To the crowd of over 220 individuals, Rosales credited WEV with providing her a network of resources and funding that has allowed her business on Main Street in Downtown Ventura to survive and thrive. Rosales shared that, “WEV rallied their financial network, educated us on grants and government programs… they were the first ones offering a low interest bridge loan before many of us business owners even had access to the PPP program.”  Like many local businesses, Rosales’ shop was directly impacted by the Thomas Fire as well as the pandemic shutdown. “If it weren’t for WEV stepping in just at the right time with access to capital, I’m not sure I’d be here today.”

Bicycle shop owner Casanta echoed a sentiment of gratitude when she shared her personal and professional story of resilience. She described how the bike shop she owns with her husband was the target of multiple burglaries during the height of COVID, and in 2021 she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. “WEV had my back, with messages of encouragement and financial support. I’ll never forget that; find the silver lining, focus on the positive,” said Casanta who proudly shared that she is now cancer free. Hypercat has been recognized with several industry awards and the business has enjoyed their biggest revenue months ever.

WEV’s CEO, Kathy Odell spoke about the common goal of economically empowering individuals. “The power of a strong, supportive community, where people pitch in and help each other practically, emotionally, and socially, supports mental and physical health. And it enables the entire community to better respond, adapt and recover from adverse events,” said Odell.

Proceeds raised at the Empowerment is Priceless event will directly benefit WEV’s business funding and client programs, including financial literacy and education classes, business training courses, individual coaching, and business advisory services – all provided in both English and Spanish.

For the fourth year, Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families has received a $100,000 grant from the Foster Family Foundation to support the agency’s campus-based programs and services in addition to its Mobile Crisis Response services in Santa Barbara County. Casa Pacifica provides a comprehensive and integrated array of programs for youth who have been involved in the foster care system or who face severe emotional or behavioral challenges, with specific expertise in educational, employment, housing and mental and behavioral health services.

“We believe that all young people deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential. We are pleased to continue our support of Casa Pacifica, and we share in its commitment to ensuring a bright future for foster and at-risk children and youth,” said Camille Davenport, president, Foster Family Foundation.

Casa Pacifica serves approximately 1,700 youth each year through therapeutic, evidence-based programs that include residential treatment; transitional youth services for both transitional (16-18 years) and emancipated (18-24 years) foster youth; recreational therapy to build confidence and foster positive relationships; and Safe Alternatives for Treating Youth (SAFTY), a mobile response service for children in crisis. The agency also serves more than 100 children and adolescents each year through its Non-Public School, a fully certified, accredited special education school that helps at-risk youth regain grade level and build both classroom and social skills.

As the largest nonprofit provider of mental and behavioral health services for at-risk and foster children and adolescents in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, Casa Pacifica relies on grantors, event revenue and corporate and individual donors to provide essential programs and services to more than 2,000 children, youth and families annually. This year alone, the organization must fundraise approximately 13% of its nearly $30 million operating budget. Monies raised fill the gap that exists between revenue received through government service contracts and the actual cost of caring for children, youth and families.

Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families provides assessment, clinical, medical, residential, and educational services to foster and at-risk children/youth struggling with complex mental health disorders due to past trauma and/or mental illness. The agency is the largest non-profit provider of children’s mental health services in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties and administers fourteen campus- and community-based programs designed to give youth, and their families, the tools they need to heal, rebuild and strengthen relationships, reengage with their educations, and overcome their negative emotional and behavioral challenges. For more information about Casa Pacifica visit its website www.casapacifica.org or call the Development Department at (805) 445-7800.

Dignity Health –St. John’s Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) has once again been recognized with a Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care designation, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program by Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated providers that show expertise in delivering improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.

“We are proud to once again be named a Blue Distinction Center for providing high quality cardiac care,” said David Schmidt, MD, medical director, cardiovascular services, St. John’s Regional Medical Center. “Receiving this prestigious designation for a second consecutive earning period is a testament to the skill and talent of the cardiac team at St. John’s Regional Medical Center and our commitment to advancing care for our patients.”

Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care seek to empower patients with the knowledge and tools to find quality cardiac care. To be designated, hospitals must demonstrate expertise in delivering safe and effective cardiac care, focusing on cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary interventions episodes of care.

“Our team works hard every day to provide patients with the best care and the best possible outcomes, said Barry Wolfman, President and CEO of St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo. “This is a well-deserved honor. I am incredibly proud to work alongside such an amazing cardiology team.”

Hospitals recognized with this designation are assessed using a combination of quality information supplied by hospitals and third-party data registries and cost measures derived from Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies’ medical claims.

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally and is expected to claim more than 23.6 million lives annually by 2030.

Ventura Education Partnership connects community resources to support and sustain excellence in education for VUSD students. VEP is excited to announce the fall 2022 grant cycle is now complete. 35 teachers were awarded grants for their special classroom projects The grants were from all subject areas. VEP had donors who dedicated their funding for STEM, Science and Technology, Science and Health and Art & Social Justice.

Thank you to our major donors that made these grants possible; Aera Energy, Community Memorial Health System, and Harald & Birgit Wulff. Marlene McMullen and Patty Kingsley, Co-Vice Presidents of Grants said, “We are extremely grateful to all our donors for stepping up during these challenging times to support student learning.” Over the past 10 years, Ventura Education Partnership has provided more than $1 million in small grants to VUSD teachers that make a BIG impact on learning. VEPGrants have touched every child in VUSD and have a lasting impact on learning by incentivizing innovation in the classroom and incubating new programs district-wide.

VEP fall 2022 grant recipients:

Ryana Aguilera-Loma Vista,Lupe Alpuche-Sheridan Way,Mark Asher- Lincoln,Christa Bandringa- Cabrillo Middle School ,Mary Barnhizer- Lincoln,Erin Beerer-Balboa Middle School,Steena Bischof- Citrus Glen,Beth Borer- Pacific High School,,Lynn Bova- JuanamariaKeeley Chambers- Balboa Middle School,Darcy Duffy- Lemon Grove,Mary Elsenbaumer- Loma Vista,Tracie Fickenscher- Mound,Erin Fraser- Lemon GroveAdriana Guerra- E P Foster,Liz Gutierrez- Loma Vista,Lindsay Guzik- Cabrillo Middle School,Ellen Harrison- Poinsettia,Liz Heiberger- Will Rogers,Debbie Herz-Sherman- Citrus Glen,Suzanne Hudspeth- Sunset,Jill Johnson- Loma Vista,Karen Kirschenbaum-Reynosa- Ventura High School,Scott Lancet- Pierpont,Scott Lehman- Cabrillo Middle School,Shannon Lopez- Anacapa Middle School,Linda Miller- EIC Pacific,Hilary Morefield- Anacapa Middle School,Laura Nicholls- Lincoln,Danvi Nguyen- Lemon Grove,Kati Padgett- Lemon Grove,Amy Perez- EIC, ATLAS,Becky Torres- Sunset,Rebecca Van Mannekes- Sheridan Way,Megan Vasquez- EIC, ATLAS

Congratulations Fall 2022 Recipients!

The Ventura Climate Coalition (VCC) is a local group of citizens that are deeply concerned about our environment and particularly the advancing challenge of Climate Change that threatens our way of life and the livability of the planet. We believe individual and local actions can help mitigate the looming threat, and position the Community to best adapt to the problems that are already baked into our future. We surveyed all Council candidates for their positions on the following measures and strategies that we believe should be pursued.

Survey Questions

1. Adoption of ordinances or amendments to the State Building Code (a “Reach” Code) that, with few exceptions, prohibit new buildings to be hooked-up to natural gas pipelines.

2. Seek and support programs that promote retrofitting gas powered equipment and appliances with electrically powered ones in existing buildings.

3. Re-locate the Southern California Gas Co. compressor plant on North Olive St. in West Ventura to a remote location away from its present location across the street from a school.

4. Commit the City to using 100% renewable electrical energy supplied by the Clean Power Alliance (CPA).

5. Set a goal to have 20% of the city staff work from home each week to help reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) that create about 40% of the Climate Changing gases generated in the community.

We believe individual and local actions can help mitigate the looming threat, and position the Community to best adapt to the problems that are already baked into our future.

Each of the council candidates in the four districts where elections are being held (for a total of 12 candidates) was sent a survey on October 5th and asked to respond by October 14th. They were told their responses would be published in the local press to share with voters.

The candidates were asked to rate their level of support for each action on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest level of support equating to voting for the action.

Seven candidates responded, including at least one from each of the four districts in question (1, 4, 5, and 6). The responding candidates’ level of support for the actions were largely “4s and 5s”. The fact that a majority of the candidates responded (7 of 12) and that their level of support for specific climate action was high, is encouraging.

Candidates By District Level of support for five climate action measures

District 1 1 2 3 4 5

Alyona Brody NR NR NR NR NR

Liz Campos 5 5 5 5 5

Marco Cuevas 3 5 5 4 5

Helen Eloyan 5 5 5* 5 5

District 4

Jim Rundle NR NR NR NR NR

Jeanette Sanchez Palacios 5 5 5 5 5

District 5

Bill McReynolds NR NR NR NR NR

Marie Lakin 5 5 5 5 5

District 6

Jim Duran NR NR NR NR NR

Lorrie Brown NR NR NR NR NR

Danny Carrillo 4 5 5 4 5!

Steph Karba 4 5 5 3-4 4-5

In Ventura County, the median gross rent is $1,854, according to Census.gov (2016-2020). For college students, this can be a crushing obstacle to fulfilling their educational goals. When Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill No. 183 in June, approving more than $542 million for the construction of affordable student housing, Ventura College was honored to be among the 11 recipients.

The college will receive over $62 million, which will fund apartment-type student housing to provide over 300 beds in 95 units with rental costs ranging from $400-$900 per month.

“Access to affordable housing continues to be an issue that California must address,” said State Assemblymember Steve Bennett (District 37). “Students are particularly impacted, and in this year’s state budget, we were able to direct funding to colleges and universities across the state to help address that impact. I know Ventura College’s new housing will enable hardworking students access to a safe and affordable place to live.”

The funding comes at a critical time, as 18% of Ventura College students experience housing insecurity, defined as having issues with affordability, safety, quality or housing loss. A student housing marketing and demand analysis created for Ventura College determined that students have experienced increased costs and challenges in finding housing.

All three colleges in the Ventura County Community College District — Moorpark College, Oxnard College and Ventura College — received funding through AB 183. Moorpark College and Oxnard College were awarded $250,000 and $249,000, respectively, for proposals to research the feasibility and planning of future affordable student housing on their campuses.

The Ventura College housing project will be located on campus property and is expected to break ground in 2023.

“California has made incredible strides in passing AB 183. This funding will provide affordable student housing opportunities and is a game changer in helping students meet their academic goals,” said Kim Hoffmans, president of Ventura College.

Ventura County Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDBVC) is excited to announce the launch of the new Ventura County Works Hub, a virtual call center and online resource hub where job seekers will be navigated to the appropriate services offered by the Workforce Development Programs and Partners across Ventura County.

“WDBVC believes our new Ventura County Works Hub will help job seekers easily connect with our resources and our partner’s resources,” explained Norman Albances, Assistant Director WDBVC. “We recognized that we needed job seekers to have easier access to our services. Therefore, job seekers can call, fill out a form, or chat with our Navigators who will then provide an individualized assessment so they can connect them to real-time programs and services, all at no cost.”

August reporting by CNBC (https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/02/august-2022-jobs-report-.html) showed the unemployment rate climbed to 3.7%, two-tenths of a percentage point higher than expectations.  Wages rose 5.2% from a year ago, slightly lower than estimated, and the biggest sector gains were in professional and business services, health care, and retail.

Just in time to meet the increased job placement demands, the new Ventura County Works Hub will aid job seekers with the individualized services and resources needed. Jobseekers can call 805-648-WORK (648-9675), or visit https://workforceventuracounty.org

“It’s an exciting time in the Workforce Development Board of Ventura County’s 40-year history,” said Rebecca Evans, Executive Director. “This new resource allows us to easily help those in need of a career change, job training and certification by bringing the service to them, all at no cost to our community.”

Staff are on standby M-F 8-12 noon and 1-5 pm, with services available in both English and Spanish.  Individuals can also access the live chat function on the Workforce Development Board of Ventura County’s website to connect with services and support.

In other Workforce news Stephen Yeoh has been elected as chair and Sandy Smith as vice-char. Yeoh and Smith will serve one-year terms. 

Stephen Yeoh, who joined the board in 2016, is the Chief Peace of Mind Officer at Un1teee, an IT service provider located in Thousand Oaks with clients in the healthcare, finance, and legal industries.  He served on the board of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce and was a volunteer instructor for the Central Coast Chapter of the Project Management Institute.  

Smith was appointed to WDB in 2020. He is a project manager at Sespe Consulting, Inc., an engineering, land use and environmental company based in Ventura.  Smith, a former Ventura city council member, is currently a Senior Adjunct Instructor at Cal Lutheran University. He is a long-time participant in non-profits that focus on sustaining this county’s quality of life. “I’m looking forward to working with staff and our board in our continued efforts to promote innovative workforce programs and institutions that offer all our residents an opportunity for a higher quality of life,” says Smith. 

Members of the WDB include leaders from business, economic development, education, labor, government, and community-based organizations.

The national Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has selected Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers® are nationally designated healthcare facilities that show a commitment to delivering high-quality patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.

 “We are excited to announce that we have received the Blue Distinction Center+ recognition for our exceptional spine surgery program at Community Memorial Hospital,” said Community Memorial Health System Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Adam Thunell. “Meeting the rigorous criteria for this designation is a true collaboration amongst our surgeons, clinical leaders, and staff, and we are proud to offer such a high level of spine care right here in our community.”

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, spinal surgeries are among the most common and expensive elective surgeries in the United States. Facilities like Community Memorial Hospital that are designated as Blue Distinction Centers® for Spine Surgery demonstrate expertise in cervical and lumbar fusion, cervical laminectomy and lumbar laminectomy/discectomy procedures, resulting in fewer patient complications and readmissions compared to other facilities. Designated facilities include hospitals and surgery centers and they must maintain national accreditation. In addition to meeting these quality thresholds, facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ are, on average, 20% more cost-efficient for an episode of care compared to other facilities. 

The Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, gene therapy, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery, substance use treatment and recovery, and transplants. Research for many of these programs shows that those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate higher quality and improved outcomes for patients. Community Memorial Hospital is also a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care.

For more information about the program, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.