Access--Providing Job Opportunities
Plus: Commendations for Bayside Staff; LV Residents Offer Opinions; State Budget Info for District 39, Foster Kittens Available, and Upcoming Community Events
How often in the past couple months have you seen a “Help wanted” sign posted on a business’s window and mouthed the following sentiment… “This is a great time for a young person to get a job. If they have the necessary job skills, they could soon be earning a paycheck.” At a time when the work world is undergoing somewhat of a COVID-induced transformation, and everyone is attempting to identify what job skills will be needed today, and in the future, Access, Inc.—a non-profit community-based organization with its headquarters located in Linda Vista—is in the midst of preparing young people to become work ready. Accordingly, we thought now was an appropriate time for Linda Vista Updatereaders to take a look at what exciting plans Access has for the following months to prepare young people for job opportunities.
Consistent with their current youth workforce program efforts, Access will soon embark on an ambitious new program that will greatly benefit young people in need of workforce development assistance. During this month, Access will roll out their One Stop Youth Career Center program intended for ages 14 to 21. This county-wide program is designed to help youth both in and out of school with valuable workforce development skills, finding career paths job/career opportunities, and personalized development to become successful at work. The program is expected to eventually serve a thousand young people in the underserved/underrepresented, low-income population.
According to Access CEO and President Kristie Buckley, as part of this program, “young people will be assigned a career navigator, receive work readiness training, and gain access to advice and experience that will enable them to find what their passions are in the world of work.” Program participants will be paid for hours spent in training, they will be given the opportunity for a paid internship, and they will prepare to be hired by employers who can provide a livable wage.
Many Linda Vista residents are already familiar with the various contributions Access has made to the local community, as well as the rest of San Diego County. Based in Linda Vista since the 1970’s (at 2612 Daniel Avenue, right off of Linda Vista Road), Access has played a significant role in providing such wide-ranging services as job skills training, youth and adult education, assistance to small businesses, and legal services on behalf of victims of domestic and sexual violence. (The name Access was originally an acronym for its longer name, Area-wide Service Centers for Education and Social Service).
If you are not familiar with all that Access does for San Diego County, you might be amazed at the breadth of its commitment to impacting the community. According to its web site, the fifty-four-year-old organization’s mission is to“address the needs of the most vulnerable and underserved populations in San Diego County by promoting self-sufficiency and economic independence through education and employment opportunities.” The web site further identifies its role as one of “advocating for social justice, protecting human rights, and striving toward abolishing structural racism and violence wherever it exists in our community.”
In addition to the One Stop Youth Career Center program, Access will also soon be introducing a Micro-Enterprise Development program. This program, funded by a city of San Diego Community Development Block Grant, is designed to help San Diego residents at low to moderate income levels start their own small business. Program participants will have the opportunity to attend “Start Your Own Business” classes in which they receive advice on putting together business plans, and how to submit for a business license/permit. Access has already helped 27 small businesses start their efforts (i.e., food trucks, landscaping, cleaning companies); however, as part of this new program, Access has established a bold goal of helping to open 60 small businesses by June 2022.
If you want to find out more about Access, Inc. and all the things the organization does or has recently done, please check out the Access web site here, or the Facebook page here. In the meantime, Ms. Buckley advises that “We are here for the whole community of Linda Vista. We welcome you to come by for one of our programs. We are here to serve.”
Accolades for Bayside Community Center Staff Members
District 7 Councilmember Raul Campillo recently recognized two staff members of the Bayside Community Center. Councilmember Campillo awarded commendations to Amy Zink and Tomasa Ruiz for their work associated with the Center’s Urban Farming/community garden program.
The Linda Vista Update is happy to report that Amy Zink and the Urban Farming program were featured in a newsletter post back in August (you can read it here). Tomasa Ruiz was featured in an October post (please read here) for her work coordinating Bayside’s Monthly Community Clean-up.
Congrats to both of these awesome Linda Vista residents!
Checking in with Linda Vista Residents
The band Chicago once played a hit song called Saturday in the Park, but as I found out while conducting a late afternoon visit to Linda Vista Neighborhood Park this week, Tuesday in the Park can be just as joyful an occasion.
On this Tuesday, the park was hopping…full of people skating, playing soccer, hitting tennis balls, barbequing, and just enjoying the warm sunshine.
Though I enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of the park, I was really there to get a handle on what Linda Vista residents are currently thinking. As I circulated through the park, I took the time to bother some bona fide Linda Vista residents by asking for a response to the following question: “What positive changes would you like to see for Linda Vista?”
Here is what these Linda Vista residents had to say:
Ryan Owens recommended “the city pick up the trash on roads and freeways. You go to other communities and it’s not like this. Sometimes it looks like a Third World country around here.”
Rebecca Robles advised there should be “No gangs at the park.”
Sheila Bishop commented that “The condition of the local roads needs to be improved.” She also said, “The city needs to look at Osler Road and Genesee. It’s dangerous. Living next to this area, I hear accidents there all the time.”
Connie H. had this to say. “I’d like to see less homeless people, and maybe have the city look at the traffic lights at Comstock and Linda Vista Road. They are always out.” (Ed note: As reported in a previous post, the city has recently budgeted money to upgrade this intersection)
Ilse Morris, a former Linda Vista resident who recently moved to Kearny Mesa, stated “We need more bike safety. When I rode a bike, the number of drivers yelling at me was ridiculous. They are afraid of us (cyclists). The bike lane isn’t sufficient. Perhaps we need lower speed limits for cars.”
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Interesting note: Upon asking one park visitor if he was a Linda Vista resident, I got the response…”No, I’m from Argentina.” It turns out Maxi Bentaberry and his sons were at the park specifically to skate at the Linda Vista Skateboard Park. While vacationing here in California, these international tourists thought it important enough to make a stop to skate in Linda Vista. While I expressed some surprise at their visit, Maxi told me “Of course we stopped here. This skateboard park is world famous.” He further went on to say, “I hope people in Linda Vista appreciate what a great skateboard park they have.”
State Budget Information From Senator Toni Atkins
The office of State Senator Toni Atkins (Senate District 39) recently reported the following state budget information that relates to the 39th State Senate District, which includes Linda Vista and several of its neighboring communities. According to Senator Atkins, 200 million dollars will be invested in this district.
Here is what Senator Atkins has to report regarding some major investment areas for the district:
· Homelessness & Housing: One of the most pressing issues that this budget helps address is homelessness. I’m pleased to say we were able to make record-level investments to address this crisis on our streets. The San Diego region will benefit from $100 million over two years – with the City of San Diego set to receive $27.3 million in year one.
· Public Safety: The San Diego City Attorney’s Office will receive $1 million to aid its groundbreaking Gun Violence Restraining Order Training Program, which removes guns from people who pose a credible threat of violence to themselves or others. California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta has praised the program as a model for the rest of the state.
· Infrastructure: With less rainfall statewide, water issues are understandably top of mind for Californians, and it’s a top priority for my colleagues and I. This year’s budget includes $50 million in funding for the region’s Pure Water project. The City of San Diego has a goal to provide one-third of the city’s water through recycled Pure Water by 2035, and these funds bring us a step closer. The budget also includes an $18 million investment in the San Vicente Pump Station – a bold, renewable energy storage solution – and the City of San Diego will receive $3.1 million for its Chollas Creek Infrastructure Project to treat storm water runoff.
The Linda Vista Update thanks Senator Atkins for this information.
Foster Kittens Available for Adoption
My wife and I have been fostering two fantastic foster kittens for the SD Humane Society. They will be available for adoption beginning this Friday afternoon (August 6). If you or someone you know want to adopt a kitten or two, I assure you these two female kittens would be welcome additions to a family.
The two kittens' names and ID numbers are: Ito (#7449120) and Junji (#744910). They are both extremely playful, personable, and active. During the time we had them, they learned good manners, an appreciation for sleeping on laps, how to sing for their meals, and how to mimic the movements of the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team. They will make great companions!
If you want more information regarding them, send me an email, or you can contact the SD Humane Society beginning late Friday afternoon (reference their ID numbers). They should be available for viewing at the Humane Society beginning late Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.
Upcoming Community Events
—Movie in the Park: The Linda Vista Recreation Center will host another Movie in the Park this Friday August 6. The movie begins at 6:00 pm. The movie will be held in conjunction with Friday Teen Nite. See the poster below for more information.
—Soccer: The SD Loyal SC plays its next home match on August 7 at 7:30 pm. Home matches are played at USD’s Torero Stadium. Click here for ticket information.
—Backpack Giveaway: Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber’s office reports the following: “Please join us on Saturday, August 14th, for the ninth Annual 79th Assembly District Backpack Giveaway! Between 10 am – 1 pm at Horace Mann Middle School, we’ll be giving away 1,000 free backpacks filled with school supplies for the upcoming school year and sanitation kits to prepare students for in-person learning. There will also be a free vaccination clinic, free helmet fittings and helmets, and more giveaways! To ensure that we have an accurate count, we ask that you complete the registration prior to the event. To register, you may visit: https://bit.ly/ad79backpacks. Please note that registration will close 3pm on Friday, August 13th. Masks and social distancing will be encouraged during this event.”
—ROBOTHINK Video Coding Class Commences: A video coding class will be conducted at the Linda Vista Recreation Center beginning August 16. See the poster below for more details.
—The Circus is Coming to Town: The Fern Street Circus will be at the Linda Vista Recreation Center on Saturday August 21. This free performance will be held at 2:00 pm.
—Community Clean-Up: The next Bayside Community Center Community Clean-Up will be held at 10:00 on September 12. Volunteers meet in the Linda Vista library parking lot. Let Bayside know in advance that you plan on volunteering for this task.
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The Linda Vista Update publishes informative, interesting and fun news about Linda Vista and its neighboring communities.