
On behalf of the School of Management (SOM), we extend our heartfelt wishes for health and safety to you and your families. Social distancing has transformed lives, work and higher education, and while many are feeling isolated and overwhelmed, the…

The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education would like to thank you for your cooperation, patience, and flexibility during this time of the COVID-19 crisis.
As you are aware, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stay at home order for California that extended our school closures through the end of the school year. Everyone is required to stay home except to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care, or go to an essential job. We encourage everyone to follow health guidelines to stay safe.

The County of Ventura has announced it is reopening County Parks at 5 p.m. April 17. The parks have been closed to support the health of community members during the COVID-19 response efforts. Playgrounds, tennis courts, community centers, campgrounds and golf courses will remain closed at this time.

The Ventura County Public Health Officer announced that the Stay Well At Home Order will be extended until May 15, 2020. The current Order is set to expire April 19, 2020 at midnight. The Public Health Officer will be modifying the current Order and making an announcement about the details before the current Order expires.

The Emergency Child Care Initiative for Santa Barbara County (ECCI) will offer emergency no-cost child care services for critical health care providers, first-responders and essential food distribution employees during the COVID-19 outbreak. Employers of these workers including hospitals and essential service providers whose staff need child care are encouraged to contact Eileen Monahan, Project Manager for the initiative, at (805) 451-8720 or essentialchildcaresb@gmail.com

Ventura County Public Health Officer Doctor Robert Levin has enhanced the Stay Well At Home Order to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19 in the County of Ventura. The Order supplements the Health Officer’s Orders dated March 17, 20 and 31, 2020. All prior Orders issued by the Health Officer remain in effect except where modified by the provisions of the latest Order.

As we enter the weekend, many are feeling the disappointment of not being able to celebrate religiously significant holidays in close physical proximity to friends and loved ones. However, virtual hugs, decorated homes, recipe swaps, special meals and your best holiday attire can make Passover, Easter, and Ramadan feel special while practicing physical distancing. Here are some ways you can practice physical distancing during the Holidays:

Greetings from 16 MVC team members, from 16 different home offices!
Last week, after 10 days of working from home, we on the Museum staff team realized that we actually like each other quite a bit, so we got together for an hour of idea sharing and recharging. Here we all are, in our “working from home” best.

Ventura County Public Health Officer changes position on face masks, no longer advising against wearing them in public. Instead, he supports those residents who wish to cover their nose and mouth when leaving home for essential travel to doctor appointments, grocery shopping or pharmacy visits. The face coverings should not be hospital grade at this time because there is a shortage and our health professionals need them.

Friendship Center’s Montecito and Goleta sites are home away from home for many seniors with dementia in our local community. As soon as it became evident we would need to close both locations due to COVID-19 and our high-risk demographic, we knew we had to do all we could to support our elderly members by alternate means. We took immediate action to implement remote services—check-in calls to our members and their families, virtual activities online, and remote ZOOM caregiver support groups, which are so popular they have increased from monthly to weekly meetings!

Since our inception 75 years ago this month, United Way of Ventura County has been a volunteer-driven organization, improving lives by inspiring and mobilizing the caring power and resources of our community. Our neighbors experiencing homelessness cannot wait for help – they need it now, as the COVID-19 virus exposes and intensifies the homeless crisis. The unprecedented COVID-19 emergency is mobilizing our community to respond to our most vulnerable population and dictating a shift in how we provide services.