by Carol Leish, MA

The Ventura County Mental Wellness Festival returns to Ventura Harbor. The organizer is local non-profit, Turning Point Foundation, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for adults experiencing serious mental illness, addiction, lack of housing and inadequate physical health care. The festival’s objective is to raise awareness about mental health and share mental wellness pathways that support, maintain and/or improve peoples’ mental health. This annual event celebrates the completion of National Mental Health Awareness Month (May).

Folks can visit Ventura Harbor Village (lawn area) at 1583 Spinnaker Dr. The event will be from 10:30am – 4:30pm on Saturday, June 1^st 2024. Come relax with yoga and sound meditation, hosted by Meditation Mount. Enjoy live music from the Orchard Bluegrass Band. This band has been entertaining audiences of all ages throughout Southern California for many years. Two of the venues they have performed at include the Reagan Library and Ventura County Fair.

View the Mental Health Art Exhibit, which displays a variety of artwork submitted by Turning Point’s wellness program clients. Also, shop a variety of native plants and talk to horticulture experts at the Growing Works Garden Exhibit. Growing Works is an innovative wholesale plant nursery that serves as one of Turning Point’s mental wellness programs. It provides job training, employment, volunteer opportunities, recovery services and hands-on horticulture work experience to people experiencing mental health challenges.

Participate in an arts and crafts activity by Ronald McDonald House Charities (SoCal) Camp Good Times! RMHC’s Camp Good Times provides a cost-free multi-day sleep over experience for kids battling cancer and their families. Ronald McDonald House-Charities of Southern California’s mission is to create a positive, long-lasting impact on children with cancer and their families by providing fun-filled medically supervised cost-free year-round programs in tandem with seven houses spread through Southern California. This includes the newest “Family Room” at Ventura County Medical Center.

Event exhibitor and activity sponsors include: Ventura County Behavioral Health; Meditation Mount; Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times; Tinyplants; Growing Works; Oxnard Wellness Center; 1Health Right 360; Autism Society-Ventura County; California Lutheran University; Ventura Breeze; New Talk 1590-KVTA; VC Reporter; Nate’s Places Wellness & Recovery Center and Rotary Ventura South.

Contact: [email protected] to become a sponsor and/or vendor!

Special thanks to Ventura Harbor Village as the venue! Join us at the grass lawn. Also, explore the wonderful array of shops, restaurants, boat rides and more.

Event Website: mentalwellnessfest.com

Get a 10% off at participating Ventura Harbor restaurants & shops by going to: https://mentalwellnessfest.com/venturaharborvillagefestivaldiscount.html

Make an appointment now to help save lives during National Volunteer Month

During National Volunteer Month in April, the American Red Cross asks donors to help protect the blood supply by making and keeping blood donation appointments in the weeks ahead. Donors of all blood types – especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets – are needed now to keep the blood supply strong enough to support critical patient care this spring.

The Red Cross depends on thousands of volunteer blood donors to collect about 12,000 blood donations every single day. With no substitute for blood and no way to manufacture it, volunteer donors are essential in transfusion care. Blood drives and donation centers also depend on the generosity and valuable time of those who make it possible for the Red Cross to help people in need

Spring into action – book a time to give lifesaving blood or platelets now by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App. Those who come to give April 8-28, 2024, will receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of choice, plus be automatically entered to win a $7,000 gift card. There will be two lucky winners. See RedCrossBlood.org/Spring for details.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities April 8-28

Ventura- 4/23/2024: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 36 S. Figueroa St.

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Dredging of Ventura Harbor. Photos by Patrcia Schallert

The Ventura Port District proudly announces the commencement of the annual dredging for Ventura Harbor’s entrance channel, an annual program that is critical to the harbor community and made possible through the dedicated efforts of Congressman Salud Carbajal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and their contractor, Manson Construction.

This significant undertaking underscores the recognition of Ventura Harbor’s importance as California’s largest commercial fishing harbor most years. The annual dredging of the federal navigation channel is an essential action that ensures the harbor remains navigable, safe, and prosperous for the industries and boaters that rely on our harbor’s working waterfront.

“The annual dredging project not only facilitates safer maritime navigation in the Ventura Harbor but is essential to maintain the economic vitality of commercial fishing, recreational boating, tourism, and all of our waterfront business partners,” shares Brian Pendleton, Ventura Port District General Manager.

Congressman Carbajal‘s efforts on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget have secured $8,471,000 for the Corps to perform Ventura Harbor’s dredging program which will commence in the next few weeks. Further, his advocacy has seen the President’s Budget request include $8,796,000 for Ventura Harbor in Fiscal Year 2025, which puts Ventura in a very strong position for next year’s dredging as well.

“The Central Coast’s harbors and ports are central to our community’s livelihood and lifestyle. Whether it’s the family enjoying a Saturday sail or a fisherman collecting their daily catch, having safe and operational channels and waterfronts are crucial to our region,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I’m proud to have secured these important funds for the Central Coast in the negotiations over this year’s budget agreement, and I will continue to work with our local officials to ensure their needs are met as we face more extreme weather patterns and other abnormal threats to the Central Coast’s harbors and ports.”

Michael Blumenberg, Chair of the Ventura Port District’s Board of Port Commissioners, said “Congressman Salud Carbajal continues to play a vital role in securing the federal funding necessary for our Harbor dredging project each year. His efforts have been crucial in ensuring federal recognition and support for the harbor’s economic and public benefit to the region”.

The collaboration, between the Ventura Port District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and their contractor, Manson Construction, continues to demonstrate the best in federal and local partnerships. Along with keeping the harbor navigable, the dredge efforts provide high-quality sand used to nourish the public beaches in the Ventura Harbor for beach goers.

“As we recognize the importance of this dredging project, we extend our deepest gratitude to Congressman Salud Carbajal for his unwavering support and dedication. His advocacy continues to contribute to the success and dependability of our working waterfront,” Blumenberg said.

The Ventura Port District invites the community to come and see the renourished beaches at the conclusion of the project. In the meantime, the public is asked to be mindful of the construction activities in the water and on the beach and to respect the presence of protected species including the Western Snowy Plover, Least Terns, and California Grunion and their essential habitat, which benefits from the responsibly managed sand placement of this project.

For any questions regarding the project, please contact Ventura Harbor Harbormaster John Higgins at [email protected] (navigation), Sr. Business Operations Manager Todd Mitchell at [email protected] (dredging), or for emergencies, contact Harbor Patrol through 9-1-1 dispatch services or on marine radio channel 16. For information on Ventura Harbor and Ventura Port District programs, beaches, and boater amenities visit VenturaHarbor.com.

The Ventura Chamber held a Ribbon Cutting on March 20. Photo by Rich Ramos

In a groundbreaking initiative aimed at expanding access to vision care for local underserved populations, leading community organizations Rotary International, Lions Clubs International, SEE International, Westminster Free Clinic, and The Salvation Army, announced the launch of a mobile vision clinic.

This innovative service made its debut with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 20, 2024, at 11:30 AM, located at 650 S Petit Ave, Ventura, where lunch was served to attendees. The event featured keynote speaker Matt Levere, County Supervisor, as well as words from different organizational representatives, such as Sandra Adelante, Optician Technician and Sabriana Marrufo, from the Spirit of Santa Paula along with some patient testimonies. Local KVTA radio personality Tom Spence was The Master of Ceremonies.

The need for mobile services became apparent following the organizations’ opening of three free vision clinics across the community. After opening the first clinic in Ventura in 2018, services were expanded through two more clinics, one opening in Oxnard in 2021, and another in Thousand Oaks in 2023. Despite these expansions, it was clear that transportation issues and other barriers prevented many community members from accessing the much-needed vision care services offered at these clinics. This led to the idea of a mobile clinic, capable of reaching patients directly in their areas.

Thanks to many generous donations and the support of the partnering organizations, a van was purchased and converted to accommodate medical equipment.

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, the mobile clinic began operations.

The mobile unit will replace the traditional brick-and-mortar setup at the Ventura walk-in and will be stationed outside the Salvation Army every Tuesday. It will also periodically offer services at the Swap Meet Justice in Oxnard, the Santa Paula Westminster Free Clinic, and many other local events throughout the Central Coast.

Together in partnership, Rotary International, Lions Clubs International, SEE International, Westminster Free Clinic, and The Salvation Army, are committed to providing vision care to underserved communities throughout the Central Coast. To make DONATIONS and/or to learn more about the mobile clinic, please visit https://ccfreevision.org/.