Local
Sonoma County COVID-19 Lockdown Extended a Month as Cases, Deaths Increase
With the coronavirus raging and leaving a deadly wake in Sonoma County, the nearly monthlong lockdown set to be lifted Saturday has been extended at least another month.
County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase confirmed Friday the local public health stay-home order that strictly limits daily life and commercial activities will remain in place four more weeks. The directive had gone into effect Dec. 12 to counter an alarming increase in COVID-19 transmission and help contend with expected challenging weeks of the infectious disease.
With 3,029 new virus infections the past two weeks and deaths mounting in January at a record pace, it’s unsurprising the lockdown will continue into February.
On Friday, local public health officials reported five more people died of complications of COVID-19, raising the weekly death toll to 23 and to 27 so far this month. Now, 219 county residents have lost their lives to the contagion since the pandemic began last March.
And this winter resurgence of the coronavirus is expected to claim more lives in the coming weeks, as one local infectious disease doctor on Thursday called the number of deaths “the tip of the iceberg.”
The physician, Dr. Gary Green, at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital predicted: “I really think that January is going to be, probably, the most deadly month in the pandemic so far.”
Mase has issued a blunt warning to county residents to adhere to the public health order because the area is experiencing “really widespread community transmission now with a case rate that is three to four times higher than what it was just six to eight weeks ago.”
Much like the widespread restrictions issued in March at the start of the pandemic, the county’s extended lockdown will deliver yet another blow to some of the county’s core economic sectors and small businesses. Restaurants, breweries and wineries only can sell food and beverages for takeout or delivery. A slew of personal care salons will remain closed for haircuts, manicures and pedicures, among other services. Hotels are barred from booking leisure travel guests.
Retail operations will be allowed to continue at 20% of customer capacity, or 35% capacity for stand-alone grocery stores.
Residents are advised to stay home, except for essential work and errands and outdoor recreation to remain healthy. All gatherings outside the home of any size are temporarily banned. Outdoor services are allowed at places of worship. Families can take their children to playgrounds.
Last month, the county’s return to a shutdown came a week after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a stay-home order for all regions of the state where hospital intensive care unit bed availability dropped below 15%. At that time, the ICU capacity for Bay Area hospitals was 17.8%. This week, as of Tuesday, the latest data available, that ICU availability has plunged to 7.4% for the region.
However, Sonoma County hospitals still have roughly 28% of intensive care beds open. For the most part, they continue performing elective surgeries and keep balancing treating virus patients and those suffering with other illnesses.
Although the rampant virus spread is assaulting a broad part of the county, once again the pandemic is tormenting skilled nursing centers and residential care homes for the elderly. The virus devastated these sites in August but had ebbed, only to come roaring back. There’s been about 150 new infections at senior care homes of the county most vulnerable residents the past two weeks, and 10 residents have died from COVID-19.
For nursing home residents, death from COVID-19 is one of extreme isolation and misery, said Jenny Fish, a local hospice physician and one of the founders of HPEACE, a health care advocacy organization. Fish works with a number of hospice nurses who care for patients in local senior care homes.
Covid Death Rate Soaring in SoCo
The number of coronavirus deaths in Sonoma County is soaring, a grim reminder of rampant virus transmission in the community as the infectious disease infects many more of the county’s most vulnerable residents in senior care homes and the general population.
In just the first seven days of the year, county health officials have reported 22 deaths linked to COVID-19. Ten were reported by county officials on Thursday after eight on Tuesday, boosting pandemic deaths to 214.
The 10 fatalities are the most county officials have revealed in a single day since the pandemic started last March, mirroring California’s record deadly virus trend.
With virus-related deaths clearly mounting, the county Sheriff’s Office recently acquired a refrigeration trailer that can hold 56 bodies if the county morgue gets “bombarded with deaths” and reaches its limit, Sheriff’s spokesman Juan Valencia said.
“We have not peaked in the second wave yet; we haven’t seen the worst of it,” said Dr. Gary Green, an infectious disease specialist at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital. “I really think that January is going to be, probably, the most deadly month in the pandemic so far.”
Raising the alarm, Green and other health care experts said COVID-19 is spreading in the community at a greater extent now compared with the summer months. That means more residents sick with the virus are being hospitalized, and eventually more people will die, Green said.
Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s health officer, said the spike of deaths and people hospitalized with the respiratory disease shows how prevalent the virus is in the county. Mase stressed the importance of adhering to public health orders and personal safety rules, including masking, hand-washing and social distancing.
“We have widespread, really widespread community transmission now with a case rate that is three to four times higher than what it was just six to eight weeks ago,” she said.
Mase and other health care experts said a larger share of the local deaths linked to the virus now are occurring in the general population, compared to last summer when COVID-19 fatalities were mainly driven by infections in skilled nursing centers and residential care homes for the elderly. These residents still remain vulnerable to being hospitalized and dying from the virus.
Coronavirus-related deaths among senior care home residents comprised 40% of the 40 fatalities since Dec. 10, showing the dramatic swing from the start of the pandemic to last month when such elderly residents accounted for 65% of virus deaths. Among these 40 latest deaths, 15% originated from household transmission of the virus, 8% were tied to Thanksgiving gatherings, while the virus source is unknown for 35% of these fatalities, local health officials said.
Of the 18 fatalities reported so far this week, at least nine were residents living in either skilled nursing or residential care sites, while eight were people in the general population. One was disclosed late Thursday night and no information was immediately available about that fatality.
All who were living in senior care homes were 64 or older, as were four of the eight people living at home. Three of the deceased who lived at home were between 50 and 64 and one was between 18 and 49 — a stark reminder the virus can be deadly in young residents.
On Thursday, California public health authorities reported a record two-day total of 1,042 coronavirus deaths, as many hospitals statewide grapple with unprecedented numbers of patients afflicted with the virus.
The state Department of Public Health’s website listed 583 new deaths, after 459 deaths Wednesday. The previous two-day record total was 1,013 deaths at the end of December. California’s death toll since the start of the pandemic has eclipsed 28,000.
What’s Happening at Marin’s Spahr Center This Month
To join the Spahr Senior GroupMonday, 7 to 8 pm,click the purple button below the Butterfly Heart.New participants are warmly welcomed! |
Topical Thursdays12:30 to 2 pm January 7 Nancy Flaxman Facilitates! TransitionsWhen I first began working in the LGBT senior program, I was struck by how many people I met with individually who told me that their life was in transition. In my early 40’s, I thought somehow when we reach our 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, we arrive. I then realized that we are always changing and evolving. How is your life in transition? Check-in Mondays7 to 8 pm We catch up with each other on how we’re doing and have unstructured conversations focused on listening and deepening community. |
Jerry Schmitz can be reached at [email protected]Debbie Alcouloumre at [email protected] We encourage you to consider offering a song or a poem, play a favorite piece of music or maybe a tap dance, comedy routine or drag number. Jerry, our impresario, is incredibly skilled and patient in recording our acts on zoom well ahead of the show, making sure we performers are satisfied with the result. He will then strings them together to be shown in late February. |
The Social Committee has been consistently offering fun events to offset the boredom of the pandemic. They want to celebrate your birthday if you’ll let them know when it is. They offer a women’s coffee plus a number of times to gather on zoom over games and conversation. In January, they are offering Farkle Fridays with Elizabeth, a Games Day, a Women’s Coffee, and a Birthday Celebration of everyone born in January on zoom, 1/12. Let them know your birthday date to be included! If you love movies, you’ll be sure to want to participate in their Special Event of the month at 3pm on January 19! To see their January flyer, click here. (note: the flyer date for the birthday celebration isn’t correct…)To sign up for their emails, click here. |
Resiliency in the Time of CoronavirusHere’s a great article in a recent Marin IJ that provides us with strategies to cope with our current circumstances, developing creative ways to engage with our lives and each other as we move into winter here. |
Tis the season of hope and connectedness. Tis also, unfortunately, tis the season of scams – especially those aimed at us seniors. AARP has good advice for ways we can protect ourselves here. |
The Spahr Center has a number of tablets, i.e., small mobile computers, available to give to seniors for free!We’re also seeking ways to help teach seniors how to use them. If you would like to receive a tablet, please let Bill know: 415/450-5339 or [email protected]. The tablet would enable you to join our senior groups on zoom with video as well as access other parts of the internet. Please Note: We’re hoping to have the tablets individuals have requested begin to be available next week. |
Also in this email (below):Spahr has skilled therapists ready to work with seniors on a sliding-scale basis.Rental Assistance available.Nutrition ResourcesBisexual Support zoom group forming through The Spahr Center. |
Building Community in the Midst of Sheltering-in-PlaceSee old friends and make new ones! Join us!The Spahr Center’s LGBT Senior Discussion Groupscontinue everyMonday, 7 to 8 pm& Thursday, 12:30 to 2 pm on zoom |
To Join Group by Video using Computer, Smart Phone or TabletJust click this button at the start time, 6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:Join GroupAlways the same link! Try it, it’s easy! |
To Join Group by Phone CallIf you don’t have internet connections or prefer joining by phone,call the following number at the start time,6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:1-669-900-6833The Meeting id is 820 7368 6606#(no participant id required)The password, if requested, is 135296# If you want to be called into the group by phone, notify Bill Blackburn at 415/450-5339 |
Spahr’s skilled therapists are available to work with seniors on a sliding-scale basis. Write to[email protected]. A Bisexual Support Group is forming with The Spahr Center, facilitated by a therapist. Let Bill Blackburn know if you are interested. Whistlestop, recently renamed Vivalon, provides access to resources including rides for older adults. Please note: there is a 3-week registration process for the ride program so register now if you think you may need rides in the future. They also offer free classes on zoom including zumba, yoga, chair exercises, & ukulele! Click here. Adult and Aging Service’s Information and Assistance Line, providing information and referrals to the full range of services available to older adults, adults with disabilities and their family caregivers, has a new phone number and email address: 415/473-INFO (4636) 8:30 am to 4:30 pm weekdays[email protected] |
The Spahr Center is opening its Food Pantry to seniors who need support in meeting their nutrition needs. We want to help! Items such as fresh meats, eggs and dairy, prepared meals, pasta, sauces, and canned goods are delivered weekly to people who sign up. Contact The Spahr Center for more information: [email protected] or 415/457.2487 |
Trouble paying rent? Check out these short videos from Marin County:1. Marin County Eviction Ban2. If you can’t pay your rent3. Paying the rent that you owe4.Help is available Marin Center for Independent Living is offering various kinds of support to people with disabilities as well as older adults to prepare them for possible Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).Click here: MarinCIL Has your employment or business been impacted by COVID-19? Check out these local resources…click here: WorkForce Alliance Snap Back Assistance, up to $800 for COVID-19 affected workers:Call: 415/473-3300 Free Covid-19 Testing Questions? Assistance? We have resources and volunteers for:grocery deliveryfood assistancehelp with technology issues such as using zoomproviding weekly comfort calls to check in on youtherapy with Spahr therapists on a sliding scale basisplus more! Bill Blackburn, Senior Program Coordinator[email protected]415/450-5339 |
SoCo Not Likely to End Stay-at-home Orders January 9
Sonoma County is unlikely to end its current stay-at-home order when it is set to expire the night of Jan. 9, Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase said during her final public briefing of 2020.
As coronavirus spreads locally at the highest rate of the pandemic while parts of the state are struggling to provide enough hospital beds for patients, it’s no shock that Mase is less than optimistic about reopening in a week and a half.
That order, announced by California Gov. Gavin Newsom Dec. 3, ties the ability to gather in backyards and eat outdoors at restaurants to a region’s ICU bed availability. On Dec. 10, Sonoma and 10 other Bay Area counties preemptively adopted a collective stay-at-home order as the region approached the 15% availability threshold established by Newsom.
It’s hard to gain an accurate read on ICU capacity, a measure that can be fluid based on staffing and contingency plans. But the most up-to-date data from the California Department of Public Health shows Sonoma County with 20 available staffed ICU beds as of Tuesday. The county is licensed for 77 ICU beds, though that number can be lower based on available staffing.
Twenty available beds would put local hospitals above the 15% mark. But Mase said the overall Bay Area availability rate is at 7.5%, giving Sonoma and the other 10 counties little chance of escaping what many refer to as a “lockdown.”
While Sonoma County hospital officials insist there are no current shortages of beds or staffing at their facilities, most of the metrics have gotten considerably worse since Mase issued the local order three weeks ago. In the 19 days following her announcement on Dec. 10, the county reported 3,170 new coronavirus cases, or 16.8% of all cases since the start of the pandemic. The daily average since Dec. 10 has been 242. Before then, Sonoma County exceeded that number just two days in seven months.
Even the good news is being tempered. One positive note through most of December has been the absence of fatality clusters at local skilled nursing centers and other congregant living sites for seniors. But as the county acknowledged Wednesday, that doesn’t mean the virus isn’t infiltrating local nursing homes again.
Kate Pack, health program manager of Sonoma County’s epidemiology team, said that since Dec. 8, 44 elder care facilities have reported at least one case among staff or residents, with 24 categorized as outbreaks — defined as three or more cases among staff, or one COVID-positive resident if the infection is determined to have been acquired on-site. Pack cited a total of between 243 and 249 cases here during the month in senior homes, including 137 in Santa Rosa and 59 in Petaluma.
Russian River Holiday Parade Re-branded as “Season of Lights Ride”
Friends of Stumptown Present “Season of Lights Ride” |
December 18, 19, 20 and December 25, 26, 27 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm So you can drive around with your family and friends safe in your car. You will vote on the best place on the Friends of Stumptown Facebook Page. Post your pictures and vote for your favorite place. Don’t forget to look for Santa! He will be giving out treats somewhere on the route each night of this event! Guerneville 14935 Old Cazadero Road 15880 Wright Drive 14611 River Road, Guerneville 17809 Beach Avenue 15460 Drake Road 5 and 10, 16252 Main Street 16386 Cutten Drive 14700 Orchard Lane 14226 Cherry Street 14291 Laurel Road Corner of Laurel Rod and Old Cazadero Road 17627 Orchard Avenue 16205 First Street (Smart Pizza, Hernandez Realty and Shakedown) 16440 4th Street Behind the Bank on Church Street (16290 Main Street) Come see all the trees decorated by different businesses, including Boon Brand 5&10 King’s Sport and Tackle Big Bottom Market Russian River Art Gallery River Queen The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence The Guerneville Bank Club Main Street Bistro Blue Door Art Gallery Rio Rio Vintage Clothing & Art Equality Vines Visiting hours for the garden will be Wednesdays through Sundays from 4-7. Rio Nido 14746 Rio Nido Road 14745 Rio Nido Road 15120 Rio Nido Road 16343 Rio Nido Road 14750 Eagles Nest Lane Monte Rio 21517 Highland Terrace Special THANK YOU to Russian River Chamber of Commerce and The County of Sonoma for helping make this event happen and keeping us safe! Thank you also to Karin Moss for all you’re doing to help our community. If you see a house that’s not on the list take pictures and post. We want to see all the great houses! |
For the Holidays, Please Give to Face to Face as They Work to End HIV in SoCo
Greetings! Whether you joined us last night for our Holiday Virtual Year End Event or have attended our Holiday San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in the past you know that one of our long-standing traditions is the “passing of the Basket!” Your generosity over the years continue to amaze us as you reach into your pockets to donate what you can to our mission. Since we can’t gather in person, this year we are “passing the basket” virtually to you here today! If you can reach into your pocket and contribute to our work we would be so appreciative. Your help can make a big difference in the lives of the clients we service on a daily basis. Thank You & Happy Holidays from the Face to Face Family! |
Order of the Health Officer C19-17: Implementing The Terms Of The Regional Stay At Home Order
Sonoma County on Saturday will join five other Bay Area counties that have issued stay-home orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The stay-home order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the county announced on its website Thursday afternoon, citing rising COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations.
Under the order, residents will be directed to stay at home except for work, shopping, outdoor recreation or other essential activities, such as medical appointments, allowed under the state’s regional shelter-in-place order. All sectors, other than retail and essential operations, were ordered to close. The new restrictions will remain in place until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021.
Under the order, retail operations will be allowed to continue at 20% capacity, or 35% capacity for stand-alone grocery stores. Restaurants will be able to offer take-out, pick up, or delivery. Schools that have received waivers will be allowed to continue operation. Outdoor services are allowed at places of worship.
Hotels, vacation rentals and other lodging will only be allowed to offer accommodations for essential workers or the purpose of isolating people to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
The following operations will be required to cease both indoor and outdoor services:
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Personal care services
- Movie theaters (except for drive-in theaters)
- Wineries, bars, breweries and distilleries (except for operations related to production, manufacturing, distribution and retail sales for off-site consumption)
County’s Health Orders and Guidance are updated as needed based on changing State requirements and current local needs as determined by the County Health Officer. In order to see the most current orders that may supersede any previous order, please view local orders and guidance, and state orders.
The public can see what’s open and what’s closed in Sonoma County to find more details on what businesses are currently open in Sonoma County. The California Blueprint for a Safer Economy provides information on the state’s criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions on activities.
DATE OF AMENDMENT: December 10, 2020
Please read this Order carefully. Violation of or failure to comply with this Order is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. (California Health and Safety Code § 120275, et seq.)
UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTIONS 101040, 101085, AND 120175, THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF SONOMA (“HEALTH OFFICER”) ORDERS:
- Summary. To slow the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”), this Order of the Sonoma County Health Officer implements the restrictions on businesses and activities set forth in the December 3, 2020, Regional Stay at Home Order and the December 6, 2020 Supplement to Regional Stay at Home Order issued by the California Department of Public Health.
- Effective Date and Time. This order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, 2020, and will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, January 9, 2021, unless it is extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing by the Health Officer or State Public Health Officer.
- Basis for Order. Sonoma County is in the midst of a local, regional and statewide surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that began in the middle of October 2020. On October 1, 2020, the seven-day average COVID-19 adjusted daily case rate was 13.3 cases per 100,000 people in the County. According to the most recently reported data, by December 9, 2020, the adjusted rate had nearly doubled, to 25.8 cases per 100,000 persons in the County. Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients have also increased, from a seven-day average of 17.8 patients in County hospitals as of October 1, 2020, to a seven-day average of 49.1 patients in County hospitals as of December 9, 2020.Data reported by the State of California indicates that 10 percent to 30 percent of COVID-19 patients will require intensive care. Of 65 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the County on December 9, 2020, 11 were in intensive care units (ICUs), and only 10 staffed ICU beds were available in the County for all patients, leaving the County with 18.2% percent available ICU capacity. Available ICU capacity in hospitals in the Bay Area region was 17.8 percent on December 9, 2020, and is projected to fall to 15 percent by December 14, 2020. If the current trends continue, according to State projections, Bay Area hospitals collectively may be operating at 91 percent of their full capacity by December 24, 2020, and by January 1, 2021, the demand for ICU beds may exceed the current supply.Surge plans are in place to convert non-ICU hospital beds to ICU beds if necessary, and move non-COVID-19 patients to temporary hospital facilities. However, due to limitations in the availability of qualified and trained medical personnel, expanding ICU capacity in this manner is not ideal from the standpoint of patient care. For this reason, the objective now is to manage existing ICU capacity so that all patients who need intensive care have access to an ICU bed. Reducing the number of transmissions of the COVID-19 virus is critical to meeting this objective.Gatherings of people – social or otherwise – pose risks of virus transmission, even with social distancing and the use face coverings, as neither is 100 percent effective in preventing transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. The transmission risk is higher indoors than outdoors, but even outdoor gatherings can result in viral transmissions, particularly in locations where people remove their face coverings to eat or drink. Large gatherings are more risky than small gatherings, and prolonged interactions – i.e., longer than 15 minutes – are more risky than brief interactions.Reducing the maximum occupancy of businesses has been shown to reduce the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Based on models of the effect of occupancy limitations, researchers found that a substantial reduction in the maximum occupancy of a business substantially reduces virus spread but does not as sharply reduce the number of visits to the business. In the Chicago metropolitan area, for example, a cap on occupancy of businesses at 20 percent of the maximum was found to reduce the predicted number of new infections by more than 80 percent but there was a loss of only 42 percent of overall visits. Because of the current case and hospitalization rates, it is necessary to impose additional restrictions on businesses and personal activities.The California Department of Public Health issued a Regional Stay at Home Order on December 3, 2020, and a Supplement to Regional Stay at Home Order on December 6, 2020, which impose new restrictions on gatherings, travel, and business activities, effective regionally based when available ICU capacity drops below 15 percent. To protect the health and safety of County residents, it is necessary to implement the State Order restrictions before the State Order becomes effective regionally.
- Implementation of State Order. The restrictions set forth in the State’s Regional Stay at Home Order, issued on December 3, 2020, the December 6, 2020 Supplement, and any further amendments, supplements, or guidance issued by the State will apply throughout the County. The Regional Stay at Home Order can be located here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Guidance.aspx https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/
- Other Orders. To the extent that this Order conflicts with the Health Officer’s June 18, 2020, Order (C19-15), as amended, which authorizes businesses to operate in the County in accordance with State guidelines and restrictions applicable to the tier of the State Blueprint that the County is in, or any other Order issued by the Health Officer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this Order will control.
- Enforcement. Pursuant to Government Code sections 26602 and 41601 and Health and Safety Code section 101029, the Health Officer requests that the Sheriff and all chiefs of police in the County ensure compliance with and enforce this Order. The Sheriff, chiefs of police, County Counsel, District Attorney, and city attorneys are empowered to ensure compliance with and enforce this Order within their jurisdictions. The violation of any provision of this Order constitutes an imminent threat and menace to public health, constitutes a public nuisance, and is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.
- Justification. The Health Officer has determined that this Order, and its Prior Shelter Orders, were and are necessary because cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed throughout the County. COVID-19 is highly contagious and has a propensity to spread in various ways including, but not limited to, by attaching to surfaces or remaining in the air, resulting in physical damage and/or physical loss.
- Public Distribution. Copies of this Order shall promptly be: (1) made available at the County Administration Center at 575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa CA 95403; (2) posted on the County Public Health Department website (https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Health/Public-Health/) and (https://socoemergency.org/); and (3) provided to any member of the public requesting a copy of this Order.
- Severability. If any provision of this Order to the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid, the reminder of the Order, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end, the provisions of this Order are severable.
Family Justice Center’s virtual fundraiser and silent auction, “Hope is Not Cancelled” Happens Tonight
You are invited to join us for the Family Justice Center’s virtual fundraiser and silent auction, “Hope is Not Cancelled.”
Click on https://fjcsonomacounty.cbo.io to view information about the event and by scrolling to the bottom of the page, you can preview the auction items before you register. If you are interested in bidding on an item and/or viewing the live event, then register and you will be set! Once registered you can bid from the convenience of your computer or phone until the auction closes on Friday evening. The silent auction starts today, December 9th, at noon and will close following the live event on Friday, December 11th.
The live event with Senator Mike McGuire will be on December 11, 2020 at 5:00 p.m., please take the time to sit down with a glass of wine and enjoy the one hour event. I promise you will be touched.
Every dollar you bid will go to support critical services for victims and survivors of domestic violence, elder abuse, child abuse and sexual assault. Besides bidding, you can contribute to our Fund-A-Need during the live event or on the auction site. Anyone who donates $500 or more to the FJC Fund-A-Need will receive a bottle Natural’ California Champagne from Korbel, my amazing employer and event sponsor, as a celebratory thank you! We have many great items that will make wonderful holiday gifts and premium wines for your holiday celebrations including:1. Paris on the Terrace for Two at Jordan Vineyard and Winery2. Family Pass to the USS Hornet Museum3. Dinner for 8 at Wild Oak Saddle Club4. Wine Tastings at Cuvaison,Taft Street Winery, Portalupi, Hook and Ladder, Mill Creek Vineyards and many other wineries5. Gift Certificate for $200 at Rivers End Restaurant6. Locally Crafted Custom Bluebird Nesting Box7. Double Magnums, Magnums and bottles of exclusive wines from James Family Cellars, Siduri, Dutton-Goldfield, Russian River Vineyards and many more8. Dinner for 4 at Baci Restaurant in Healdsburg9. Gift Baskets from Amy’s Kitchen, Willibee’s Wine & Spirits, Bottle Barn and the Museum of Sonoma County You can also meet our new Executive Director, Marsha Lucien, during the live event and take a virtual tour of the center and see inspiring short (I promise!) videos about the great work being done by the Family Justice Center. Now, more than ever, we need to keep hope alive for victims of abuse.
I hope you will join us,Jill RavitchFJCSC Foundation Board If you prefer to make a contribution by check please mail it to: Family Justice Center Sonoma County, 2755 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. If you want to let me know about your mail-in contribution before 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 11th, I will make sure that it is doubled by one of our live event matching donors. If you are contributing through the website or during the event, this will happen automatically and you don’t need to notify me (unless, of course you want to)! Thank you to all my friends and family for your support and contributions for the FJC, I assure you that it is a wonderful place doing wonderful things for many people.
Happening this Month at Marin’s Spahr Center
Community and Connection DuringAnother Covid-19 Caused Shutdown |
Residents of the Bay Area have once again been asked to stay at home through at least the end of December, except when conducting essential business, and also to scrupulously observe prevention practices including mask wearing, social distancing and frequent handwashing. We know that stay at home orders are truly difficult for all of our constituents, and very likely to deepen isolation and depression to troublesome levels. This is especially true during the Holidays, when all of us hope for and are accustomed to gathering with friends and loved ones for warmth and celebration. The Spahr Center wants to remind our clients and supporters that we are here for you during this time. We continue to hold discussion groups and social activities by Zoom. Our therapists are available to provide support. We will help you to build or maintain community and connection as best we can – during and after Covid. Reach us at [email protected] or 415.886.8551. Art by @hellomynameiswednesday. |
Many Hands Make Light Work –Volunteer with The Spahr Center! |
As an essential business during the Covid-19 emergency, The Spahr Center operates programs that have to continue serving people no matter what! This includes our food pantry and syringe access program, as well as programs that keep our clients connected to community to prevent isolation and depression. (See our story on the new Friendly Visitor program.) All of these programs need additional hands to ensure that HIV-positive and LGBTQ+ people in Marin have the support they need. We are sensitive to the fact that much of the work we do must be done in our Corte Madera office. We take mask wearing, distancing and cleanliness very seriously, and will create the safest possible experience for our volunteers! If you are interested in working with us, please contact [email protected], or call 415.886.8551 to discuss. |
Friendly Visits for LGBT Seniors –Our Newest Program |
The Spahr Center serves a wonderful and large group of seniors through discussion groups, counseling services, and social activities (many of which are provided by our friends at the Social Committee). These services help to build community and belonging for LGBT seniors, and are among our most rewarding offerings. We know that there are many additional LGBT seniors in Marin County who are living alone or in residential care facilities who feel very isolated from their peers, and long for connection – especially during Covid! With support from the Marin County Non-Profit Community Partner Program, Horizons Foundation and Westamerica Bank, The Spahr Center is launching a Friendly Visitor Program. We are recruiting volunteers to be trained to be in regular contact with an LGBT senior by phone or over Zoom to share stories, discuss mutual interests and form a friendship. We also plan to connect seniors new to our LGBT programs to all of the services provided by The Spahr Center. We welcome Spahrklers (Spahrkle readers) to let us know if you are aware of an LGBT senior who might enjoy participating in the Friendly Visitor Program. Additionally, we seek volunteers who have 2 to 5 hours a week to serve as Friendly Visitors! This involves some training, making weekly visits, and reporting back to our staff every week about how things are going. Please contact Bill Blackburn at [email protected] if you would like to help! |
Make Your End of Tax Year Donation Today – Support The Spahr Center to Achieve its New Strategic Plan! |
On November 23, The Spahr Center released its Strategic Plan to guide our programs and advocacy from 2021 to 2025. It is a bold and visionary road map to respond to the needs and aspirations articulated by 150 community members and service providers. Our 6 Priorities and 15 action items will further ensure that members of the HIV and LGBTQ+ communities feel better connected to one another and supported; that a comprehensive, quality system of medical and social services exists to meet their needs; and that Marin’s residents and key institutions are fully embracing. We encourage you to review our Plan at www.thespahrcenter.org. We ask that our supporters make a generous contribution to help us carry out our vision of an LGBTQ+ and HIV community that is connected, empowered, and thriving within a supportive Marin County. Please consider making a monthly pledge to sustain the life-saving and life-affirming work of this one-of-a-kind agency. Visit https://www.mightycause.com/organization/spahrcenter TODAY! |
Follow Our Lifesaving Harm Reduction ProgramsOn Twitter! @4harmreduction |
The Spahr Center protects dozens of lives every year through its program to provide sterile syringes to injection drug users and collect used syringes, as well as its program to distribute Naloxone widely to prevent opioid related overdoses. The program is funded by the State of California, County of Marin and private foundations to prevent HIV infection, hepatitis C infection and overdoses, as well as to link individuals to needed medical care and other social services. We encourage Spahrkle readers to learn more about the principles of and approaches to harm reduction at www.harmreduction.org and also to follow our harm reduction program on Twitter: @4harmreduction. And please see our related interview with Lyra Smith in this issue of Spahrkle! |
Spotlight on the Great People of the Spahr Center – Focus on Lyra Smith |
With this issue of Spahrkle, we launch a monthly profile of some of the wonderful clients, staff members, volunteers, donors, and supporters who deliver the important programs of The Spahr Center and contribute to its culture of compassion and outstanding service to the community. We start with Lyra Smith! In December, Lyra took on the important role of Development Assistant here at Spahr to support our fundraising activities. Lyra continues her service as a super-dedicated and effective volunteer with the Syringe Access Program – helping to staff sites at which we provide sterile syringes, hand out Naloxone to prevent overdoses, and link injection drug users to medical and social support programs. We are so grateful to Lyra for her enthusiastic and conscientious work for the community. Rhiannon Saltzman, The Spahr Center’s Harm Reduction Manager, had a sit down with Lyra to ask her a few questions about her life and activities. See her responses by clicking here: |
School Board Candidate Forums Show Huge Potential for LGBTQ+ School Advocacy |
This year, The Spahr Center’s held student-led candidate forums for the Tamalpais Union, San Rafael, Sausalito/Marin City, and Novato school board races. The forums were live streamed over Facebook and facilitated by members of our Social Justice Fellowship and Middle School Leadership Institute programs. The forums proved to be very generative spaces that allowed candidates to hear the needs of LGBTQ+ students in their schools and express their commitments to providing more support. The youth participants voiced immense amounts of excitement for how all of the candidates participating enthusiastically engaged with LGBTQ+ issues and brainstormed possibilities for the future. Some of the ideas generated by school board members included a district-level LGBTQ+ task force, increased counseling resources, needs assessments, curriculum revisions, cultural competency, and more! It was powerful for these ideas to come from school board candidates, and The Spahr Center is excited to collaborate with those who have now been elected. Stay tuned for more updates on the youth program’s advocacy work moving forward! |
Chiqui Diaz, member of The Spahr Center’s Social Justice Fellowship Program, wins California activism award! |
Chiqui was one of 6 young people from across the state named “Voices for Change” by the California Endowment. The Youth Awards honor young leaders who engage civically, volunteer locally, advocate for important causes, or encourage engagement among their peers. The award seeks to recognize youth who take brave action when faced with deep-rooted systemic barriers and injustice, have shown up in their community as agents of change, have made a positive impact on their community at large, and will continue to evolve as leaders in the years ahead. The California Endowment describes the youth as “agents of change who have dedicated themselves to the hard work of addressing social injustices or inequalities in their local community or state. And we completely agree! Chiqui is an incredible community activist. We wanted to share more about her work in Marin County. Read more about her here: |