ABOUT GROUNDFORWARD
GroundForward was created around a simple belief: people facing barriers should not have to navigate disconnected systems alone. We bring experience, coordinated support, and community resources together to help adults and young adults build greater stability, independence, and opportunity.
Serving San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and communities throughout California’s Inland Empire.
EXPERIENCE BEHIND THE WORK
More Than 40 Years of Combined Experience Serving Communities Facing Barriers.
The experience behind GroundForward spans more than four decades of work with underserved communities and people navigating significant barriers to opportunity and stability.
That experience includes work connected to reentry and justice-involved populations, workforce and employment, community-based services, housing and resource navigation, young adults, families, and individuals navigating complex systems.
40+
YEARS
Combined experience working with underserved communities and populations facing barriers
OUR COMMUNITY
Rooted in the Inland Empire.
GroundForward is based in San Bernardino and is focused on serving communities across San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and California’s Inland Empire.
The region is home to growing communities, major employment corridors, educational institutions, healthcare systems, public agencies, and community organizations—but many residents still face barriers to housing, transportation, employment, healthcare, and economic mobility.
GroundForward is being built to help connect those systems around the people who need them.
WHY WE EXIST
Barriers Are Connected. Support Should Be Too.
Employment challenges rarely exist by themselves. Housing instability can affect someone’s ability to keep a job. Transportation can determine whether someone can reach work, training, healthcare, or appointments. Reentry may involve employment, housing, benefits, identification, healthcare, and rebuilding community connections at the same time.
GroundForward exists to help connect those pieces. Instead of treating every challenge as a separate problem, we begin with the person—where they are today, what stands in the way, and what forward progress looks like for them.
Person
Priorities
Coordinated Support
Stability
Opportunity
OUR MISSION
To help adults and young adults overcome barriers to stability, independence, and opportunity by connecting them with practical support, workforce pathways, resources, and coordinated community services.
We believe meaningful progress happens when support is practical, individualized, coordinated, and connected to long-term opportunity.
EXPERIENCE ACROSS COMMUNITIES
Experience That Reflects the Complexity of Real Life.
The communities GroundForward is designed to support often experience overlapping challenges. The experience behind our organization reflects that reality.
Reentry & Justice-Involved Adults
Experience with people navigating reintegration, employment barriers, housing challenges, resource access, and rebuilding stability after justice-system involvement.
Adults Facing Economic Barriers
Experience with people navigating unemployment, financial instability, limited resource access, housing challenges, and barriers to opportunity.
Transitional-Age Young Adults
Experience supporting young adults navigating independence, foster-care transition, justice involvement, unemployment, homelessness, or limited support systems.
Survivors & Families
Experience working in communities where safety, housing, economic stability, resource access, and family wellbeing are interconnected.
Workforce & Employment
Experience related to employment pathways, workforce readiness, training, career opportunity, employer engagement, and economic stability.
Community Resource Navigation
Experience helping people navigate public, nonprofit, healthcare, educational, housing, and community resource networks.
OUR APPROACH
We Start With the Person, Not the Program.
People should not need to understand a complicated service system before they can get help. GroundForward begins by understanding the person, identifying priorities, and connecting the support that makes sense for their circumstances and goals.
01
Whole-Person Support
We look beyond a single immediate need to understand the barriers affecting long-term stability.
02
Coordinated Services
Employment, housing, transportation, healthcare, training, benefits, and resources can work together.
03
Practical Next Steps
Support should lead to action—clear priorities, appropriate connections, follow-up, and forward progress.
04
Long-Term Stability
The goal is not simply to address today’s crisis, but to build a foundation for independence and opportunity.
WHAT GUIDES US
The Principles Behind GroundForward
01
Dignity
Every person deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of where they are starting from.
02
Individualization
No two circumstances are identical. Support should reflect the individual, not force the individual into a predefined box.
03
Accountability
Strong programs require clear goals, responsible follow-through, documentation, and measurable progress.
04
Opportunity
Support should create pathways toward employment, stability, independence, and long-term growth.
05
Partnership
Complex challenges require collaboration across employers, agencies, nonprofits, funders, healthcare providers, educators, families, and communities.
LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE
Built for Responsible, Community-Centered Growth.
GroundForward is building an organization designed around responsible governance, strong financial stewardship, program accountability, and meaningful community impact.
Leadership profiles and board information will be added as GroundForward’s governance structure is finalized.
LOOKING FORWARD
Building an Organization That Can Grow With the Need.
GroundForward is being developed to support participants today while building the systems, partnerships, and accountability needed to grow responsibly over time.
Strong Programs
Develop practical, coordinated services around real participant needs.
Strong Partnerships
Build relationships with employers, agencies, nonprofits, healthcare providers, educators, funders, and community organizations.
Strong Outcomes
Create systems to document progress, learn from results, and continuously improve service delivery.
MOVE FORWARD WITH US
There’s More Than One Way to Be Part of GroundForward.
Whether you’re looking for support, referring someone, or interested in working with GroundForward, there’s a clear next step.
FOR INDIVIDUALS
I Need Support
Find services and take the first step toward greater stability.
Get Support
FOR REFERRALS
I Want to Refer Someone
Connect a participant, client, family member, or community member with GroundForward.
Start a Referral
FOR ORGANIZATIONS
I Want to Connect With GroundForward
Talk with us about employment, programs, funding, referrals, or community collaboration.
Contact GroundForward
Stable Ground. Forward Motion.
GroundForward helps adults and young adults overcome barriers to employment, housing, stability, and opportunity through coordinated support, workforce development, and community resources across California’s Inland Empire.
Contact GroundForward
San Bernardino Office
1255 E Highland Ave, Suite 211
San Bernardino, CA 92404
Serving San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, and communities throughout California’s Inland Empire.
© 2026 GroundForward. All Rights Reserved.