How to Make Your Holiday Meaningful

COMMUNITY NEWS How to Make Your Holiday Meaningful

With the heart of the holiday season upon us comes the biggest time of giving of the year.

Santa Cruz County has always been a place that supports local businesses, local nonprofits and local causes. With supply chains in upheaval and the need greater than ever due to the persistent pandemic wreaking havoc, there has never been a better time to give back to the local Santa Cruz County community.

“It’s that time of year again when our community members reach out to us looking for ways to connect and make their holiday celebrations more meaningful,” said Christina Thurston, director of volunteer connections at the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County.

Each year, the Volunteer Center posts an online Holiday Volunteer Guide, available at www.scvolunteercenter.org.

“We regularly update the guide throughout the holiday season as new projects become available, so we encourage folks to check back regularly or give us a call if they can’t find what they are looking for and we are happy to match them with an opportunity,” said Thurston.

One long-running effort is the Volunteer Center’s Adopt a Family Project, started almost 40 years ago to help families struggling to make ends meet during the holidays. Each year, the project serves about 400 families.

Partner nonprofits provide a short bio about each family and a list of items each family member requests. Volunteers then set to work connecting these families with donors. Often, requests include necessities like sheets, towels and grocery store gift cards along with gift requests for children.

Many families are awaiting adoption but Thurston is confident that the community will come through.

Volunteers will be at the Adopt a Family Phone Line until Dec. 9.

Call Adopt a Family Hotline at 831-457-9834.

“For local families that are struggling, the holidays become a very worrisome time, especially now during Covid-19,” Thurston said. “It is truly heartbreaking to read through the family stories and to know that without this project these children might not have a warm jacket, let alone gifts or toys.”

Ways to support the project include adopting a whole family, buying individual items, volunteering in the warehouse to wrap and sort gifts, or donating funds. For information, visit https://scvolunteer center.org/programs/adopt-a-family/

Many deserving projects and programs in Santa Cruz County need volunteers or financial support this holiday season.

Trea Robinson, director of community engagement at the Volunteer Center, recommends those wanting to make a meaningful donation visit www.santacruzgives.org.

“You’re guaranteed to find a cause you care about,” she said. “You can give to one or give to many — all with one transaction.” n •••

For more information see www.scvolunteer center.org or call 831- 427-5070 or email connect@scvolunteercenter.org.

“COVID Update” from page 7

Although protection wanes, studies show the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highly protective against hospitalization.

The CDC said people are free to “mix and match” vaccines.

Employer Mandate

Deaths are still rising — 776,000 in the United States, 73,600 in California -- Santa Cruz County is unchanged at 222 — and part of President Biden’s strategy is to mandate vaccines or weekly tests for employers with 100 more employees (part time as well as fulltime — independent contractors are not counted). He gave businesses until Jan. 4 to comply.

Attorneys general from 27 states sued. One argument is the president set legislative policy, which is the job of Congress, and another is Congress did not give federal Occupational Safety and Health administrators the power to end pandemics.

On Feb. 5, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration published an emergency temporary standard on the vaccine mandate in the Federal Register.

On Nov. 6, a federal appellate court in Louisiana temporarily blocked the mandate.

Due to the legal challenges, the future of the mandate is not known.

Andrew Metcalf and Stephen Woods, attorneys with Ogletree Deakins in St. Louis and Greenville, S.C., told SHRM, an organization of human resource specialists, that employers may want to plan for the mandate while awaiting the outcome in the courts.

Kids 5-11

After Pfizer was granted emergency use authorization for its COVID vaccine for kids age 5-11, the Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican pediatric practices in Aptos and Capitola began offering the Pfizer vaccine to their patients 5 years and older.

Drugstores also have Pfizer vaccine for kids 5-11.

Dr. Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools, is working with all nine school districts to offer vaccine clinics for kids age 5 to 11. For Soquel appointments, see: https:/santacruzcoe. org/vaccines/soquel/

Some parents worry about myocarditis, heart inflammation, which has been reported in adolescent and young adult males. It is a rare condition and Dr. Steven Black, co-director of the Global Vaccine Data Network, a consortium researching vaccine safety, told The New York Times that physicians will know to look for it.

Some parents worried about longterm side effects do not want to vaccinate their children. In other cases, if the children have had COVID, the parents contend they have natural immunity.

Testing

With Inspire Diagnostics, the County Office of Education has conducted more than 94,000 PCR surveillance tests for COVID at no charge to those tested.

Testing sites are open at Cabrillo’s parking lot K, 2-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; the PVUSD District Office parking lot, open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, and the county Office of Education, 400 Encinal St., Santa Cruz.

Juan Straub, Inspire project manager, said 230 people got tested on Nov. 10 despite the rain.

Students and their families, and staff and their families can use this free service. Those needing a test simply fill out the registration once at http://sccoe. link/inspiresc and go to any site. No appointment is needed.

The CDC tracker report test positivity in Santa Cruz County at 1.54 percent; the statewide rate has risen to 3 percent.

More Jobs

Numbers posted Nov. 19 show a healthy 105,100 jobs in Santa Cruz County in October, and unemployment at 5.2%, down from 7.4% a year ago.

Many businesses have “help wanted” signs.

REI, the co-op outdoor gear and clothing store, opened Nov. 12 in MidCounty at the former Toys R Us, 1662 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz, with a threeday celebration.

“REI welcomed more than 300 people in the first minutes our doors opened on Friday and 150 patiently waited this morning (Nov. 13),” said Megan Behrbaum, REI communications manager.

Supply chain problems induced by the pandemic have delayed the start of Aptos library construction project.

The New York Times advised people to shop earlier this year because of expected shipping delays due to supply chain problems.

Or avoid that problem and shop local. n