Greetings, D4 residents - 

The month of February, while short, has been productive for my team (see information below on the Children’s Roadmap to Recovery). It has also brought opportunities to recognize past progress and achievements, as well as the importance of working towards a healthy and prosperous future together. I hope that all who celebrate were able to do so safely with family during Lunar New Year, and that we continue to recognize and celebrate Black history during every month of the year. 

 
*We recently added a landing page for more in-depth explanations of initiatives on which I have led, or issues voted on by the Board which residents may want to understand in greater detail. This link will take you to that page. This month's post covers childcare workforce development.

Children's Roadmap to Recovery
At the Feb. 15 Board of Supervisors meeting, I presented a referral cosponsored by Supervisor Chavez to address the needs children in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery. 
 
This referral, which was unanimously approved by the Board, addresses several critical elements around COVID recovery for children in Santa Clara County: (1) specific supports for children who have lost a parent or primary caregiver due to COVID-19 (2) expansion of wellness centers on school sites to promote mental health and wellbeing, and (3) recovery for the early learning and childcare (ELC) workforce essential to child learning and the ability of families to return to work. 


You can read the full referral here, and you can find more of my thoughts in my blog post on Childcare Workforce Development.

You can read local coverage of the referral by ABC7 News, San Jose Spotlight, and KRON4, as well as this article in The New York Times.

National Association of Counties
This month, I also had the opportunity to represent Santa Clara County at the NACo Legislative Conference in Washington DC, where leaders from across the nation shared their approaches to maximize state and federal funding as we continue to recover from the pandemic and build for the future.  

While I joined the Women of NACo Leadership meeting to reflect on women’s participation in County government, right here in Santa Clara County we marked a new milestone- for the first time, the Chief of Staff positions for all five Supervisorial districts are held by women.  
 
As we return to in-person gatherings, please feel free to send an invitation to my office for me to attend your community event. I enjoy being out in the community with residents and look forward to seeing you all soon. 
   
I am on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor and LinkedIn. There you can find resources, news and events.
   
As always, if you have questions, comments, and/or concerns, email me at supervisor.ellenberg@bos.sccgov.org.
  
I and my team are here for you.    

Be well,     

 
Susan
Youth Art Contests

  • To Be Honest - Spring 2022 Art Contest

  • What do you think the world would look like if a stigma around mental health did not exist? Santa Clara County residents ages 14-25 can submit an entry into one of four categories: 2D art, 3D art, 4D art (produced with technology), or short films. The application deadline is April 29. You can learn more and submit entries here.

  • AACI - Growing Up Asian in America

  • This annual art, essay, and video contest is for Bay Area students Kindergarten through 12th grade encourages young Asian Americans to take pride in their identities, and helps others understand the varied experiences of our youth growing up in the Bay Area's diverse communities. The deadline for submissions is March 15, and you can learn more here.

Volunteer






You can get directly involved in your community
by serving on a local Board or Commission.
Click below for a list of opportunities!
Upcoming Events
Giving Back

  • The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis – its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. Blood product distributions are outpacing donations. At times, as much as one-quarter of hospital blood needs are not being met. Why is this happening? The pandemic has impacted the national blood supply and the current surge in COVID-19 cases may compound the already dire situation. But you can help!
  • Visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule your blood or platelet donation appointment.  
  • If you are a member of a local community organization, faith-based group, business, association, other non-profit, etc., please consider sharing an email message encouraging them to give now. 

  • Second Harvest is seeing a steep decline in the number of volunteers helping sort and distribute food. Volunteers are critical to their operations — they need your muscles to ensure much-needed food reaches our community!
  • If you have a few hours to spare, please consider signing up for a safe volunteer shift. You can make a real difference for our neighbors who rely on Second Harvest for nutritious groceries. Sign up to volunteer


For the latest updates regarding COVID-19 for residents and businesses, please visit the County Public Health Department website.
County Resources
If you have any questions about resources or assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office directly at supervisorellenberg.com
IN THE NEWS
You can keep track of D4-specific coverage and County news by visiting my newsroom on my website.
HAVE A QUESTION?
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