In case you missed last week's e-blast: January 14 Eblast See more past email blasts here.

Do you face challenges when opening your business in La Mesa? Applying for permits to operate your business and other items that are roadblocks to your success? Can processes be changed/streamlined to improve assisting you? How do we improve the business climate? Meet new Council Woman, Laura Lothian who is partnering with the Chamber to offer this Forum, she wants to hear from you!

Date: Wednesday, February 9th

Where: Marie Callender’s, 6950 Alvarado Road - The Garden Room

Time: Social 5:30 p.m.

Forum 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Heavy Hors d’oeuvres Served

Cost: No charge to La Mesa Business owners BUT must RSVP. This Forum is limited to the first 35 attendees.

RSVP: To prepare enough refreshments and for proper seating in the meeting room, RSVP by February 3rd to: rsvp@lamesachamber.com

Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:

Join us and welcome Deano’s Pub to our business community and join in the fun-filled day on Saturday, February 5th. This remodeled pub is the perfect place to join friends and unwind after a busy day. This Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting will be held on Saturday, February 5th. The pub opens at 6am that day, however, our “official” ribbon cutting, and ceremonies are scheduled for 4pm. Deano’s Pub serves a top-notch selection of craft beer and cocktails while you enjoy your favorite band, sing Karaoke, or watch your favorite match/sporting event with friends.

Join us and meet owners Dean and Erika Velasco and welcome them to our community. Happy Hour pricing is being offered for beverages on this special day.

Time of "Official" Ribbon Cutting: 4pm

Saturday Pub Hours: 6am-2am

Location: 5286 Baltimore Dr., La Mesa

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce welcomes San Diego Living Real Estate, located at 8504 La Mesa Blvd. in La Mesa to our Chamber and our business community. To celebrate this new member, you are invited to an open house, mixer and ribbon cutting on Wednesday, February 23rd between the hours of 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. with the “official” ribbon cutting taking place at 6:00 p.m.

Join us as we welcome San Diego Living Real Estate to our Chamber and meet Jan Farley, Owner-Broker, and her team. Jan has held various positions and received awards in the real estate industry such as: 2018 was President, Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors, in 2019 recipient of the Broker of the Year, Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors, 2019 recipient, REAL awards (top 10%of REALTORS in all of San Diego County) and in 2021 served as Treasurer, Women’s Council of Realtors of Realtors, San Diego. Jan and her team have the expertise to assist you in all your real estate needs.

Bring your business cards and join us for great food and delicious beverages. Don’t be left out - register now to be a part of this celebration! To promote a healthy environment, this event is limited to the first 50 people that RSVP.

Residential Real Estate Sales

Helping Clients Navigate Real Estate Since 2002!

8560 Lemon Ave., La Mesa | (619) 540-7744 | lauralothianrealestate.com

Om CSL is a progressive spiritual community that emphasizes personal growth, living consciously and making a positive difference in the world.

7951 University Ave., La Mesa | (858) 213-7061 | OmCSL.org

La Jolla-based nonprofit Curebound made a $476,450 donation to UC San Diego and La Jolla Institute for Immunology to fund a cancer immunotherapy clinical trial that the university and the institute started in partnership with the Immunotherapy Foundation. The donation is intended to pay for the trial’s completion. Specifically, the trial focuses on the active phase One tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte and studies a form of personalized cancer immunotherapy that has been in development for decades but has only recently been able to produce individualized treatments because of advances in technology, according to Curebound.

Curebound, a nonprofit that raises money for collaborative cancer research, was formed last year as part of a larger effort between Padres Pedal the Cause and the Immunotherapy Foundation. The nonprofit is set on raising and investing $100 million for collaborative cancer research in San Diego over the next decade. Curebound is building on the foundation laid by Padres Pedal the Cause and Immunotherapy Foundation, and together the nonprofits have raised over $20 million to fund more than 73 collaborative research grants and have initiated exploration of 21 different types of cancer over the past eight years.

Grants for Growth is a collaboration between Uber Eats, Visa and LISC to help businesses affected by COVID, natural disasters, or other unexpected events. Grants can be used for things like payroll, vendor payments, rent, upgrading technology infrastructure, and more.

Applications must be submitted by Monday, January 24th at 11:59PM ET. All applicants are encouraged to review LISC's grant information and FAQ prior to applying, as well as the Grants for Growth page. The grant applications are intended to collect basic information about your business.

Additional eligibility criteria can be found here.

I wrote a letter to the President of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) urging the commission to keep rooftop solar power incentives for California homeowners.

Currently, the CPUC is considering changing the rules that allow homes with solar to earn credit on their electric bill for the energy they produce.

The proposed changes would make it more expensive for people who want to go green by adding solar to the roofs of their homes and businesses.

In fact, it is estimated that the new rules would cost a typical, solar rooftop-owning customer in the SDG&E service area just under $1,300 a year in new fees and higher rates.

If you agree with me that the CPUC’s new rules:

please consider signing onto my letter by clicking the button below.

The CPUC has their next meeting on January 27, 2022. Please send in your comments before then and feel free to share this email with your friends and family.

If you require assistance with signing onto my letter, please email me at Joel.Anderson@sdcounty.ca.gov or give us a call at 619-441-4327.

The Chamber invites you to a fun-filled evening to meet local businesses and have the opportunity to win FREE door prizes. The evening will be filled with raffles, great samplings of delicious food from local restaurants and more!

We have moved our expo to our chamber member hotel, Courtyard by Marriot San Diego El Cajon in El Cajon. We are excited to be using the 4,500 square-foot ballroom for our vendors and raffles, the foyer for our registration activities and the beautiful courtyard to serve our food and offer beverages.

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Where: Courtyard by Marriott San Diego El Cajon

141 N Magnolia Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020

Ticket Cost: $10

Please note: This is a 21 years of age or older event.

“Early Bird” Table Cost: $120 if reserved and paid for by February 4th.

To reserve a display table, please contact Mary England at (619) 251-7730 or email maryengland@lamesachamber.com.

2nd syringe can be banked for later use in 2022.

Dr. Ellyn Levine | Trilogy Health | 5290 Baltimore Drive | www.trilogyhealth.net

Area community college students facing ongoing pandemic-related challenges are getting some new relief as we enter 2022, in the way of newly stocked shelves on local campus food pantries. As 2021 came to a close, the annual Pack the Pantry food drive organized by California Coast Credit Union, raised more than 51,000 meals for local community college students facing food insecurity.

The Pack the Pantry food drive has become an important annual initiative, in partnership with the San Diego Food Bank and local community colleges. The food drive was exclusively virtual in 2021 due to the pandemic, but still raised enough funds to provide 51,496 meals for 10 local community college food pantries.

“San Diego’s community colleges sincerely appreciate Cal Coast, the San Diego Food Bank, and all those who supported Pack the Pantry. The funds raised will provide meals for hard-working students who are struggling to support themselves and their families. Food drives such as Pack the Pantry have become an important part of our efforts to support students’ basic needs,” said San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) Chancellor, Carlos O. Turner Cortez. Dr. Cortez also serves as president of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association (SDICCCA) this year.

A recent study discovered that more than 50 percent of local community college students face food insecurity, meaning they don’t have consistent access to food.

“We know there is a need within our local community colleges and we want to do our part to tackle food insecurity. If students worry about where their next meal will come from or if they deal with hunger on a daily basis, this can have a negative impact on student success – that is why California Coast Credit Union continues to organize Pack the Pantry each year,” said Todd Lane, president and CEO of California Coast Credit Union.

To learn more about how you can continue to help stock the food pantries at local community colleges in the San Diego and Riverside regions, please visit their websites throughout the year.

Register online at www.cityoflamesa.us/register

For more information, contact La Mesa Community Services at 619.667.1300

This winter, you’ll want to keep your customers and employees warm. Did you know that by implementing a few tips your business can save on its energy use? From regulating your temperature to involving employees in your energy-saving objectives, there are collaborative ways to lower your energy bills this winter.

Here are 6 tips that can help reduce your costs without having to sacrifice the comfort of your staff or customers:

For more ideas on how to lower your energy use at work, visit sdge.com/My-Business.

Small Business Stimulus Grant Funding is Available from the County of San Diego – We Are District 2

The County of San Diego has received funds from the federal government’s American Recovery Plan Act. This grant is to provide economic assistance to help businesses and non-profit entities impacted by COVID-19. This financial assistance will be allocated to eligible, qualified small businesses and nonprofit entities based on the availability of funds, program guideline, and the submission of all required information and supporting documentation.

Supervisor Joel Anderson District 2 Supervisor has asked chambers to assist with the paperwork for small businesses to complete the submission application. The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce is happy to help. The La Mesa Chamber has decided to take an extra step in this grant funding process and the recovery of our businesses in La Mesa and announce immediately:

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce believes that assisting ALL businesses in their recovery from the pandemic and ability to obtain funds from the American Recovery Plan Act should be a priority. We are ALL in this together! Chamber Members and Non-Chamber members, effective immediately, may receive help from Mary England, President & CEO of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce in filling out all paperwork and answering any questions you may have. Mary may be reached 7 days a week –Maryengland@lamesachamber.com or 619-251-7730 to assist you.

Here is the Small Business Stimulus Grant package and the link: tinyurl.com/smallbizstimulusgrant

If you are NOT sure of how to answer questions on the application or need assistance on clarifying what documents you need to submit – contact Mary England at Maryengland@lamesachamber.com or (619) 251-7730, we are happy to help!

NOTE: If you applied for and received county funds under the other Small Business Stimulus Grant, allocated from the CARES Act funding – YES you may apply for these funds, you just need to list the amount you received from the county on the application.

February 5 - Deano's Pub Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting : 4pm at 5286 Baltimore Drive, La Mesa | Details/RSVP

February 9 - Business Enhancement Forum : 5:30-7:30pm at Marie Callender’s | 6950 Alvarado Road | Details/RSVP

February 23 - San Diego Living Real Estate Open House & Ribbon Cutting : 5-7pm at 8504 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa | Details/RSVP

March 23 - "Spring Fling" Business Expo : 5-8pm at Courtyard by Marriott San Diego El Cajon | 141 N Magnolia Ave, El Cajon | Details

July 18 - "Taste of San Diego - East" : 5-8pm at Town and Country San Diego | 500 Hotel Circle North in Mission Valley | Details

August 18 - "Summer Bash" Business Expo : 5-8pm at Courtyard by Marriott San Diego El Cajon | 141 N Magnolia Ave, El Cajon | Details

Commercial Real Estate

5565 Grossmont Center Dr.

La Mesa, CA 91942

858-549-2874