Molina Healthcare of California recently recognized three Inland Empire residents for their dedication to addressing social determinants of health, through the MolinaCares Community Champions program. Each honoree received a $5,000 grant to pay forward to the nonprofit organization of their choice. “Molina is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve,” Abbie Totten, plan president of Molina Healthcare of California, said in a news release. “We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate individuals who give back to the Inland Empire and support their partnering organizations in the work they do to help our neighbors access the resources and services needed to thrive.” This year’s Inland Empire MolinaCares Community Champions are Yvonne Bennett of Moreno Valley, Lorrie Hinkleman, of Redlands and Selin Yildiz Nielsen of Riverside. Yvonne Bennett, a registered nurse, serves as program manager for the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Clinic at Riverside University Health System. While providing more than 500 exams for sexual assault and domestic violence victims every year, Bennett tends to the physical and mental needs of the victims, according to the news release. She is also secretary for the California Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners Association. Bennett and her team are beta-testing a new single-site platform for all abuse reporting under a federal grant. She is working to help ensure this website platform is ready to roll out statewide in the next few years while implementing the database throughout Riverside University Health System Medical Center and their clinics. Bennett is donating her grant to the Riverside University Health System Foundation. Lorrie Hinkleman of Redlands, at left, is one of three Inland Empire MolinaCares Community Champions for 2024. With her at the award presentation in Aug. is Craig Turley, president and chairman of Redlands Charitable Resources Coalition. (Courtesy of Molina Healthcare) Selin Yildiz Nielsen of Riverside is one of three Inland Empire MolinaCares Community Champions for 2024. (Courtesy of Molina Healthcare) Yvonne Bennett of Moreno Valley, center, is one of three Inland Empire MolinaCares Community Champions for 2024. With her at the award presentation in Aug. are Abbie Totten, left, of Molina Healthcare of California and Corinne Awad, right, of Riverside University Health System Foundation. (Courtesy of Molina Healthcare) Show Caption1 of 3Lorrie Hinkleman of Redlands, at left, is one of three Inland Empire MolinaCares Community Champions for 2024. With her at the award presentation in Aug. is Craig Turley, president and chairman of Redlands Charitable Resources Coalition. (Courtesy of Molina Healthcare) Expand Lorrie Hinkleman began her involvement with community outreach after retiring from the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health as director of the Women, Infants and Children program. She has volunteered with YouthHope, a nonprofit focused on addressing the needs of homeless and troubled youth, as a GED and tutoring coordinator and as grant writer. She also became a member of the Redlands Charitable Resources Coalition’s executive committee and began working as project manager for the city of Redlands’ Homeless Resource Guide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she coordinated a citywide effort to provide food and hygiene kits to homeless and low-income families. The city of Redlands awarded her the 2021 Hero of the Year award, according to the news release. Hinkleman is donating her grant to the Redlands Charitable Resources Coalition. Selin Yildiz Nielsen is founder and president of the Human Migration Institute, an organization spearheading initiatives to promote equity for vulnerable populations, particularly refugees. Her work, specifically in Riverside, has contributed to refugee education, economic empowerment, humanitarian aid, advocacy and resettlement. She has provided ESL classes, transportation, childcare support and scholarships and has engaged with Riverside employers to advocate for refugee benefits and facilitate hiring refugees. During the pandemic, she organized and participated in distributing health supplies, food boxes and other essentials to refugee populations. She is co-author of the 2018 book “Encounters in the Turkey-Syria Borderland,” and her article in Nature magazine about tele-mental health shed light on the need for mental health support for refugees. Nielsen is donating her grant to the Human Migration Institute. Molina Healthcare of California has provided government-funded care for more than 40 years, serving members through Medi-Cal, Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid (Duals) and Covered California. For information, go to MolinaHealthcare.com.