Dear Neighbor,

Please watch the recording below from Virtual State of the District!

I hope you’re all staying safe and as always, if you have questions, please reach out to me or my office. During the shelter in place, we can be reached by calling my office at 408-535-4906 and leaving a message or emailing district6@sanjoseca.gov.

If your neighborhood is interested in hosting a Neighborhood Watch meeting, please contact my office at district6@sanjoseca.gov. We can help get you connected with SJPD Crime Prevention.

Join me on Wednesdays for office hours. For the first meeting of the month on February 3, 2021, turn on your cameras and join me on Zoom. You will be able to ask me questions from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.

Zoom link here

Meeting ID: 945 9169 0773

+1 669 219 2599 US (San Jose)

+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

Reminder: You can also send your questions in advance to district6@sanjoseca.gov.

At this meeting, Danco will answer questions and share plans, status, and timelines for this existing new housing development. Amenities include childcare, community room and kitchen, flex space, meeting room, play area, splash pad, on-site laundry and a landscaped courtyard!

See flyer below for details.

I had the pleasure of having Scott and Cece from Red Dot Fitness on my Facebook Live office hours last month! Here is a recap of their health and fitness tips!

We discussed their philosophy of 'EAT^2 + E.'

E: Eat real foods and vegetables, fruit, whole protein sources, legumes, nuts, seeds, fiber

A: Adequacy: Am I getting enough calories/energy in my system? Am I getting enough adhering to my macronutrients and getting enough micronutrients?

T: Type of diet is the one you can stay most consistent with is the best one! Whether it is low carb, keto, paleo, vegan, etc. Consistency is the key here.

^2: Sleep + Stress: Stress management practices. Make sure you are getting solid rest 7-9 hours a night.

E: Exercise! Consistency is key and it’s about forming small habits, being consistent with them. And then building on them.

Take away message: Health and fitness is a holistic approach, hence the 'EAT^2 + E' mantra. There are many components you should strive to work towards but you can take it one step at a time.

Watch the recording here.

On February 5, 2021, the City Administration will facilitate a community healing and economic

recovery listening session among the Mayor and Council. The purpose of the listening session is to seek to understand the collective vision of the Council for community healing and economic recovery in the near-term and long-term. Specifically, the Administration aims to hear and capture the outcomes and results the Council aspires for the San José community.

The goal is to spark conversation about citywide aspirations and needs with a focus on being one team developing a shared, collective vision for community progress and impact. To this end, Council is requested to submit in advance a one page document to answer the question: what is your vision for community healing and economic recovery for our City?

Public Comment will be open after the second round of commentary by the Mayor and

City Council. The beginning of the session will also include short videos of community

members sharing their vision based on lived experiences.

Read more here.

Join the City's Equity Task Force to create a more equitable, people-focused transportation system. The City of San José Department of Transportation is seeking to partner with community leaders from diverse local communities, particularly its most marginalized communities, to create an Equity Task Force. This task force will collaborate with the City in the effort to create a more equitable and people-focused transportation system.

A key driver of inequity is unequal access to reliable, affordable transportation. Mobility obstacles become limits to jobs, resources, education and especially time. San José’s Emerging Mobility Action Plan seeks to create a more equitable transportation future by expanding affordable, reliable and safe ways to get around.

As a member of the Plan’s Equity Task Force, your insights, experience and knowledge of your community will help shape the Plan as well as the City's follow-on work. All task force members will be compensated for their time. Apply here by February 5th!

The Police Chief Candidate Forum has been rescheduled to Saturday, February 13 at 10:00 a.m. We will leave the survey open until February 8 so that our community can continue to submit proposed questions. Fill out the survey here.

The City of San José’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) is now accepting applications for the Safe Summer Initiative Grant (SSIG) for summer 2021.

The SSIG program aims to provide and enhance recreational or educational opportunities for youth not normally available to the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force target population during the summer months. This provides youth a safe environment while keeping them active and engaged in positive activities.

Applicants proposing services that run from June 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021 are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be a nonprofit with a 501(c)(3) status, a government agency or a legally-recognized faith-based organization.

Proposals will only be accepted online via WebGrants. To register for a WebGrants user ID and to access the application, please go to: grants.sanjoseca.gov.

After a 10-month suspension, the City will start enforcing street sweeping parking restrictions again. Since November, parking compliance officers have placed over 47,000 warning flyers on vehicles parked in street sweeping zones. Vehicles in those zones have received flyers at least twice. Street sweeping is an important service that keeps fine particulates and small debris out of our local creeks and rivers. Street sweepers may pass through an area more than once, so please keep your vehicles off the streets during the times listed on street signs. For more details, read here.

Provide a helping hand to those in need in your community! To volunteer, please text your name and number to 408-420-6905.

Sunday in the Park is back! Sunday in the Park is a series of one day events that rotate through all council districts. This is a great way to get the community involved and students can receive community service hours!

Safety is our priority and below are some steps that we have implemented to keep everyone safe!

• Staff and Volunteers are required to pass a COVID-19 Health Check to participate.

• We provide personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer.

• All tools are disinfected before and after the use of each volunteer.

• Social distancing and masks required

• Pre-Registration is required with a 30 max participant limit

No experience is required, and all tools are provided! We do ask that volunteers wear closed-toe shoes.

Interested people can register on Eventbrite. You can find direct links on the attached flyer. Please fill out a Volunteer Service Agreement and email to parkvolunteer@sanjoseca.gov.

For more information go to our VMU volunteer event page here.

The Behavioral Health Call Center is the entry point for access to all Santa Clara County behavioral health services. We provide support for individuals and families who are in crisis; considering suicide; or struggling with mental illness, substance use, or both.

See below for a list of support services.

Your San José Clean Energy Bill Explained: As an SJCE customer, you will still receive one bill for your power service, sent by PG&E. Here are the main elements of your bill and what the charges are for. Use this worksheet to calculate your savings with SJCE.

Questions? Call us at (833) 432-2454 or email us.

Discount Programs: San José residents and businesses may be eligible for programs that offer savings on your electricity bill, home energy efficiency upgrades, and discounts on electric vehicles through State or Federal funding. Learn more about these programs and see if you qualify.

Verify your eligibility for the California Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) or the Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) today for CalEITC Awareness Day. If you don’t typically file taxes because you earn less than $9,000 a year, you could be leaving money on the table. Use this online calculator to see if you qualify and estimate your credit (bit.ly/2M94yX8). To learn more, please visit CalEITC4Me.org.

Eligibility Update: For the first time, Californians who file their tax returns with an (ITIN) including undocumented immigrants, are eligible for the CalEITC and the YCTC.

Access to digital connectivity – a fast and reliable internet connection – has become an essential service for residents in San José. SJ Access helps households with little or no internet access get connected by partnering with school districts and businesses, installing outdoor Wi-Fi access at City libraries and community centers, and lending new and refurbished devices at no cost.

For details, visit here.

Want to learn more about ending homelessness and building affordable housing in San Jose? We're launching a podcast to answer those questions & more!

Apple: http://apple.co/3qOlYHb

Spotify: http://bit.ly/DwellingsPod

Stitcher: http://bit.ly/3o6SLpa

Google: http://bit.ly/Dwellings_Pod

Still looking for a New Year’s resolution? How about an earth-friendly and impactful goal like recycling right? Recycling reduces waste, keeps recyclable materials out of the landfill and helps protect the environment. Recycling also saves energy and valuable natural resources, and creates jobs. Let’s work together to Recycle Right in 2021.

One easy way to get started is to educate yourself on what's recyclable. Check out the recycling guide on SanJoseRecycles.org to learn how to dispose of hundreds of commonly used items, or subscribe to The Loop, a bi-monthly newsletter with all the latest news and tips on recycling and waste reduction.

As a reminder, the City offers free junk pick-up! San José residents, it’s easy & FREE to get rid of your junk! Click on the link below or visit here to make a free appointment.

The County Health System and Stanford Healthcare are now scheduling vaccination appointments for county residents who are 65 and older. Residents can now call Valley Connections at (408) 970-2000 for assistance making vaccine appointments.

Please visit the link here for vaccine information for SCC.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is creating a challenging business climate in San Jose and across the country. We are providing this page to serve as a centralized resource for employers, employees, small businesses and non-profits to discover critical information and help. To suggest an addition, email covid19sjbusiness@sanjoseca.gov.

We strongly suggest that interested businesses make contact with one of these trusted partners for free advice and help:

-Small Business Development Center https://nc.ecenterdirect.com/signup (408) 777-9311

-SCORE https://siliconvalley.score.org/ (408) 453-6237

-AnewAmerica https://www.anewamerica.org/en/ phone number/ (408) 326-2669

-Minority Business Development Agency https://www.asianinc.org/

Testing sites in Santa Clara County here. 

Many services available to all community members regardless of insurance status, ability to pay or immigration status

If you, a family member or someone you know has been impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and need food assistance, health services, financial help, legal assistance or other support services, here are some available resources that can help. Many services are available to all members of our community, regardless of ability to pay or immigration status.

Resources here.

Now is the time for residents, businesses, and government to partner together to help. Donate, volunteer and read more here. 

Off the Grid is partnering with the City of San Jose to roll out the COVID Food Relief Program. This Program delivers free weekly local groceries and prepared meals to residents who have faced financial hardship or are at high risk for severe illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sign-up here.

I am very concerned about people's mental and emotional health during this time and want to share any resources that may help. Read here.