We have three months to raise $11,000 for the students at Guerneville, Monte Rio, and Forestville Elementary Schools and Stars Preschool! Every dollar helps!!!! The money raised will be turned into gift cards to Guerneville 5 & 10. Go to www.rrsisters.org for more information
| Dear friend of LGBTQ Connection,I have something I’d like to share with you about an important change coming for me and for LGBTQ Connection. After leading LGBTQ Connection over the last 10.5 years, I will be stepping aside to promote two internal staff to take the helm. This is a bittersweet transition for me. I am sad to be leaving this wonderful organization. I carry so many memories with me of historic moments, heartfelt gatherings. At the same time, I am so proud of what we have accomplished together, and excited for what’s next for me and the program. Raising up the next generation of leaders has been core to our work and mission since our founding. We are in a strong position to sustain and grow our work moving forward. Thank you to everyone who showed up, stood by us, and supported our program—and me, personally—over the years. This community is what it is because of you. I am deeply grateful to the hard working staff, volunteers, and youth leaders that have contributed so much of themselves to shape who we are.Looking back, there are some moments that I especially cherish:I remember October of 2011 when more than 200 of us came together from across Napa County at our historic first LGBTQ Community Forum to create a vision for safer, more welcoming, and vibrant communitiesI am so proud of our youth leadership teams and competency trainings becoming a model mental health program for the state of California, and expanding to support youth in more than six cities across Napa, Sonoma and Monterey countiesYear after year we have intentionally grown our team to better serve our communities. We have gone from 2 staff (counting me) in 2016 to now a team of 10!Spirit Day last week brought us a lot of joy, thank you to so many of you, individuals and partner organizations, for wearing purple and showing your support to LGBTQ youth! After completing a thorough internal process with the On The Move leadership team, Fernando Espinoza (from Napa County) and Chantavy Tornado (from Sonoma County) will now begin serving as co-directors of LGBTQ Connection. I will remain on the team through December of 2021 as a coach, mentor, and training facilitator to the new directors. We have a thorough plan in place to support Fernando and Chantavy’s entrance to their roles and manage the transition.I am thrilled for what Chantavy and Fernando bring with their leadership. Their experiences will inevitably bring fresh ideas and push LGBTQ Connection into new and exciting places.Your support is what allows us to grow and succeed, so please stay connected. I can’t wait for you to get to know Chantavy and Fernando in their new roles. Thank you, Ian Stanley Posadas he/him/élFeel free to contact me if you’d like to connect before the end of the year, and stay tuned for more information from Chantavy and Fernando! |
| Queride amigue de LGBTQ Connection, Tengo algo que quiero compartir con ustedes sobre un cambio importante para mí y para LGBTQ Connection.Después de liderar LGBTQ Connection durante los últimos 10.5 años, me haré a un lado para promover a dos personas del personal interno para que tomen el mando. Esta es una transición agridulce para mí. Me entristece dejar esta maravillosa organización. Llevo conmigo tantos recuerdos de momentos históricos y encuentros conmovedores. Al mismo tiempo, estoy muy orgulloso de lo que hemos logrado juntes y emocionado por lo que sigue para mí y el programa. Criar a la próxima generación de líderes ha sido fundamental para nuestro trabajo y misión desde nuestra fundación. Estamos en una posición fuerte para sostener y hacer crecer nuestros esfuerzos del futuro.Gracias a todes les que se unieron a nosotres y apoyaron nuestro programa, y a mí, personalmente, a lo largo de los años. Esta comunidad es lo que es gracias a ustedes. Estoy profundamente agradecido con todo el personal, les voluntaries y les líderes jóvenes que han contribuido tanto de sí mismes para dar forma a quiénes somos.Mirando hacia atrás, hay algunos momentos que aprecio especialmente:Recuerdo el octubre del 2011 cuando más de 200 de nosotros nos reunimos desde todo el condado de Napa en nuestro histórico y primer Foro Comunitario LGBTQ para crear una visión para comunidades más seguras, inclusivas y vibrantes.Estoy muy orgulloso de que nombraron nuestros equipos de líderes jóvenes y capacitaciones de mejores prácticas un programa modelo de salud mental del estado de California y se expandan para apoyar a les jóvenes en más de seis ciudades en los condados de Napa, Sonoma y Monterey.Año tras año, hemos aumentado intencionalmente nuestro equipo para mejor atender a nuestras comunidades. ¡Hemos crecido desde de 2 empleados (incluyéndome a mí) en 2016 a ahora un equipo de 10!El Día del Espíritu la semana pasada nos trajo mucha alegría, ¡gracias a muches de ustedes, individues y organizaciones asociadas, por vestirse de morado y mostrar su apoyo a les jóvenes LGBTQ!Después de completar un proceso interno con el equipo de liderazgo de On The Move, Fernando Espinoza (del condado de Napa) y Chantavy Tornado (del condado de Sonoma) ahora comenzarán a desempeñarse como codirectores de LGBTQ Connection. Permaneceré en el equipo hasta diciembre de 2021 como entrenador, mentor y facilitador de capacitación. Contamos con un plan completo para apoyar la entrada de Fernando y Chantavy en sus funciones y gestionar la transición.Estoy emocionado por lo que aportan Chantavy y Fernando con su liderazgo. Sus experiencias traerán inevitablemente nuevas ideas y llevarán a LGBTQ Connection a lugares nuevos y emocionantes.Su apoyo es lo que nos permite crecer y tener éxito, así que manténganse conectados con nosotres. No puedo esperar a que conozcan a Chantavy y Fernando en sus nuevos roles.Gracias,Ian Stanley Posadas he/him/élNo dudes en ponerte en contacto conmigo si te gustaría reunirte conmigo antes del fin del año, ¡y permanece atente para obtener más información de Chantavy y Fernando! |
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| The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a Request for Applications for the new Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant program. The PRS Grant program will assist small businesses in certain commodity areas, including specialty crop producers, shellfish farming, finfish farming, aquaculture, and apiculture; specialty crop, meat, and other processors; distributors; and farmers markets. Small businesses and nonprofits in these industries can apply for a grant to cover COVID-related expenses such as workplace safety measures (e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE), retrofitting facilities for worker and consumer safety, shifting to online sales platforms, transportation, worker housing, and medical costs. The minimum funding request is $1,500 and the maximum funding request is $20,000. Deadline to Apply: 11:59 pm Eastern Time (8:59 pm Pacific) on Monday, November 22, 2021. |
Cal Water Guerneville customers north of the Russian River are being asked to use only boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking, preparing food and brushing teeth until further notice after a water main break interrupted water service Monday.
California Water Service (Cal Water) and the state Water Resources Control Board said customers should continue to either boil water or use bottled water until further notice,
Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness.
Any time water pressure drops below the threshold set by the state, as it does during a water main break, water quality samples are taken to ensure that water quality wasn’t affected.
Crews were making repairs to the water main and will then test to determine if the water is safe.
It wasn’t announced what caused the break in the line or exactly where the break was discovered.
Tap water is safe for showering, bathing and other household uses.
All tap water used for drinking, preparing food, and brushing teeth should be boiled rapidly for at least one minute before use, the agency said. Customers should also discard ice cubes made from tap water or their refrigerator’s water line. If you have pets and are unsure about providing water to them, the agency suggests consulting your veterinarian.
For more information on household water use during a boil water advisory, contact the Centers for Disease and Control and download a fact sheet.
The agency can be reached at 800-220-4299.
If you prefer to use bottled water during this advisory, save your receipts for reimbursement. They can be mailed to 14028 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville, CA 95446, to the attention of: Bottled water reimbursement.
| Join us at The Barlow for a 21+ Halloween Bash featuring live music by Marshall House Project (funky soul) and Sol Horizon (reggae), voted Best Reggae Band in the North Bay 3 years in a row.Wear your best Halloween costume and come dance under the moonlight as soul and funk meets reggae in an incredible, open-air venue at The Barlow.Enjoy a full bar with amazing eats provided by Blue Ridge Kitchen, available for additional purchase.Doors open at 5:30pm with Marshall House Project hitting the stage at 7:00pm followed by Sol Horizon at 8:30pm. |
| Saturday, October 30 | 5:30pm – 10pm |
Starting this Sunday, October 24, you will need to start dialing 10 digits to make a phone call to the 707 area code. You’ll need to update your contacts to include 1+707+the 7 digit phone number.
Join Positive Images LGBTQIA+ Center and North Bay LGBTQI Families for a Youth Halloween Social on Thursday, October 28th from 5-7pm at Brew in Santa Rosa!
As some of you know, PI hosts a weekly LGBTQIA+ Support Group online for youth ages 12-18. In celebration of Halloween, PI is inviting all LGBTQIA+ youth 18 and under to gather in person outdoors on the Brew patio. Parents of younger children and siblings are welcome to attend as well.
Wear your costume to this Halloween version of the PI youth group, where we will have a costume contest, games, snacks, and lots of fun! We will also offer some art activities for youth who are feeling creative.
Note that parking near Brew can take some time to find, and many spaces are metered.
We will have $50 gift cards available at the gathering to families for whom financial barriers such as the cost of gas, a meal, or missed work would otherwise prevent them from attending. If you feel your family could benefit from this support, please fill out the form at the following link:
We at Positive Images and North Bay LGBTQI Families are still very aware of and concerned about the spread of COVID-19. If you are feeling sick in any way, please stay home and take care of yourself. Masks will be mandatory with no exceptions, but you are welcome to incorporate them into your Halloween costume! We will have masks on hand for those who may need them. We will do our best to maintain a distance of six feet from one another at all times.
LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.
Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. Wed., 10/20
Join us for a conversation about the impact of 12-step
Programs during the 1980s on our LGBT Community.
Please contact me to enroll and get a Zoom invite:
| PrEP Program Update |
As Fall comes into view we wanted to update you on our new PrEP Program. We started to prescribe PrEP, the once-a-day pill to prevent HIV in June. As of today we have 18 people who are now on PrEP, meaning 18 people who won’t get HIV! And we are just getting started…..If you know of a friend and/or loved one who should get on PrEP, please do give them our information or direct them to this link and they can get started on PrEP in a matter of days. It’s FREE and prescriptions are delivered to your door. This new program in partnership with Q Care telehealth continues to lead us towards our mission to end HIV in Sonoma County. |
| The Holigays are right around the corner!Saturday, December 18 at 5pm The Green Music CenterWe are thrilled that the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will return to the Green Music Center for their annual holiday show benefiting our work. Join us in your festive attire as we gather again in person. Get ready for a joyous, hilarious, and celebratory evening. This event always is a sell-out so get your tickets now. Tickets are available here |   |
| We talk a lot about HIV testing and our harm reduction programs but did you know that we also provide Care Services to over 500 clients who are living with HIV in Sonoma County? We offer comprehensive support services to people living with HIV disease in Sonoma County. We walk our clients through the maze of health care services and help them address their health and social service needs. We provide benefits counseling, information and referrals, housing and volunteer services. Our team has extensive experience in HIV care and local resources. All our services are provided free of charge and are completely confidential. |
Blood banks in Northern California and across the nation are sounding an alarm over a blood and platelet shortage the American Red Cross says amounts to a national emergency, with supplies at their lowest levels in at least six years.
The shortage, now in its third week, is the third and most severe supply crisis at blood banks since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to the Red Cross.
It has spurred blood banks, including those in the North Bay, to plead for donors of all blood types to visit as soon as they can, especially those with O-negative blood, the universal type that can be given to anyone in an emergency.
The Red Cross, which typically experiences a fall bounce-back from summer blood shortages, saw donor turnout drop to 10% of normal in September amid a surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant.
“This is such an unusual situation,” said Justin Mueller, the regional donor services executive for the American Red Cross’s Northern California coastal region. “Throughout this pandemic, it’s been ‘How are we going to make sure we have enough blood products?’ because the need is absolutely still there―and quite frankly, that’s what we’re tasked with each and every day.”
The Red Cross is the nation’s largest supplier of donated blood, providing supplies to hospitals, surgery centers and other health care facilities. They aim to maintain a 5-day supply of all blood types, but report stockpiles of O-positive and O-negative blood have dipped to less than a half-day supply in recent weeks. There’s also been a critical need for platelets, blood particles that help with clotting and have a five-day shelf life.
An upcoming Vitalant blood drive:
Oct. 19 at Sonoma State University at the Bloodmobile in Parking Lot D located at 1801 E. Cotati Ave. in Rohnert Park from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
The Vitalant donation center in Santa Rosa is located at 3505 Industrial Dr., which is open everyday. For more information on times and to make an appointment, visit vitalant.org.
Red Cross blood drives include:
Oct. 19 in Santa Rosa from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the American Red Cross Chapter located at 5297 Aero Drive.Oct. 20 in Petaluma from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Calvary Chapel of Petaluma located at 1955 S. McDowell Blvd.
For more information and to make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org.