Author: Community Contributor

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Good news, expanded testing begins next week

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

Good news, expanded testing begins next week, see below for details. Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom outlined the State’s plan to reopen the economy in four stages:

Stage 1: Improving testing and tracing, procuring personal protective equipment and ensuring hospital surge capacity.

Stage 2: Opening, with adaptations, school and child care facilities and lower-risk workplaces like retail stores, manufacturers and offices. Park and trail restrictions will also be loosened.

Stage 3: Opening higher-risk workplaces, like gyms, nail and hair salons, movie theaters, sports without live audiences and churches.

Stage 4: End of the stay-at-home order; reopen highest-risk workplaces, like concerts, convention centers and live-audience sports.

VCOE Statement on Potential Early Reopening of School Campuses

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

The California Department of Education on April 29 announced it is studying options for reopening school campuses after Governor Newsom suggested they could open as early as July or August. Many questions remain about the safety, fiscal and labor implications of reopening campuses before the traditional start of the next school year. For now, there has been no alteration to existing school calendars.

Recursos disponibles para la comunidad afectada por el COVID 19

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

Recursos disponibles para la comunidad afectada por el COVID 19

Sen Jackson Urges Governor to Safeguard Californians’ Privacy Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

As California takes action to combat the coronavirus, in some cases through unprecedented partnerships between government and technology companies and with new and untested technologies, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara), Chair of the California State Senate Judiciary Committee, urged Governor Newsom to do so without undermining Californians’ fundamental right to privacy.

Ventura College Foundation Launches ‘Stronger Foundation, Stronger Future’

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

The economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis is impacting local nonprofit community organizations in unforeseen ways. One of those affected is the Ventura College Foundation. The foundation’s operating expenses are funded almost entirely from proceeds generated by its Ventura College Weekend Marketplace on the Ventura College campus. With the Marketplace closed until large gathering restrictions are lifted, funds to keep the foundation running are drying up.

Santa Barbara County Nonprofits Collaborate to Meet Critical Needs of Isolated Seniors During COVID-19

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

Many of our older community members, particularly those living alone, are not receiving the support they need during the coronavirus pandemic. To address this gap, several nonprofits in Santa Barbara County have collaborated to identify isolated seniors and connect them to essential services or critical needs, such as food and supplies.

UC Santa Barbara — The Current — A communication scholar explores the use of entertainment media as therapy for stress, anxiety and hopelessness

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

The Doctor Is On

A communication scholar explores the use of entertainment media as therapy for stress, anxiety and hopelessness.

Pioneer Valley High School moving forward with drive-through cap and gown distributions

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

Two schools within the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District are moving forward with drive-thru cap and gown distributions.

Pioneer Valley High School on April 28 passed out caps, gowns and a lawn sign to celebrate senior accomplishments.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 28

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Good Evening Ventura County, Here’s your daily update on COVID-19 in the County of Ventura:

5 new cases
135 current cases
508 total cases
356 recovered cases
26 hospitalized (5 patients are long term care facility patients not in need of hospital care but being cared for at the hospital to protect others at long term care facilities)
11 in the ICU
17 deaths: age range 37-99 years; 9 males and 8 females.

Recursos disponibles para la comunidad afectada por el COVID 19

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Recursos disponibles para la comunidad afectada por el COVID 19

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County awarded $50,000 from Weingart Foundation in support of affordable workforce housing

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) has been named as one of 29 grantees receiving funding support from Weingart Foundation through their Unrestricted Operating Support (U.O.S.) program. Housing Trust Fund VC will receive $50,000 over two years to help with capacity building in support of the Fund’s overall mission 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.

Registered nurse on the front lines against COVID-19 got her start at SBCC

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Kaitlin Shipley always knew she wanted to work in the healthcare field. After working as a medical assistant for several years after high school, she enrolled in the nursing program at Santa Barbara City College, graduating in 2019 with an associate degree in nursing. Fast forward less than one year, Kaitlin finds herself donning protective gear to enter the isolation room at Lompoc Valley Medical Center as one of the local heroes in the battle against COVID-19.

Ventura College Foundation Announces Distribution Of Over $683,000 In Scholarships

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

The Ventura College Foundation is awarding scholarships to 248 students totaling $683,748, the largest annual scholarship distribution in the foundation’s history.

Students were notified this month of their scholarship awards ranging from $1,000 for continuing students to $4,000 for students who are transferring to four-year universities in the fall. Many students received multiple scholarships.

CLU Virtual Entrepreneur Speaker Series featuring Line 6 to be held at 7 p.m. April 27

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

Susan Wolf and Marcus Ryle are the co-founders of Line 6, a company that makes musical instrument technology products for guitarists. Their journey began with a shared love of music and evolved into the creation of a leading international brand with hundreds of employees and millions of customers.

EDC — Paycheck Protection Program Reopens 4/27

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

The SBA will resume accepting Paycheck Protection Program applications from participating lenders on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 7:30 AM.

If you are seeking additional capital through the Paycheck Protection Program, we highly encourage you to review our Federal Funding Preparation Guide in advance of any application you may submit.

Emergency Child Care Initiative serving additional essential workforce categories

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

The Emergency Child Care Initiative (ECCI) was established to provide members of the essential workforce with affordable child care options to allow them to continue working in roles that are critical to our local COVID-19 response. Since ECCI was launched in early April, child care programs have been established serving most major health care providers throughout the county, including Cottage Health, Sansum Clinic, Lompoc Valley Medical, and the Community Health Centers of the Central Coast. With those programs firmly established, the Initiative is now shifting attention to other members of the essential workforce. This includes employees in food service, grocery industry, farm workers and agricultural production, nursing homes, sanitation, and other essential workforce professions. Children ages 6 months to 12 years will be prioritized.

Santa Paula Art Museum — Art Experiments, Art To-Go, ArtSPARK, and Art…Yoga?!

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

We’re feeling so inspired after our Earth Day virtual art class with Dr. Meg Handler from The Human Nature Center! Dr. Handler uses the arts as a way to teach ecology. That got us wondering how else we can explore science through art. Marbled milk art provides a fun lesson on chemistry and polarity while you create a colorful artwork on paper.

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Meal Service for April 27-May 1

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

NO Cost breakfast and lunch meals provided for Santa Maria Valley Children 18 & Under

APRIL 27- MAY 1, 2020

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 26

by Community Contributor • April 26, 2020 • Comments Off

Good Afternoon, Here’s your daily update from the County of Ventura.

1 new case

209 current cases

497 total cases

271 recovered cases

29 currently at the hospital (7 are long term care facility patients that are not acute for hospital care but staying at the hospitals throughout the county to protect others)

7 ICU patients

17 deaths (9 males and 8 females ages 37-99, 11 passed in the hospital and 6 at home, all had comorbidities)

9,161 tested

Special thanks to our community members for following the soft closure guidelines at local beaches. Coastal law enforcement reported that beach visitors followed the rules and kept moving.

Stay informed at www.vcemergency.com.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 25

by Community Contributor • April 25, 2020 • Comments Off

Good Evening, Here is your daily update on COVID-19 in the County of Ventura.

20 new cases
213 current cases
496 total cases
267 recovered cases
21 hospitalized
7 in the ICU
8,503 people have been tested

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 24

by Community Contributor • April 24, 2020 • Comments Off

Good Evening, Here’s your daily update on COVID-19 from the County of Ventura.

11 new cases
476 total cases
255 recovered cases
25 in the hospital
7 in the ICU
8,503 people tested
16 deaths

Uninsured Working Latinos and COVID-19: Essential Businesses at Risk

by Community Contributor • April 24, 2020 • Comments Off

“Seek treatment by calling your doctor” if you have a fever, dry cough, or breathing difficulties, says the State of California Department of Public Health. But how will you pay for the doctor’s examination, a coronavirus test, and, if you test positive, any subsequent costs for treatment for COVID-19? While much of the state’s population has been able to practice “social distancing” and stay home to avoid exposure to the coronavirus, Latino workers fill a large percentage of the essential jobs that make staying home possible for others. The nature of these jobs—from checkout clerk to nursing home attendant—exposes them to many potential coronavirus carriers and a consequent high risk of catching the coronavirus. Yet the Latinos working these essential jobs are twice as likely as non-Latinos to be uninsured:

CASA of SLO County A local non-profit gets creative with fundraising events

by Community Contributor • April 24, 2020 • Comments Off

As you may know, Court Appointed Special Advocates—CASA of San Luis Obispo County had to cancel a major fundraiser, Hope for the Future. CASA relies on this event for a significant amount of their budget. They have moved all their auction items to an online format. The funds raised during this auction are vital to help them continue serving the children under the jurisdiction of the child protection court in San Luis Obispo County.

Consulado de Mexico en Oxnard — Recursos disponibles para la comunidad afectada por el COVID 19

by Community Contributor • April 23, 2020 • Comments Off

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 23

by Community Contributor • April 23, 2020 • Comments Off

14 new cases
465 total cases
245 recovered cases
26 in the hospital *5 of which are not in need of hospitalization but are long-term care facility patients being cared for at hospitals to protect the other long-term care facility members.
7 in the ICU
8, 256 people tested
16 deaths
Age range of deaths 37-99: 8 males and 8 females. All individuals had comorbidities.
Unfortunately, a 37-year-old male died as the result of a drug overdose with COVID-19 infection as a significant comorbidity and contributing condition. Questions can be directed to the Medical Examiner’s Office at MeoAdmin@ventura.org.

Bilingual commentary: Are We Being Forced Online?

by Community Contributor • April 23, 2020 • Comments Off

For my two older grandsons, living and playing online is nothing novel, even in the face of this “novel” coronavirus. Several years ago, I saw them playing high-stakes games (in their minds, at least) in cyberspace using their headphones, microphones and X-boxes. Sometimes they would play with their cousins on the other side of town, and sometimes with strangers—somewhere in the world. They are not living in the world in which I grew up, where tournaments of paramount importance for us at the time consisted primarily of physical board games such as checkers, chess, Parcheesi, Scrabble and Monopoly.

Channel Islands Harbor — Beach Visitors Urged to Follow Social Distancing Guidelines

by Community Contributor • April 23, 2020 • Comments Off

Residents who visit County of Ventura-managed beaches are urged to follow guidelines outlined in the Stay Well At Home Order issued by County of Ventura Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Levin.

Museum of Ventura County — New Virtual Tour, Digital Jigsaw Puzzles, and more!

by Community Contributor • April 23, 2020 • Comments Off

A MESSAGE TO THE MVC COMMUNITY This week, we’d like to introduce MVC’s Research Library and Archives Director, Deya Terrafranca. Deya came to the museum in late 2016 and has been the library director since November of 2018. I am…

Vulnerable Individuals and Families in Santa Barbara County Assisted through COVID-19 Joint Response Effort; also Supports Nonprofits Assisting Those Impacted by Virus

by Community Contributor • April 23, 2020 • Comments Off

United Way of Santa Barbara County, The Santa Barbara Foundation and the Hutton Parker Foundation are leading a countywide funders’ collaborative, the COVID-19 Joint Response Effort for Santa Barbara County. The Effort will provide assistance to individuals and families as well as organizations actively assisting members of the community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over $2 million has been secured and fundraising continues to help those most in need.