing more than to expand to more locations across the area once grants start coming through. Anyone can go and have the opportunity to receive help, you don’t have to necessarily live only in San Bernardino County. All they recommend is to have a state-issued ID with you, to be able to help best define the closest resources nearest to you.
Food bank items from The Key Nonprofit, a Nonprofit Organisation, based in Chino, CA.
Additional Support for LGBTQIA+ Comes to San Bernardino By Caitlyn Kautzman Staff Writer Support for the LGBTQIA+ community has been growing steadily with increased
visibility and acceptance from society. Despite this increased community visibility, the amount of support has been relatively limited for San Bernardino County, which is the largest county in the country. This
prompted the opening of a new supportive housing shelter in the heart of the city of San Bernardino designed especially for those who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. This shelter was made The LGBTQIA+ shelter photographed above is proud to be the first of its kind in San Bernardino County, presenting its pride flag for all to see. Photo by Caitlyn Kautzman.
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possible by the non-profit organization Family Assistance Program which has been providing victim services such as advocacy and shelter to those in need in San Bernardino County since 1985. This new shelter is called Welcome Home and is specifically designed for transitional-age youth (TAY), who are homeless or are at risk for homelessness, and who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. This 90-day housing first program allows individuals to receive housing free of rent while receiving in-house and outsourced support from advocates as well as weekly case management from an on-site case manager. The case manager of Welcome Home is the person who works one-on-one with the clients to set goals and helps assess needs on a client-to-client basis. CSUSB alumni, Oscar Lobos is the case manager of Welcome Home and felt “called to this line of work” four years prior when he began his
advocacy work at a youth shelter. “I was attracted to helping people. I found that this was my niche. This is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” said Lobos. Lobos shared that helping in shelters was particularly important to his sense of purpose. He believed Welcome Home gave him a sense of necessity for helping others. “I found purpose in it. And then when it was presented with LGBT, I just felt this sense of necessity,” said Lobos. Lobos has always dreamed of opening his own LGBT shelter, so when this opportunity presented itself, he felt as though he was made for the job. When asked about support for the LGBTQIA+ community that existed prior to the opening of Welcome Home, Lobos claimed there wasn’t much support in sight. “Support for the community has been far and few,” said Lobos. Continued on Page 11
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