Member News

Valley Strong Credit Union is hosting a Business Mixer on Wednesday, Mar. 22 from 6-8 p.m. at the Administrative Office, 11500 Bolthouse Dr. Grow your network and explore new opportunities at our business mixer! Join us for conversation, refreshments and likeminded professionals. Build valuable relationships and open doors to new possibilities. RSVP to secure your spot HERE. See you there!

How to Navigate and Prosper through a Recession in Uncertain Times. Join Barrett Business Services, Inc. (BBSI) as we present a hands-on workshop for local business owners where we will help you develop strategies for managing your finances and people. Key takeaways will be:

1. What are the critical few KPI’s my business should be reviewing

2. What is Scenario Based Workforce Planning and how can it help my Business

3. What does the Economic Landscape look like coming out of 2022 and moving into 2023

4. How do I build a plan for an uncertain future? These sessions will take place at the Greater Bakersfield Chamber, 1725 Eye St. on Thursday, Mar. 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Seating is limited so request your seat today by emailing Rick.senneway@bbsi.com, registration is free for Chamber Members. BBSI Bakersfield is a local Management Consulting company offering HR, Payroll, Workers Comp and Safety Services designed to help businesses prosper.

North of the River Recreation and Park District (NOR) invites preschoolers ages 3.5 to 5 and a parent to participate in Robots 4 Tots, an annual event hosted at the Neighborhood Place Learning Center in Riverview Community Center. This FREE event takes place on Friday, Mar. 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 401 Willow Dr. in Oildale. Participation is limited to the first 100 registrations and lunch will be served during the event. To reserve your preschooler’s spot, registration must be completed in person at Riverview Community Center. The Robots 4 Tots program has introduced robotics to children in the Oildale community for thirteen years and continues to be an exciting event that prepares children for kindergarten, helps family members develop new skills, and sparks interest in science and technology. Chevron sponsors Robots 4 Tots through the purchase of robot kits, arts and crafts materials, food, and t-shirts for participants. “At our Neighborhood Place Learning Center at Riverview, we believe that STEM activities and events such as these are critical in preparing children to be ready for kindergarten,” said Jasmin LoBasso, Superintendent of Recreation & Community

Services. “North of the River appreciates Chevron’s ongoing support and their philosophy of instilling STEM at an early age, which goes hand-in-hand with the early learning goals at our Riverview Community Center.” Visit norfun.org for more information about NOR programs and follow NOR on Facebook at @NORfun. For additional information, please contact Jasmin LoBasso, Superintendent of Recreation at jlobasso@norrecreation. org or 661-392-2000.

High Desert Medical College is hosting a Spring open house from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 7. There’s no need to RSVP! This is a free event open to all who are interested. Children and pets are also welcome. Guests will have an opportunity to tour the campus, meet the faculty, view classroom demos, and even take pictures with the Easter Bunny! This event will take place on campus located at 2000 24th St.

Reserve space now for the Kern County Career & STEM Expo hosted by the Kern Economic Development Foundation on Apr. 28 at CTEC, 7301 Old River Rd. Exhibitor registration is now open. Last year’s event was attended by more than 2,500 students and 120 exhibitors. For more information, register HERE

The Junior League of Bakersfield is currently accepting applications from nonprofit organizations to apply for a grant that benefits the community with focus of promoting literacy. If you know of any organizations that would be interested in applying for a grant, please contact Alyshia Kizer at administrative@jlbakersfield.org.

Kern Community Foundation believes in philanthropy – the practice of giving now and making long-term investments to support effective charitable organizations and programs forever – making Kern County a better place to live, to work, and to visit. Our mission: Growing Community. Growing Philanthropy. We help people support the causes they care about most by connecting generous donors to energized community members and organizations, matching their charitable interests with our community’s needs. The passion we share unites us, inspires us, and drives us toward a bold vision for the future – to make Kern County more vibrant, healthier, and stronger for all its residents. The Kern Community Foundation is hiring an entry level position, Project Specialist, with the opportunity for advancement. If you are interested, please send a resume and cover letter to info@kernfoundation.org. To learn more, click HERE

Ordiz-Melby Architects is pleased to announce our firm’s acquisition of KSA Group Architects (KSA). Building on a legacy of award-winning service to the local Bakersfield community, we are confident this new energy will continue to propel the firm in partnering with Kern

County’s most trusted organizations to develop the future of our flourishing city, county and beyond. We are united in our conviction that providing quality service, facilitating innovative solutions for all types of project needs and continually broadening our expertise the future of OrdizMelby is brighter than ever. Please help us welcome our new colleagues to the OMA family!

Bakersfield 2045 RISE! The City of Bakersfield’s planning department would like to know what does RISE mean to you? Please take a moment to see the City’s General Plan Update and let us know how we can RISE together. The General Plan Update will shape what Bakersfield becomes by 2045. RISE is the acronym for the key factors that will help shape the City’s General Plan update. Head to www.bakersfield2045.com to learn more and take the survey.

This winter’s unprecedented natural gas prices, on top of already high inflation, have been a real hardship for many Southern Californians, especially our most vulnerable, our seniors, and people facing difficult circumstances. SoCalGas is stepping up to help customers in need with charitable donations of $10 million in shareholder funding to help customers with bill assistance and to bolster community resources for those who may be struggling financially. The company committed $5 million in shareholder funding to the Gas Assistance Fund, a program administered by the United Way that provides income-qualified customers with one-time grants to help pay their natural gas bills. The contribution is the largest in the fund’s 40-year history and will help the United Way expand access to the program to thousands of additional Southern Californians this winter. SoCalGas also announced it will contribute $4 million from its donor advised fund to relaunch its popular Fueling Our Communities program, a collaboration with local food banks and nonprofits that has provided free meals and groceries to thousands of Californians facing food insecurity since 2020. In addition, SoCalGas will contribute $1 million in aid from its donor advised fund to small restaurant owners through the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund, a fund that was started in 2021 to help small restaurants with improvements, upgrades, employee retention and to manage debt, losses and rising costs. For more information, click HERE.