It’s been another year like no other, but one marked with so much success because of strong partnerships, faithful support and visionary investments. Thank you for the part you have played in these stories, every one only possible because of the advocacy, the goodwill and the philanthropic support of people like you.
Thank you for continuing to build so much more than housing with us!
To help students overcome the challenge of paying for college, Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Ventura College and Ventura College East Campus are holding free Cash 4 College workshops via Zoom. A workshop will be held on Feb. 6 and Feb. 20, and students can drop in anytime during the session (details below). Bilingual financial aid staff will assist students in completing applications for the 2021-2022 school-year FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). The workshops are free and open to the community; people may attend a workshop on either date.
This webinar brings together experts in the area of local economic development. The panelists will share their insights on the public policy changes that can be made to address the gaps that exist, which will help restaurants recover.
Key take-aways:
The role of local government in invigorating local businesses/ local economy
The synergies of government- private sector in the LA/ Ventura County areas
There will be a moderated panel discussion followed by an open Q&A.
Learn more about the panel
Free Event on May 6 Providing Resources and Strategies
Join the Economic Development Collaborative, Edison International and the Outsmart Disaster Campaign on Thursday, May 6 at 12:00 pm for a free webinar on practical tips and strategies on disaster preparedness! This hour-long webinar includes an overview of the Outsmart Disaster Resilient Business Challenge and a walkthrough of core concepts on resiliency strategies for your business
The Workforce Development Board (WDB) of Ventura County will host a Virtual Resource Fair on Wednesday, May 19, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Participants will learn about local organizations offering workforce training and educational opportunities to enable job seekers to secure well-paying employment.
“We’ll have representatives from local community based organizations and partners from the local America’s Job Center of California, which sole purpose is to connect people with jobs and provide supportive services,” says WDB Executive Director Rebecca Evans.
Looking to start your Paycheck Protection Program forgiveness process? Join us for FREE on Friday, July 9!
John the EDC for a free webinar that will review timeless recommendations that will help both tenants and landlords prepare for eviction protections to expire.
We’re going virtual again this year
As we’re sure you’re already aware, the recent surge of the COVID-19 Delta variant has led to reduced confidence by many for attending in-person events and the reinstatement of certain safety protocols that limit indoor gatherings. We have therefore made the difficult decision to move the 2021 Executive Talent Management Forum to fully virtual delivery following multiple requests from attendees as well as strict updates to the Cal Lutheran campus visitor policy regarding these concerns.
TODAY – LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER | The rapid growth in fluid work started before the pandemic and will undoubtedly continue well into the future. Learn the reasons why and how organizations are changing with the times.
On Saturday, Oct. 9, dozens of tables in the parking lot at Garden and Anapamu will overflow with donations of thrift items for First United Methodist Church’s annual Treasure Sale. Clothing, books, art and decorative objects, textiles, small appliances, garden and other household items await regulars and newcomers to the annual event.
Sale hours are 8:00am – 1:00pm. For more information, 805-963-3579, office@fumcsb.org, www.fumcsb.org, or visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FirstUMCSantaBarbara
Both North and South Santa Barbara County residents are invited to attend Annual Housing Santa Barbara Day this October hosted by 2nd Story Associates with support from the Housing Authority City of Santa Barbara (HACSB). The Santa Barbara event will be heldin Santa Maria in conjunction with the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara on Saturday, October 16th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Town Center West.
The city of Camarillo is hosting a job fair for individuals to discover job opportunities that are available in the area. The job fair will be taking place onOctober 19, 2021 from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm in Constitution Park. The cost to attend the job fair as a business or a job seeker is FREE.
Join us for a dedication ceremony honoring Steven D. Dorfman’s generous gift to the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. At this event, we are pleased to host entrepreneur Laura Moreno, who will share her journey as a Latina business owner in a keynote address. Moreno’s keynote also kicks off Women Entrepreneurship Week 2021. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet students, faculty, community members and local entrepreneurs. Refreshments will be provided.
The event is free but registration is required. The event will also be livestreamed for remote viewing. An email with the livestream link will be sent to registrants choosing the online option.
Sponsored by: Steven Dorfman Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
To help students overcome the challenge of paying for college, Moorpark College, Oxnard College and Ventura College East Campus are holding free Cash 4 College workshops. Workshops are scheduled for Oct. 23, and will be in-person or by Zoom, depending on the campus (details below). Students can drop in anytime during the workshops and attend any campus workshop.
Bilingual financial aid staff will assist students in completing applications for the 2022-2023 school-year FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). The workshops are free and open to the community; people may attend a workshop on either date and at any campus. Advance registration is preferred.
The city of Simi Valley, the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Simi Valley Town Center is hosting a job fair for individuals to discover job opportunities that are available in the area. The job fair will be taking place onNovember 9, 2021 from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm at the Simi Valley Town Center. The cost to attend the job fair as a Simi Valley business or a job seeker is FREE. Job seekers do not need to register. For more information on the event CLICK HERE.
Please join the City of Oxnard, Oxnard College and the West Ventura County Business Alliance for a FREE job fair event at Oxnard College on Friday, November 19, 2021 from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
‘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.
