The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDB) has released its 2021-2024 regional and local plans for workforce and economic development in the county. The plans are available for public review and comments.
WDB serves as a facilitator between public and private sectors, creating partnerships that will strengthen the Ventura County economy and match well-paying jobs with a trained workforce.
On Monday February 22nd, 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration and the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced steps the agency is taking with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to further promote equitable relief for America’s mom-and-pop businesses.
Please review the following changes to the Paycheck Protection Program:
THE FUTURE OF TRADE- INTERNET TRADE FINANCE: EUCP & EURC
February 25 @ 10:00 am
Presenters John Dunlop, ITFGlobal Limited, and Simona Racek, EDC SBDC advisor, will discuss important information about trade finance documentary letters of credit that have gone digital and the new guidelines that were issued by the International Chamber of Commerce to supplement the UCP 600 for credits and URC 522 or collections, which have sped up collection time and will improve your cash flow.
On February 17, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom reached an agreement on a package of immediate actions that will speed needed relief to individuals, families and businesses facing significant economic hardship from the COVID-19 Recession. The items detailed below are a part of the Immediate Action Agreement. Please note that many details on how these resources will be rolled out are still being developed.
VENTURA COUNTY — Over the past year, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the recommendation from the Workforce Development Board (WDB) to appoint four new WDB board members. Each will serve a three-year term. New member Shaffiq Rahim is…
United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) has more than $13 million in rental and utility assistance funds generously allocated by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors for eligible County of Santa Barbara residents, that have experienced a loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This Emergency Rent Assistance Program is intended to prevent homelessness by providing rent assistance to residents who can demonstrate the need for rental support.
Santa Maria High School officials this month will increase the of number Saints applying for financial aid by helping them complete either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADA), with a goal of 100 percent participation.
Starting February 16, 2021, you can check out a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Home Energy Savings Toolkit at participating Ventura County libraries.Ventura County Library is partnering with Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance (VCREA), and 3C-REN (Tri-County Regional Energy Network) to launch the DIY Energy Savings Toolkits. The DIY toolkits include instruction guidebooks in both English and Spanish and will help provide the knowledge, tools, and equipment needed to improve your home’s energy and water usage with easy upgrades. These simple DIY home improvements can help increase the energy efficiency of your home, making it more comfortable, affordable, resilient, and better for the planet.
Tax season is upon us and low- to moderate-income Ventura County residents are encouraged to take advantage of ways to put more money back in their pocket with the help of United Way of Ventura County’s (UWVC) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA).
Throughout February to April 30, 2021, trained VITA volunteer tax preparers will help working families and individuals file their state and federal tax return and access the tax credits to which they are eligible. Households earning up to $57,000 in 2020 are eligible to use the free services.
Procter & Gamble local employees raised a record $162,000 from employee giving in addition to over $38,000 in special events, sponsorship and COVID-19 Rapid Response. In addition to giving, P&G employees volunteered their time by packing more than 1,560 Stuff the Bus backpacks and provided Welcome Home Holiday Baskets for families recently housed through United Way’s Landlord Engagement Program.
“The P&G Oxnard Plant is proud to partner with United Way to serve the most vulnerable in our community with this philanthropic support,” said Marvelle Berry, Plant Manger of Procter & Gamble Oxnard. “Our team really rose to the occasion with their engagement, innovation, and genorosity of gifts. P&G has a longstanding commitment in creating positive change locally in Ventura County and I am pleased with our collective impact.”
As merchants and businesses look for new ways to incentivize customers to shop and dine locally, Malibu Chamber of Commerce is rolling out the first-ever Malibu Rewards, a new mobile shopping promotions marketplace backed by Visa, Mastercard and American Express. The program is designed to drive customers back to shopping and dining at local businesses.
Malibu Rewards will help Malibu merchants create promotions, cashback rewards, and other customer incentives to aid in retail recovery. Created by Saltwater Loyalty, the online platform is the first marketing platform in the U.S. designed for destinations to unify their merchants under a branded, best-in-class loyalty rewards program.
Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) proudly welcomed over 85 participants to last week’s Annual Meeting. Held virtually, the meeting highlighted successes including, $10 million in approved loans since 2012 ($2.1 million in 2020), helping to produce 598 affordable homes in socio-diverse neighborhoods throughout Ventura County, and raising $5+ million in local funds for affordable housing. Housing Trust Fund VC emphasized the power of impact investing by leveraging $2.15 million in funded 2020 loans for three new Oxnard developments.
The County of Ventura has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for fiscal year 2019. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition that a County can receive in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
County Assessor Tom J. Bordonaro, Jr.would like to remind all homeowners, disabled veterans, and eligible non-profit organizations that they may file claims for exemptions.
The Homeowner’s Exemption exempts up to $7,000 in taxable value of a property if the claim is timely filed or postmarked by February 16, 2021 and up to $5,600 if filed late (postmarked by December 10, 2021). If you received your Homeowner’s Exemption last year, and you still own and occupy the same property this year, you do not need to file again. Your exemption automatically remains in place.
Leadership may very likely be on your mind, with changes of leaders happening now at the national level, leaders at the state level recently announcing decisions over budgets and policy, and local leaders governing critical issues and responses to covid and vaccines – leadership seems to be in our collective focus! And of course leadership matters, to get us through hard times and challenges, solve tough issues, and to do good and difficult things, that are best accomplished in unity. At People’s we have multiple great leaders in dozens of departments, set to lead us into the new year, and ready for starting a new chapter altogether. Each is skilled in motivating the individuals within their groups toward reaching our company’s goals, in giving focused guidance for directing our activities toward implementing our strategic plan, and thereby meeting the needs of our communities. Leaders aren’t successful though without greatness coming out through those around them, to do the hard work that is required to make the mission happen.
In the continuing effort to financially support individuals and families who have been financially impacted by COVID-19, United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) is partnering with the County of Santa Barbara to offer rental assistance grants to eligible individuals and families– the grants pertain to those living in Solvang, Buellton, Carpinteria and Guadalupe as well as those living in unincorporated areas of the County (listed below). There is a total of $890k available for eligible applicants who must meet specific requirements. The funds were made possible by the County of Santa Barbara through federal CDBG grants.
The Ventura College Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and financial support to Ventura College students and to school programs, distributed $824,548 in financial support during the 2019-2020 academic year–$699,971 in scholarships, $84,577 in VC Promise tuition assistance and $40,000 in textbook support. The annual scholarship distribution was the largest in the foundation’s history and was distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic in April.
Plans to increase workforce development opportunities and skills in Ventura County through 2022 will be discussed at a Zoom Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDB) Strategic Workforce Planning Roundtable Thursday, January 28, from noon to 1:00 p.m. The public is invited to discuss the plans and provide input.
One regional and one local plan was initially created in 2017 by WDB as part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
‘Tis the season for giving, and part of the holiday magic was evident as Ventura Harbor Village hosted a Holiday CAN-Tree Food Drive for Food Share Ventura County this past weekend. The seaside activity was an example of sharing with others who will receive much-needed food this holiday season. Locals and visitors dropped off more than 1,000 canned goods and other food items and donated to the non-profit organization to help make the holidays bright.
The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDB) was awarded a $315,000 grant by the State of California Employment Development Department to implement a National Dislocated Worker Grant (NDWG) to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the Ventura County workforce.
The funding will aid Ventura County’s response to COVID-19 by providing opportunities for employment and training services to individuals who are unemployed or underemployed as a result of the pandemic and who are unlikely to return to work in their previous occupations. Services include training and job placement in in-demand careers, especially those where there is an increased need due to the impact of COVID-19.
The unique challenge we have all faced this past year is inconceivable. It has been especially hard to imagine the difficulty for families struggling to remain employed, desperate to keep their families fed and safe while at the same time trying to figure out how to keep a roof over their heads during a pandemic.
At Ventura County Community Development Corporation, we believe that home is the cornerstone of any individual and family’s economic and social well-being. VCCDC assists those families in need through financial education programs including foreclosure prevention and rental counseling utilizing HUD certified Homeownership Specialists to assist in building a path to homeownership and financial stability for low to moderate income families and individuals throughout our community.
We are collaborating with Santa Barbara County farmers markets, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and Edible Santa Barbara to celebrate this season, while supporting our local farmers, ranchers, fisherfolk, and food artisans during the pandemic. Together, we have created a “Stay Home (and Eat Local) for the Holidays” Shopping Guide, which includes in-season recipes by Edible Santa Barbara to plan your fresh, beautiful and nutritious holiday meal. The guide also features suggested budgets based on the size of your small gathering; sample menus with basic preparations; and a shopping list with an easy to follow market map to use at your local farmers market!
Governor Newsom addressed the State of California yesterday, Thursday December 3rd regarding the new Regional Stay Home Order. This affects regions with less than 15% ICU availability. Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles Counties are in the Southern California Region, which is at 20.6% ICU capacity remaining as of December 3, 2020. It is anticipated this Region will reach the metrics by early December. All three counties remain in the Purple Tier at the time being, but each have their own protocol regarding this new order. Please refer to your specific county’s communications in regards to business operations. For more information CLICK HERE.
In collaboration with a group of international researchers, CSU Channel Islands Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute is studying how entrepreneurs deal with the consequences of COVID-19 during this most unusual year.
This research focuses on the impact of emotional intelligence and resiliency on entrepreneurial well-being world-wide during a black swan event. Upon taking an 8-minute survey you can see your scores for emotional intelligence and resilience. You can opt in to receive information via email to learn more about what your scores mean and to explore the range of results from the study.
Dear #OxnardStrong Family,
Please help us light the way to a better, brighter 2021 by donating to the Oxnard Downtowners Foundation “Season of Hope” Fundraiser.
Local merchants who’ve faithfully supported AYSO, Little League, and many other causes, now need your help to keep the Heart of the City alive and vibrant.
About 55 Santa Maria High School needy families received generous food donations from Catholic Charities Friday.
The distribution took place from 11 a.m. to noon at the campus where students and their families picked up grocery bags packed with rice, beans, cereal, pasta, vegetables, snacks and other nutritious necessities.
Saint School Community Liaison Patricia Lopez Barriga began contacting non-profit agencies in town after the families reached out to her for help.
Every year, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s (TBCF) “Project Turkey” helps food-insecure families who have a child facing pediatric cancer in the Tri-County areas with grocery gift cards and food baskets.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, TBCF plans on donating items to hospitals, clinics and homes and are hoping to help 50 families or more with Project Turkey food and grocery gift card donations this season.
November 17 @ 1:00 pm
Google Analytics is a fantastic tool. Best part is, it’s free to use for everyone! No matter if you have a 2-page website or a massive e-commerce website, you can use Google Analytics to understand how your customers are using your website and where you can improve their experience. During this webinar, expert in business data analytics Mo Hossain will walk you through the steps of how to set up Google Analytics so you can start getting data from your own website.
The Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) is excited to announce Gustavo Almarosa as their new Director of Real Estate Development.
The Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) is Ventura County’s largest developer of affordable housing with an additional project in Santa Barbara County, and is best known for providing comprehensive, well-designed affordable housing services with community economic development activities.
Food Share, Ventura County’s largest hunger-relief organization, is holding a mega drive-thru food distribution of shelf-stable pantry items and fresh produce on Sunday, November 15, 9am-12pm at Food Share of Ventura County’s headquarters at 4156 Southbank Rd., Oxnard, 93036.
The County of Ventura Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved $3.65 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funding to support the Farmworker Household Assistance Program (FHAP) to help farmworkers struggling to maintain their households due to pandemic-related hardships.
Joe Schroeder, retired president and CEO of Ventura County Credit Union (VCCU), was honored at the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues’ REACH Conference. Schroeder received the Leo H. Shapiro Lifetime Achievement Award, the Leagues’ highest honor.
The Economic Development Collaborative is thrilled to announce the addition of five new advisors to our consulting team! As one of California’s largest direct business support networks, our Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is dedicated to providing quality consulting with a diversity of advisor skillsets to assist you with each of your business needs. Access to capital, top tier advising and personalized support is just a phone call away.
In partnership with the County of Santa Barbara, United Way is offering rental assistance grants to eligible individuals and families living in unincorporated areas. Eligible applicants must meet specific requirements. The funds were made possible by the County of Santa Barbara through federal grants received from the CARES Act.
The funding comes from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which gave Santa Barbara County a total of about $46 million in funding.
Oxnard continues to overhaul the City’s financial management systems, with its new leadership team and staff resolving nearly every major audit issue in just under three years.
“This validates the fact that Oxnard is being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars and that the days of financial mismanagement are behind us,” said City Manager Alex Nguyen.
Dear Friend,
There have already been a number of ‘firsts’ for me as the new CEO of Peoples Self-Help Housing, but today this is my first letter to you in our monthly eNews!
I am enormously honored to have been selected to serve as the leader of this organization, and to have the opportunity to be able to continue working alongside it’s professional, and mission-driven staff.
While I have many exciting ideas for the organization’s future, don’t expect any immediate major changes from PSHH. There is so much great work already in process in our very full pipeline that I see no reason for us to change our successful course anytime soon.
I am looking forward to this continuing journey together. Thank you for all your past and future support.
On September 23, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-80-20. The Order extends to March 31, 2021 the time frame for local governments to provide commercial eviction protections due to COVID-19. The additional protection is not automatic, however. Commercial landlords and tenants will have to wait and see if local governments in Ventura County, Santa Barbara County or surrounding areas enact or extend the protections authorized by the Order.
The 2020 edition of the U.S. Latino GDP Report was released today by the Latino Donor Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to reshaping the perception of Latinos as part of the American social mainstream.
“The report shows that, during 2018, the nearly 60 million Latinos living in the U.S. generated the world’s eighth largest gross domestic product (GDP),” said Matthew Fienup, Executive Director of the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting at California Lutheran University, one of the report’s co-authors. “The GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced by a region in a given year.”
2020 will forever be known as the year of one of the most impactful and furthest reaching public health events in history. We have had to pull together, and stand apart. With no stone unturned, we have had to re-think many of our routine habits through a new pandemic lens. In doing so, we have become even more aware of the importance of our health, our families, and the need for companionship. And conversely, recognize that isolation and depression are very real factors during this time.
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced the company is increasing rebates by an additional 50% on all energy efficient appliances offered through its rebate program now through December 31, 2020. This means customers can get an additional 50% cash back on energy efficient products that will help them conserve energy and reduce their SoCalGas bill. The rebates are funded through energy efficiency incentive programs created by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Although we have not reduced our cases enough to move from the purple tier to red tier according to the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy metrics, we are making significant progress. On August 31st, the county’s 7-day case rate was 9.0 per 100,000 population. Yesterday, the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health released our first official report card number as 8.3 cases per 100,000 population. We need to lower our 7-day average positive case number to 7 per 100,000 population to move to the red tier. If we remain vigilant and maintain this positive momentum, we will likely be able to move to the red tier by the end of September. See more about which sectors can operate in each tier.
he Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 1 approved the program design of the Farmworker Household Assistance Program, providing up to $250,000 in county general funds to match private donations made through the Ventura County Community Foundation.
The program aims to provide farmworkers financial relief from the impacts of COVID-19. Farmworkers may apply for this funding assistance from September 1 at 5 p.m. through September 30, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. at www.vchsa.org/FHAP.
If your relationship to money has become shaken in these unprecedented times, revive your prosperity pulse with “C.P.R., Core Prosperity Relief,” an inspirational transformative audio class offered in 15-minute day doses delivered direct to you September 1 through 30th.
Hosted by Dr. James Mellon, a sought-after teacher, author and inspirational leader in the field of personal growth, the program has helped thousands of people break free from the limiting beliefs that have kept them from recognizing their wealth with purpose.
Community Environmental Council announces Community Ambassador Resilience and Equity Response (CARER), a new pilot program aimed to foster community resilience and support climate justice efforts by responding to immediate needs of frontline communities during the pandemic.
CARER’s primary goal is to provide critical outreach to frontline community members, sharing resources and information related to COVID-19 public health, food access, and tenant rights. One way they are doing this is by conducting direct bilingual outreach to frontline community members and convening online or phone-based house meetings.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District issued an Air Quality Warning for Santa Barbara County. Smoke from wildfires burning throughout the state, including in Monterey County, are affecting local air quality, and conditions may continue over the next several days. Due to elevated temperatures and stagnant air conditions, we are also experiencing increased ozone levels in regions of the county.
In the last week we have received quite a few notices from businesses asking about protections around evictions. With the new information from the State of California that evictions can begin as early as September 1st, due to the repeal of the eviction moratorium, (Unlawful Retainer) we understand that landlords may now have a sense of urgency to collect back rent.
Businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters may apply for SBA federal disaster loans to repair or replace disaster-damaged property caused by the civil unrest that began May 26, 2020.
Since we weren’t able to celebrate in person, on August 6, PSHH staff gathered for a special Company Celebration in honor of our 50th Anniversary! Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey for the past 50 years. Join us in the celebration: pshhc.org/anniversary
2020 Census The Census helps determine how our community gets the funds we need to support education, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. By participating, you make an impact on our community for the next 10 years.
If your haven’t filled out the 2020 Census, you can complete it today by visiting www.my2020census.gov or calling 1-844-330-2020.
On Saturday, August 1st, James Storehouse hosted their largest 6th annual back-to-school event in collaboration with Homes with Heart VC. Due to Covid-19, the event was transformed into a full service drive through experience complete with socially distanced superheroes, princesses and a Mister Softee treat to round out the day.
The event drew in over 700 pre-registered families along with over 500 youth in care to select from a variety of brand new backpacks, name brand tennis shoes, and other essential school supplies all passed out by masked community volunteers.
