Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) has elected Cesar Hernandez to its 19-member Board of Directors. In this capacity, Hernandez will help guide Housing Trust Fund VC as the local trusted leader helping to increase affordable housing options throughout Ventura County by leveraging public-private partnerships to provide low-cost, flexible loans early in the housing development cycle.

“I believe that housing is not only essential for the economic sustainability of our community, but also an opportunity to allow families to thrive and be successful,” stated Cesar Hernandez, board member of Housing Trust Fund VC. “

Hernandez joins the Board with a stellar social justice background. He is currently the Senior Field Organizer for Economic Justice at the Washington DC based Community Change, dedicated to building the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to change the policies and institutions that impact their lives. Hernandez is also actively involved within the local community serving on the McCune Foundation’s Social Change Institute’s Advisory Committee and is a co-founder of City Corps of Oxnard, a youth leadership and service- learning program that provides job training and life skills for low income and young people of color. He has also led youth development and health education efforts at El Concilio del Condado de Ventura, was the Director of the Central Coast Environmental Health Project (CCEHP) for California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) and a founding member of the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CA– USE).

Hernandez led the company’s philanthropic giving and supply chain responsibility efforts in both the U.S. and Mexico. His work earned him the position of Fellow with the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation.

Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, Cesar Hernandez immigrated with his family to the United States in the late 1970’s and was raised in Oxnard. “As a kid growing up in Colonia Village, a public housing project built and managed by the City of Oxnard, my community was always a source of inspiration,” commented Hernandez. “My success is directly linked to the stability that affordable housing provided to my parents. I remember feeling lucky to have my own bedroom, where I could study and dream about what I could become and where I wanted to go in the world. It is my hope that we can all work together to help more families thrive and it starts with a safe place to call home.”

Launched as a 501c3 nonprofit corporation in 2012, Ventura County Housing Trust Fund became Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) in July 2019. Housing Trust Fund VC is the local trusted leader in helping to increase affordable housing options throughout Ventura County by leveraging public-private partnerships to provide low-cost, flexible loans early in the housing development cycle. As of January 2020, Housing Trust Fund VC has invested $9 million through its revolving loan fund, creating 365 affordable apartments and homes for very-low, low- and middle-income employees, transitional age foster youth, veterans, farm workers, and the homeless.

by Krisna Garcia

Looking to save money on your prescriptions at your local Rx pharmacy? With prices constantly rising and insurance coverage seemingly getting worse and more expensive by the day, the better question might be, who isn’t? Whether you’ve just been prescribed a new medication and you’re not sure of the costs or you depend on an expensive medication to treat a chronic health condition, trips to your Rx pharmacy can be stressful. About 41 percent of all Americans take at least one prescription medication, while 17 percent take three or more prescription medications. If you’re wondering how to find health savings for prescriptions, there are several options you can try regardless of your insured status.

If your medication has a generic version, you can easily save money by requesting that your doctor prescribe you the generic form of the drug instead of the brand name medication. If you’re concerned about quality, don’t be – generic medications undergo the same rigorous testing by the FDA as brand name medications do prior to being sold. The main difference between brand name and generic medications lies in the inactive ingredients (ingredients that do not affect treatment) used in the manufacturing of the drug. Inactive ingredients may affect cosmetic details like color, shape, and size of the medication, so the generic version of a drug does not necessarily resemble the brand name version. The active ingredients used in both medications are the same, so your treatment will not suffer, but you will save money.

Although about 80 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, if you are one of the lucky few who has good health insurance coverage, your medication may be covered by your insurance, especially if it is generic. Regardless of how good your insurance is, most insurances have some drugs that they will not cover, so you may not get the best price when processing your prescription through your insurance. Patients should ask for the cash price, look for coupons, research patient assistance programs, or purchase the drug with a local pharmacy discount card, as you may be able to save even more than when purchasing the drug through insurance.

Regardless of your insured status, Rx pharmacy discount cards offer patients the opportunity to save big on all prescription medications approved by the FDA. Pharmacy discount card companies negotiate directly with the drug companies to provide lower rates for patients, helping guarantee the best rate. Because pharmacy discount cards can be used on all FDA-approved medications, including those that are brand name or not covered by insurance, patients with insurance may find that they receive a lower price when using a pharmacy discount card as compared to processing through their insurance. There is no cost associated with pharmacy discount cards.

While you’re not likely to find coupons or rebates for generic medications, some manufactures do offer coupons or reduced copays on the brand name form of the medication. Ask your doctor during your visit if they are aware of any existing discounts or coupon codes that may be available, as some offers are only available upon receipt of a sample from your physician. Other coupons may be offered online.

Patient Assistance Program.

Some manufacturers offer patient assistance programs to low income, uninsured, or underinsured people who meet certain criteria. Patients who are eligible for patient assistance programs receive their medications for free or at a low cost. However, these programs are not available to everyone. Individuals who are covered by Medicare and/or Medicaid are typically not eligible for these programs, as are some patients with commercial insurance.

by Shakti Dutt Foothill High School

I have accepted everything that life has thrown at me without making much sense of it. It’s like a train that does not stop to unload its passengers but only to load more and more. Recently, I came across this quote by Dave Hollis – “In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.” As my lips mouthed his words, I realized that I need to change the route of this train and that this interruption caused by these uncertain times may be the best time to re-consider all that is part of me and all that I have become a part of.

So, instead of dreading every moment of this situation, inspired by Hollis’s words, I decided to utilize this time by studying my reflection in the mirror; search for what I needed to keep and what I absolutely did not need to. I have to say that at first it was not easy to look at myself with the eyes of the goddess under the golden light but eventually I got more comfortable at the sight of myself and the values that I was holding; both good and bad.

I am still in this process of purifying my “normal” and I have no doubt in my heart that this is a one-time thing. This time off, is certainly the beginning of something that would ease my way into this fascinating world.

Reader, maybe you can resonate with my words. Have you been waiting for change? If so, the time is now for introspection.