Hello Everyone,
It's September, which means the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month! Celebrated from September 15th to October 15th, National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time designated to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Our Mexican Independence Event is going to be celebrated on September 16th at City Hall. The City of San José will be doing a Mexican Flag raise to honor this day, along with cultural dances, local art work showcases, music and more! You are all invited and welcome to come enjoy this wonderful event!
This event is so important because it honors the cultures and backgrounds of our resilient and hardworking Latino communities from East Side San José.
First, some quick history:
The reason National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15th is because many Latin American countries including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua celebrate their independence day on that day. Mexico, Chile and Belize celebrate their independence days on September 16, September 18 and September 21, respectively.
So embrace you traditions and raise your flags proudly! Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month!
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Volunteering Opportunity: VivaCalleSJ
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Our office is looking for volunteers! What better way to spend a Sunday morning than enjoying a fun event and engaging with the community at VivaCalleSJ!
VivaCalleSJ is an is an exciting City hosted free event that temporarily closes miles of San José streets to bring communities together!
We hope you come out and volunteer with me and my team from 10AM-3PM on Sunday, September 19th!
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Unfortunately COVID-19 is still here, and it is important to get vaccinated not only to protect yourself but also to protect everyone around you. It is important to encourage our 12-15 year old to get vaccinated as the percentage of at least having one dose is 65.4%. This age group needs to become vaccinated as Delta is highly transmissible. The Pfizer vaccine Phizer vaccine is now FDA approved, so for anyone who has been waiting for it to be approved, you can now go get vaccinated. If you are immunocompromised, you are eligible to get a booster shot. You are eligible to get a booster shot if you are a cancer patient or have an organ transplant.
On August 24th the City Council passed a vaccine mandate for City facilities. This means proof of vaccination is needed for events with 50 or more people at city-owned-buildings -such as the SAP Center and the San José Center of Performing Arts. Next time you are headed to a Sharks game or Performance, make sure to carry your vaccination card as a negative COVID test will not substitute for proof of vaccination. SAP Center has already announced that they will start enforcing the vaccine mandate starting September 20, 2021.
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There are several items that are coming down the pipeline when it comes to policy. For instance the No Flavor Tobacco or E-Cigarette is tentatively scheduled to come to Council on September 28, 2021. Many of the vape pens have pods and you are able to get them in any flavor like strawberry lemonade, peach ice which gets many young people hook on tobacco or on e-cigarettes. This ordinance would ban these types of flavor pods to make it less appealing to young people.
This same day there will also be discussion of City Council Priority #18 which is Smoke Free Housing. This means that if you live in a multiple family housing with three or more units it will be smoke free. This ordinance purpose it to protect all those who live in the same building as smoke can travel through cracks or ventilation. The No Smoking will include cigarettes, hookah, pipes, cigarillos, vape pens as well as cannabis.
On September 21st the City of San José will give an update on the Eviction Moratorium which is set to expire for the City and State of California on September 30th, 2021. There will also be discussion of allocation of SB 2 funds. SB 2 created the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) program. The primary goal of the PLHA program is to create a permanent source of funding available to eligible local governments in California for housing-related projects and programs to address unmet housing needs in their local communities.
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Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
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This coming September marks the annual Childhood Awareness Month, also known as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, that commemorates the countless children and families struggling with devastating childhood cancers, while highlighting the urgent need for cures and treatments. This nationally recognized month was first acknowledged by President Obama in 2012 in a presidential proclamation in order to emphasize the importance of cancer research, thank the generous caregivers and medical professionals helping these children, and to garner national awareness for the cause. The color gold is worn to symbolize solidarity with these children and their families during this month.
Pediatric cancers are the leading cause of death for young children in the United States, and generally develop without a known cause. Nearly half a million children worldwide are diagnosed with some form of pediatric cancer every single year, 10,000 of which are located in the United States, and almost all of these childhood cancer survivors will continue to have significant health complications related to their treatment for the rest of their lives.
We know now that cancers are treatable and survivable, but much more research is necessary to find the roots of these devastating diseases. With advanced medical services, intensive research, and cutting-age technology, cures are within reach. Every second matters with these kids, and every penny donated counts in investing in this research. You can help these families reduce their medical bills by donating towards or supporting your local pediatric hospital or non-profit.
To learn more or donate to much-needed pediatric cancer research, feel free to visit St. Jude Hospital's website or the World Health Organization's website, who together aim to cure 60% of children with the most common forms of cancer within the next 10 years.
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On September 6th, we celebrate Labor Day to pay tribute to the contributions and achievements of all workers in the United States. This federal holiday was created by the labor movement back in the 19th century. Our office wants to thank all those who work hard and keep our country running. We are especially thankful to all the essential workers. They were on the frontlines ensuring critical infrastructure remained open while we sheltered in places, such as workers in grocery stores, health care, delivery services, retail establishments, agriculture, and other essential industries.
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San José Animal Shelter Spotlight
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Say hello to Bernadine. Bernadine is a spayed brindle Labrador Retriever mix currently living at the San José Animal shelter. Bernadine is super playful and goofy, especially when it comes to playing in water! She loves playing with her toys throwing them around, and running all over with them. The shelter staff thinks Bernadine is about 7 years old and noted that she unfortunately cannot go home with kids or cats. Nonetheless, Bernadine is still looking for her forever home after being at the shelter for over four months now.
There are currently over 100 animals at the shelter awaiting adoption, varying from cats and dogs, to special needs animals and even other small assorted animals such as bunnies, guinea pigs, and rats.
Given COVID-19 restrictions, the City's shelter has not been able to fully open to allow these animals to mingle with guests, so many animals are waiting long periods before finding them a forever home. If you're interested in adopting Bernadine, or any of the many cute animals at the shelter, note the A-number identification (Bernadine's number is A1203779) and head on over to the local shelter at 2750 Monterey Road on Sundays through Saturdays (closed on Mondays) between the hours of 9 AM-5 PM to meet and mingle with your selected animal and test your compatibility! Adoptions are conducted Tuesday through Sunday 9 AM-4:30 PM on a first-come-first-served. For kittens and cats, come on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays only, between the hours of 10 AM-2 PM with the ID animal of the feline you are interested in. Adoption fees vary from as low as $5 to $135 depending on the type of animal and age of the animal. For more information and the itinerary of adoptable animals, follow this link: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/animal-care-services/animal-care-services-2
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National Preparedness Month
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The 2021 theme is "Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love."
Teaching your families about how to prepare for an emergency is so important because an emergency or natural disaster can occur at any moment when you may least expect it. National Preparedness Month in September helps bring raise awareness about preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time.
Each week of the month has a theme! Week 1's theme is "Make A Plan" which means to talk to your friends and family about how you will communicate before, during and after a disaster. Week 2's theme is "Build a Kit"; gather supplies such as food, a flashlight, clothes, and blankets that will help you survive for at least 7 days after a disaster. Week 3's theme is "Low Cost, No Cost Preparedness"; learn about the risks of disasters that can happen in your area, check if your insurance coverage is up to date. The 4th and last week's theme is "Teach Youth About Preparedness"; there are many ways to teach our kids about being prepared for disasters especially depending on where you live. Talk to your kids about what it means to be prepared for an emergency and why it is so important.
Some places you can call for help:
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I am thrilled to share that the Mayfair Park playground construction will begin in early September and completed in December 2021, if all goes well, and open for the public's use. We are anticipating the delivery of new playground equipment next week. Demolition and removal of the existing playground will be first, followed by the construction and installation of the new playground equipment.
Heads up there will be some significant noise during demolition along with some large equipment use. This may cause some traffic delays during school pick up/drop off times as well as the Mayfair Community Center peak times.
Three parking spaces and the playground area will be fenced and the public will not have access. This has been discussed and coordinated with the community center staff who relayed this information to the school administration and are copied on this email.
This is amazing news for the kiddos and for the Mayfair neighborhood, I am so excited to see this new park come to life!
The Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services also offers different services:
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The Silicon Valley Clean Cities Coalition and their partners will be hosting an awesome event for the community to get behind the wheel of an electric car and experience the latest technology, win prizes, and more! This is also a fun event for the kids as there will be face paintings, raffle give-aways and local food trucks! If you support the efforts of electronic cars to help promote clean air, this is the event for you to try out the newest technology! They will be handing out 2 FREE tacos and 1 FREE parking pass to the first 30 families, so make sure to get there early!
You can RSVP at: www.bit/ly/Ride-and-Drive-2021
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Viva CalleSJ is going to be on September 19, 2021 from 10AM-3PM! Viva CalleSJ is a free program that temporarily closes miles of San Jose streets to bring communities together to walk, bike, skate, play and explore the city like never before. The main hubs are going to be at: Mexican Heritage Plaza, Parque de Pobladores, Arena Green and Japantown. Viva Calle SJ is excited to be back! Make sure to tell a family member or friend! We hope to see you there!
Viva CalleSJ is not a race, so people of all abilities can start anywhere on the route and have as much fun as they want!
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Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
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September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and during these challenging times some may be experiencing feelings of anxiety, frustration and sadness, and these feelings may become overwhelming. If you or someone that you know is experiencing these thoughts learn how to find assistance and restore hope.
Please contact Santa Clara County Suicide and Crisis hotline, at 24/7 toll-free 1-855-278-4204 or text HELLO to 741741.
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| CA Small Business and Nonprofit COVID-19 Relief Grant Program |
There are two NEW application windows for nonprofits with $1.5 billion in new state funding available. The last day to apply is September 30th!
CalNonprofits is hosting FREE webinars and have experts available to help you apply quickly and easily. For more information, please visit calnonprofits.org/grants. To help navigate the application process, SVCN will be hosting informational webinars in the near future - details forthcoming.
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| Recycle Right and Conserve Water - Do Not Rinse Recyclable |
To recycle right and conserve water in San José, make sure to empty and scrape any remaining food from recyclable containers such as yogurt or hummus tubs, peanut butter jars, or plastic takeout containers before placing in the recycling. Rinsing recyclables with water is not necessary.
Items that have not been emptied and scraped, and are soiled with food or liquid, should go in the garbage instead. Placing soiled items in the recycling can ruin otherwise clean items and prevent them from being recycled.
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. When a community recycles right, it improves quality of life and supports the local economy.
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