Category: Seniors

39th Annual California Strawberry Festival call for applicants: Makers of unique, quality handcrafted artwork and craft items

by Community Contributor • January 5, 2025 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The 39th Annual California Strawberry Festival is accepting applications from individual makers of quality, handcrafted works by artists and crafters for this year’s festival taking place May 17 and 18 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The deadline to apply is Feb. 10.

The festival, which attracts more than 60,000 visitors, features dozens of different kinds of foods and beverages made from fresh strawberries. About 150 artisans from throughout California showcase their original works including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, children’s toys, accessories, photography, textiles, outdoor furniture, jewelry and specialty foods

Bilingual report — City of Ventura announces Corporate Games return in spring 2025

by Community Contributor • January 5, 2025 • Comments Off

VENTURA — Registration for the City of Ventura’s 2025 Corporate Games opens on January 7, 2025. The Games will occur over the course of five weeks from March 22 to May 3, 2025, on weekends and weeknights after regular business hours.

This annual program brings together businesses from Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles Counties to compete against each other in various activities and sporting events. All local companies and businesses are welcome to join. Registration ends February 14, 2025.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming teams old and new back to the Games,” said Recreation Supervisor Tyler Nelson. “We’ve been hosting the Games for over 35 years, and every season we’re working to improve our activities, ensure participants have a great time, and create lasting memories.”

January at the Santa Paula Art Museum

by Community Contributor • January 5, 2025 • Comments Off

Saturday, January 18, 2025 • 4 PM to 6 PM

$5 SPAM members • $10 Non-members

Join us at the Santa Paula Art Museum on Saturday, January 18, for the premiere of “A Brush with Nature: Three Artists’ Perspectives,” an exhibition featuring Santa Clarita-based artists Sandy Fisher, Mardilan Lee Georgio, and Charlotte Mullich. Together the three artists present three impressions of nature, from landscapes and seascapes to flora and fauna, using three distinct mediums: oil, pastel, and watercolor. All of the artworks will be available for purchase.

District 2 Supervisor Jeff Gorell — Mountain Fire Burn Area Town Hall on Jan. 7, 2025

by Community Contributor • January 5, 2025 • Comments Off

Although this meeting is designed to support Mountain Fire victims, emergency preparedness is vital for everyone in our community. Disasters can strike unexpectedly, and taking steps now can make all the difference. I encourage you to visit ReadyVenturaCounty.org to access valuable resources and ensure you and your loved ones are ready for whatever may come.

The Mountain Fire left a lasting impact on our community, and I know the path to recovery can feel overwhelming for many community members. Please know that you are not alone. At the recent Board of Supervisors Meeting, I directed Staff to bring forward a measure—one that I proudly voted for—to waive fees and streamline processes to assist Mountain Fire victims in their rebuilding efforts. Click here to learn more.

Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara Seniors receive holiday gifts courtesy of Unity Shoppe

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2025 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Many Seniors who live in the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara’s housing will receive holiday gifts through the Unity Shoppe’s Seniors Helping Seniors program.

A total of 365 gifts will be distributed to senior residents to add some additional cheer to their holidays, through the Housing Authority’s supportive housing program.

Hundreds of Unity Shoppe senior volunteers work throughout the year – knitting, sewing, quilting, painting, woodworking, and assembling – to bring warmth and joy to our most vulnerable residents.

“We are grateful to Unity Shoppe for ensuring that our senior residents receive a special gift this holiday season. it means so much to them,” said Alice Villareal Redit, Resident Programs Supervisor.

Year in Review from People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHHC)

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2025 • Comments Off

This year was marked with so much success because of strong partnerships, faithful support and visionary investments from people like you. Thank you for every part you played through your advocacy, goodwill and generous support. You made stories like these below possible!

Spring Classes CSU Channel Islands’ OLLI-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2025 • Comments Off

Happy New Year! As we welcome 2025, we are excited to begin our Spring Session.

Looking ahead, we are thrilled to share plans for our future, including a new Learning Lab in Gateway Hall. This innovative space will enhance your learning experience with cutting-edge technology and a flexible learning environment, paving the way for OLLI’s next chapter.

Starting in Spring II, we will also be offering additional Zoom courses through Osher Online, a program run by the Osher National Resource Center. Osher Online partners with OLLI programs around the country to provide an exciting selection of online courses that supplement and complement each OLLI’s in-house offerings. We are excited to expand our curriculum through this partnership, which will provide you with even more opportunities to engage in enriching courses and connect with members from other OLLIs.

Friendship Center — Moments we’ve shared in 2024…

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2025 • Comments Off

The holidays are often the perfect time to reflect on what matters most: celebrating togetherness, cherishing traditions, and creating new memories with loved ones. They also invite us to honor those who are with us and those we carry in our hearts.

At Friendship Center, we understand how precious these connections are. We honor and celebrate the memories of everyone who has touched our lives—those we cherish today and those whose legacy inspires us every day.

As we approach the end of the year, I’d like to share that our Matching Memories campaign is in its final stretch.

Hospice of Santa Barbara less than $110,000 away from reaching $1 Million Legacy of Compassion Campaign goal

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2025 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) is less than $110,000 away from meeting its $1 million goal for the Legacy of Compassion Campaign, which launched in celebration of the organization’s 50th anniversary. The campaign aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of HSB’s free compassionate care services, helping to meet the current demand and build a stronger foundation for the future.

Funds raised from this campaign will go toward reducing the counseling waitlist for grieving adults, expanding HSB’s presence in schools to support all children experiencing grief, assisting patients in navigating the medical system, developing new services to reach more families, and preparing for the rising wave of need in the years ahead.

Ventura County Community Foundation’s (VCCF) Power of Purpose December 2024 newsletter

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2025 • Comments Off

Over the past weeks, we have witnessed extraordinary acts of generosity that have not only improved the lives of hundreds of families in our community, but have also addressed some of Ventura County’s most urgent challenges, including access to clean water, advancing higher education, preserving local journalism, and affordable housing.

Because of your compassion and unwavering support for your neighbors, last week VCCF’s Board of Directors approved an additional $650,000 to assist those most affected by the Mountain Fire. To date, more than $975,313 has been granted, providing families with access to temporary housing, replacement of vital medical equipment, and other essential resources. Your generosity has also covered emergency veterinary bills for injured pets, supported over 450 animal rescues, and provided families with much-needed financial assistance and childcare as they work to rebuild their lives. You have helped farmworkers who lost both work and housing, and so much more.

Santa Barbara County Food Action Network — Support Our Resilient Local Food System

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2025 • Comments Off

When you support SBCFAN, you’re supporting programs that make a tangible impact—programs like our Emergency Aid and Food Justice Program.

This year, we awarded $40,000 to 9 recipients across Santa Barbara County, providing critical funding to students, local food producers, small businesses, and community organizations addressing food inequity. These grants helped recipients plan, grow, experiment, strengthen, and ultimately build a more resilient local food system.

Bilingual report — The final news of the year from the County of Ventura

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2025 • Comments Off

nueva unidad pediátrica

El miércoles 18 de diciembre, líderes locales, pacientes y sus familias se reunieron para celebrar la gran inauguración de la recién contruida Unidad Pediátrica del Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC por sus siglas en inglés).

Financiada con una subvención estatal de 15 millones de dólares de la Propuesta 4, la nueva unidad de 16 camas está diseñada para proporcionar una atención integral y centrada en la familia a niños, desde recién nacidos hasta adultos jóvenes.

Museum of Ventura County — Double the Art, Double the Inspiration – Don’t Miss Out!

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2025 • Comments Off

Opening Reception: What is Beauty? Rethinking Women’s Portraiture in Art

Friday, January 17
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
@Museum of Ventura County
100 E. Main St., Ventura

Join us for the Opening of What is Beauty? Rethinking Women’s Portraiture in Art in the Wachtell Gallery at the Museum of Ventura County. This exhibition invites us to explore diverse perspectives on beauty through fourteen portraits by Ventura County artists from the Museum’s permanent collection.
Spanning works created between 1939 and 2011, this exhibition showcases a range of styles—from vibrant realism to minimalist simplicity—challenging traditional standards shaped by art, media, and society. Featured artists Carlisle Cooper, Hiroko Yoshimoto, Johanna Spinks, John Nava, John Nichols, Kitty Botke, Lis Schwitters, Michael Ward, Neal Barr, Omar d’León, and Robert Clunie offer eclectic interpretations of women’s portraiture.
Experience the beauty of the evening with live music from Ventura Music Festival, beer and wine for sale, and an atmosphere sure to inspire. Register free of charge by clicking HERE!

Bilingual report — Ventura County Medical Center celebrates grand opening of new pediatric unit

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2025 • Comments Off

“We are thrilled to have this dedicated space to care for the children of Ventura County,” stated Dr. Todd Flosi, Director of Inpatient Pediatric Strategy. “Our multidisciplinary team—comprising physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical and occupational therapists, dietitians, social workers, and child life specialists—has specialized training and expertise in caring for children. We focus not only on their medical needs but also on their developmental and emotional well-being. Our goal is to provide excellent care while minimizing the discomfort and disruption that hospitalization can cause for both the child and their family.”

805 UNCOCUFund — Impacts of ICE Raids in the Past 4 Days

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2025 • Comments Off

This year felt as if we have lived a thousand lives. As Executive Director of 805UndocuFund, and as someone who comes from an immigrant family, I carry the weight of these past days and year deeply. The numbers are staggering, but what stays with me are the faces, the phone calls, the children waiting for parents who never came home. This level of enforcement violence is not accidental, it is intentional, and it is devastating entire communities in real time.

What gives me hope is our collective response. Community members are showing up for one another with courage, care, and refusal to be silent. Mutual aid, rapid response, and collective defense are acts of love and resistance. As we close this year, I am asking you to stand with our community. Your support allows us to act immediately, protect families, and ensure that no one is taken in silence or forgotten.

In solidarity,

VC Public Works completes Santa Rosa Road Bike Lane and Pedestrian Improvement Project

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2025 • Comments Off

VENTURA COUNTY — Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) was scheduled to host a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Santa Rosa Road Bike Lane and Pedestrian Improvements Project on Monday, Jan. 6, at the Santa Rosa Technology Magnet School in Camarillo.

The bike lane improvements — which began in August 2024 — complete a stretch of missing bike lane facilities bridging the gap from Simi Valley to Camarillo. This route is part of the Ventura County Transportation Commission Regional Bicycle Wayfinding Plan to provide countywide regional bike connectivity.