A Well-Worn Passport and A Full Heart

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 Lowe tutored these eighth grade girls for two weeks through Kliptown Youth Program in South Africa in May. The shot was taken on her last day, right after the girls had sung to her. It was her third time volunteering for the nonprofit, which helps impoverished youth prepare for college.

Heidi Lowe had never seen such poverty.

It was her second time traveling out of the U.S., and she had flown half way around the world to South Africa.

The then-Chief of Finance & Operations for the Public Defender’s Office and part time San Diego State undergraduate student was part of a group traveling with then-Africana Studies Professor Dr. Shirley Weber.

Lowe found herself in a particularly downtrodden neighborhood of Soweto called Kliptown, visiting a nonprofit that works to help the children there prepare for college. The ambitious idea behind Kliptown Youth Program (KYP) is that by lifting these children up, the community as a whole will benefit. KYP offers tutoring, athletic and arts programs and free meals to about 400 children between the ages of two and 18.

Lowe was stunned by what she saw: children living in shacks with no running water or electricity. They bathed and cooked out of buckets. With unemployment, teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDs rampant, families could not afford the cost of school uniforms, shoes, lunch or books.

And yet, the children “had this joy, this spirit, this hopefulness and gratitude,” Lowe said. “They seemingly have nothing materially, but they have everything—they have love, they have each other’s back, music, dance, joy. It’s a whole different level of joy.”

On that first trip, Lowe remembers watching students perform a special gumboot dance, which originated in the mines in South Africa as a way for workers to communicate when talking was banned. She helped paint shacks, and met the nonprofit’s founder, a 26-year-old named Thulani Madondo, who spoke from the heart about his desire to help prepare other local youth to do what he hadn’t been able to: go to college.

“I didn’t know any 26-year-olds who took on things like that, that were such community leaders,” Lowe said. “It was just amazing.”

Lowe, who has two adult sons in San Diego, spent less than a day there but was deeply moved by what she had seen.

“There was some kind of connection,” she said. “The kids immediately stole my heart.”

She returned to San Diego and started raising money for the organization.

The next year, she returned on another trip with Dr. Weber, who is now a state Assemblywoman from San Diego.

After that second trip, Lowe said she knew her relationship with the children and organization would be a lasting one. She began to communicate with some of the kids and nonprofit leaders by email and Facebook. She mailed them gifts, including a laptop computer and books.

Last year, Madondo and his work were recognized with a CNN Hero award. Madondo got to travel to Los Angeles to receive the award at a ceremony with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. He invited Lowe to be one of his guests at the event, which she excitedly accepted. Madondo was voted into the top 10, earning him $50,000, which he used to build a computer lab at the KYP facility. CNN produced this webpage on Madondo and KYP, including videos and other information.

In May, Lowe made her third trek to Kliptown, a journey which requires 19 hours of flying time and typically costs about $1,200 in airfare. Lowe, who is now a Principal Administrative Analyst with HHSA’s Public Health Services, spent two weeks volunteering at KYP on her own this time. When she arrived, she said she felt like she had returned home.

Lowe started each day working with preschoolers, then making sandwiches and doing other errands at mid-day and tutoring eighth graders every afternoon.

During her time there, three KYP shacks burned to the ground. She doesn’t know how the fires started, but luckily nobody was injured. Madondo walked her through the ruins one day and sheepishly asked if she could help purchase new posts for the buildings at a cost of $15 total.

She was heartened by how big of a difference she could make in their lives for such a relatively small amount of money.  

Lowe said there was no comparison between this trip and one she took last year with friends to on a cruise in the Mediterranean.

“Just how I felt when I left (South Africa), my heart was so full,” she said. “You can’t buy that kind of stuff.”
She has grown so close with some of the youth at KYP that some call her “mom.” She communicates with them daily.

Lowe hopes to return again soon. After she retires in about five years, she plans to spend even larger blocks of time there, maybe a month at a time.

She’s heard other people say that they need to find a hobby to fill their time during retirement.

“I feel blessed because I found something that I am passionate about,” she said.

And while it may seem like she is the one doing the giving, Lowe said that’s not the case.

“They give me back 10 times more than I give them, in joy and heart,” she said. “They appreciate it so much, every little thing.”

For more information on Kliptown Youth Program, visit its website.

Stay Calm During the Holidays

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Wellness Programs Will Help Employees Beat Chaos

Oversize candy canes are already on display at stores. Family members are planning holiday get-togethers, near and far. And you’re wondering just how high airfares might climb. It’s only September!

The holiday season brings its own unique set of anxieties. For many of us, managing stress is a year-round challenge as well. 

The County is offering employees some help staying calm: free Stress Management classes starting next month. A health educator from Kaiser Permanente will teach the sessions, titled “Happy Healthy Holidays,” at the following times, dates and locations: 

  • Friday, Oct. 4, noon-1 p.m. at HHSA’s Health Services Complex on Rosecrans, 3851 Rosecrans St., San Diego
  • Wednesday, Nov. 6, noon-1 p.m. at Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility, 655 Park Center Dr., Santee
  • Wednesday, Dec. 11, noon-1 p.m. at the County Operations Center, 5500 Overland Ave., Suite 120, San Diego

The classes are among the activities planned for the Employee Wellness Program’s 4th quarter, said William Erese, the County’s wellness coordinator. The County will also offer Healthy Holiday Cooking classes starting Oct. 16 at the County Operations Center, on Oct. 23 at the HHSA’s South Region Center in Chula Vista, on Nov. 13 at Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility and on Nov. 20 at Housing and Community Development in Kearny Mesa. All sessions will run from noon to 1 p.m. In addition, employees can participate in a Healthy Holiday Recipe Challenge and the Maintain Don’t Gain program, which encourages employees to not gain weight during the holidays.

Too often our routines “go out the door” around the holidays, said Diana Bishop, a health education worksite consultant for Kaiser who will be teaching the stress management classes. We break out of our healthy habits like daily exercise, nutritious eating and getting enough sleep. Unfortunately, extra pressures come into play too, placing strains on our relationships and finances.

“People feel they need to spend money—they’re guilt-ridden,” Bishop said.

Pitfalls can include depression and spikes in alcohol use.

During the stress management classes, Bishop will help employees come up with a healthy plan for handling the holiday season. She will go over effective ways to communicate your needs to your significant other and work together to reach your goals.

She will cover ideas for how to relieve stress, and even lead participants through some guided visualization to help them relax during class.

So bring your lunch, and take a few minutes for your health!

For more information on upcoming employee wellness activities, visit the program’s website.

You don’t have to wait until a crisis strikes, be prepared! Know the signs of stress and for behavioral health resources call the County’s Access and Crisis Line at 888-724-7240 or visit the Up2SD.org website. Remember, you are not alone.

Wait ‘til You See This

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A flashy rap music video – celebrating the virtues of eating fruit.

That’s not the image that typically pops to mind when you hear the words “government programming.” But it’s a perfect example of the kind of game-changing video production that led to County News Center just getting the year’s top award from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA).

In other words, the County has the best local government video operation in the U.S.

The First Place for Overall Excellence was a first for County News Center TV (formerly known as County Television Network, or CTN), and one of nine awards total that the County received from NATOA at its annual gathering.

The multimedia team has long emphasized strong storytelling that keeps the focus on people: both those the County serves and the employees who serve them. Combine that with top-notch technical skills and innovative use of graphics and you have a product that stands out even in today’s busy media world.

“Every good story is a people story.  We know if we want to get the County’s story out there, our videos need to be every bit as compelling as things people are seeing on the news or YouTube,” said Michael Russo, Multimedia Manager for the County Communications Office.

The following lists the categories for each of the County’s winning entries.

Complete list of national winners

Where to Park Amid Ongoing Construction at the CAC

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A view of the entrance to the underground parking lot and the walkway to the CAC which is still being poured.
Things are going to change after September 29 – that’s the last day county employees and the public will be able to park in the north lot at the CAC. On September 30, the new underground parking garage will open to the public, elected officials and assigned staff.  General Services will close the north building entrance and fence off the north lot to begin work on the next section of the waterfront park.

So, where will other County employees go to park? Let’s start with parking for those employees coming to the CAC for meetings.

The new 96,000-square-foot underground parking structure, which can be accessed from Ash Street, will have 250 parking spaces said Suzanne Evans, Waterfront Park project manager. The majority of those spots - 178 of them- are for our customers, disabled parking, and people attending public hearings.

Employees in their personal vehicles who are traveling to the CAC for meetings or other business may park in the public spaces in the underground garage, which now have a three-hour time limit to accommodate longer appointments, Evans said. Those in a County vehicle can park in metered spaces on the street for free.  

The other 72 spaces will be reserved spots for assigned county employees and department vehicles, she said.

The underground garage will be outfitted with security cameras in the stairwell and throughout the garage. Existing cameras on the building lookout to the construction area and along the lighted and fenced-in walkway to the south door of the CAC, said Evans. Two security guards will also patrol the lot in the day and another guard will be assigned to it after hours.

ABM parking will operate paid public parking in the new garage after hours and on weekends, but CAC employees who work late or on holidays and weekends may park in the public spaces in the underground parking garage as long as they display their County parking permit and have their badge. People who park in the reserved spaces may be ticketed unless the space is assigned to them.

New parking permits will be distributed to CAC employees who previously parked in the north lot and are not assigned to the underground lot. Those employees will be assigned to a new lot at Ash Street and Kettner Boulevard, to Lane Field or the Broadway north parking lot. Employees already assigned to Lane Field or Broadway North parking lot will remain in their assigned lots.

Shuttle service will continue to make two stops on the way to the CAC. The shuttle is stationed at Lane Field in the mornings and picks employees up there and at the Broadway north lot then continues to the CAC east entrance. In the afternoon and again at the end of the day, the shuttle stations itself at the CAC east entrance to take employees back to their vehicles.

On Dec. 2, General Services will begin construction on the CAC’s new employee parking structure at Cedar Street and Kettner Boulevard. That means November 29 is the last day CAC employees can park in the Cedar and Kettner lot. Employees assigned there will receive new parking permits for either the Broadway north or Lane Field parking lot.  

The new 10-level employee parking structure with approximately 650 spaces is set to be completed in early summer 2015, said Dave Timber, project manager for the Cedar-Kettner parking garage. The structure will have three underground levels, seven levels above ground and will be integrated with the Little Italy-County Center trolley stop, he said.

The employee garage will have a glass elevator with views to the west and north and a temporary plaza on the street level that will include outdoor furniture and trees, said Timber.

To learn more about the Waterfront Park project, including a map of employee parking lots, visit the  CAC Waterfront Park Construction page on InSite.

Make the World a Better Place Saturday for Coastal Cleanup Day

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Wish you could volunteer, make the world a better place and still kick it at one of our world-famous San Diego County beaches or waterways?

Then this is the weekend for you!

Saturday is California Coastal Cleanup Day! And there’s still plenty of room to volunteer a few hours — from 9 a.m. to noon — to hang out with other cool people and help clean more than 90 sites stretching from Oceanside to the U.S. Mexico border and from the coast to Lakeside’s Lindo Lake.

The annual statewide event is put on locally by I Love a Clean San Diego; sponsored by our County; financially supported by Board of Supervisors Chairman Greg Cox and Supervisors Dave Roberts and Ron Roberts; and last year collected and got rid of more than 80 tons of cigarette butts, caps and lids, food packaging and recyclable plastic!

All you need is a bucket, work gloves, a reusable water bottle and to check here to register to become a part of a really worthy — and rewarding — event.

“Coastal Cleanup Day is one of my favorite events of the year because you see residents from all communities and from large companies rolling up their sleeves to clean up our beaches, bays and waterways,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Greg Cox.

Marsha Cook, as part of the Department of Public Works Watershed Protection Program, has been working every day for years to protect local beaches and waterways. (Much of the litter, pollution and yuck that ends up in our beaches, bays, creeks and rivers is swept up and carried from our neighborhoods and communities by rainfall and that out-of-control sprinkler running down your street.)

But Cook said Coastal Cleanup Day is one of her favorite days of the year, and an event she’s been taking part in for many years because there is such a sense of satisfaction.

“There’s a really neat energy about the day,” she said, “there’s an electricity in the air, an enthusiasm — and a wonderful sense of accomplishment. If you can help out, please consider a few hours in the sunshine doing a good deed.”

Saturday’s event will officially kick off with a media event — Supervisor Cox is one of a number of speakers — at 9 a.m. at Gompers Neighborhood Park in Chollas View. But with more than 90 locations, there’s probably a Coastal Cleanup site near you.

So volunteer! Make the world a better place! And have a great time!

All volunteers must sign a waiver to take part; kids under the age of 18 needs a parent or guardian’s signature.

And if you do take part, we want to hear about it. Take a photo or two and we may show them off on InSite! Email the picture with your name, department and location where you did the cleanup - preferably an exact address. Even if you don't have a picture, send us a note saying where you took part.

 

 

As Fires Raged, Employees Scrambled to Help Victims

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10 years After Wildfires, Lessons Learned Help Prepare County for Future Disasters 

Local Assistance Center veteran Carey Riccitelli took this picture of the Fallbrook LAC in operation during the 2007 wildfires. 

They arrived with soot on their faces. Some had lost homes or businesses.

Some of the 2003 wildfire victims arriving at the County’s Local Assistance Centers (LACs) were crying, while others were dazed or overwhelmed.

“You could see it in their face, they were lost and didn’t know where to go,” said Randall Krogman, Administrative Services Manager II with the Department of Animal Services.

Within days of those devastating wildfires sparking, Krogman was assisting victims at one of the County’s new Local Assistance Centers. It was the first time the County had launched the one-stop-shop resource centers, which are designed to offer a full range of services to victims.

Krogman co-managed the LAC in Valley Center during the 2003 wildfires, and roved between the Ramona and Fallbrook LACs during the 2007 wildfires.

Nearly a decade ago in October 2003, the fires had come on with great speed and ferocity. Employees responded quickly and heroically. But as with any new endeavor, they scrambled to respond to evolving—and unpredictable--needs and conditions.

“We knew we were disaster service workers, but nobody really knew what that meant,” said Carey Riccitelli, a Community Health Promotion Manager with HHSA assigned to the LACs during the 2003 and 2007 fires. “We hadn’t seen it in action.”

The County has come a long way since those early days of Local Assistance Centers. Today, hundreds of employees have been pre-assigned roles and extensively trained on how to manage and operate LACs when the need arises. A series of trainings are underway again this month in advance of peak wildfire season. About 150 employees are taking the two hour refresher classes designed to give an overview of how to manage and operate the LACs.

Leslie Luke, a Group Program Manager with the County’s Office of Emergency Services, said three separate teams are trained to staff and run a LAC, in addition to a team ready to oversee them. The County has also readied employees to work in the County’s Emergency Operations Center and volunteers to staff 2-1-1, the free 24 hour information hotline and database.

The LAC training began as part of a broader effort called the Advanced Post-Disaster Recovery Initiative. Approved in 2011, the initiative aims to better prepare the region for natural and man-made disasters and speed up recovery efforts. Among the key components is pre-training groups of employees to help citizens recover from disasters, restore community lifelines such as water and power and rebuild communities.

Back in 2003, employees had not been trained in how to run a LAC. But within a few days of the fires starting, many were tapped to go work at one of the first LACs being established in trailers, schools and community centers. They set up the centers so that residents went to FEMA first, then Red Cross for immediate needs such as food, blankets, hotel vouchers and sandbags. Then residents would go to any County departments or agencies for permits or more information. A counselor was available to help with mental health services.

Some victims were “totally devastated” and had lost everything, Krogman said, while others had lost some or all of their small businesses. Others had lost a water tank or trailer on their property. There were homeless people who arrived looking for help too.

Some victims were not accustomed to or comfortable asking for help, Krogman said.  They spoke a variety of languages—and there weren’t enough translators.

Others walked in with their children and needed child care assistance while they got help.

The LACs were very crowded when residents first found out they were there, Krogman said. The crowds kept flowing in. Daily traffic ranged from 70 to 300 residents a day, he said.

“We made it up as we went along,” Krogman said. “Fortunately, the County has a lot of resources so we were able to get what we needed as we went along.”

Employees’ roles were defined along the way, Riccitelli said.

John Rosenthal, Community Relations Manager for the Department of Child Support Services, was dispatched to the Ramona LAC in 2003 to help with communications and media relations. He did whatever work was needed, from carting bottles of water, distributing food to residents to checking in with the County’s then Department of Media and Public Relations.

After 2003, the County used many of the lessons learned to prepare for future disasters. Rosenthal and others used that experience and knowledge when the 2007 wildfires came around.

At the LACs, everyone had a better understanding of the impact such an event could have on residents and communities, Riccitelli said.

“It wasn’t just you need shelter and food, it was wow, you’ve been through a crisis,” she said. “It felt more cohesive, more community oriented…People felt like the County was their friend in this.”

The planning and training has only gotten more sophisticated.

The Office of Emergency Services has worked to identify any gaps in the system at LACs. They asked LAC workers what would have made their jobs easier, and as a result added translators, and an ombudsman and chaplain to each LAC staffing plan. LAC staff members also wear vests identifying their roles and have been trained to approach residents who are alone or in need of help.

“We tried to identify every aspect of what didn’t work, what did work and what would be nice to have and tried to add that,” Luke said.

Over the years, the LACs have become more and more focused on the survivor. The number of agencies and nonprofits prepared to respond has grown too. And if LAC staffers haven’t made it to an in person training, they can view a series of online videos on the County’s Office of Emergency Services website to prepare.

“A lot of our lessons were just in time,” Luke said. “We were reactionary. Now we can be more proactive.”

Of course, something new and different is always going to come up—that’s how you grow, Luke said.

“But we’re in a better position now,” Luke said. “We learn from each one of these events and we adjust and adapt.”

As challenging as it was to work at LACs during the devastating wildfires, Krogman said it was also the most gratifying experience he’s had as a County employee.

“You get to see and help the victims face-to-face, and you’re able to see how many needs they have,” and help them directly, he said. “You get emotionally attached and invested in what you’re doing. It was very rewarding.”

Sitting at the Bench

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All rise, the Superior Court of San Diego County is now in session, the Honorable Michael D. Washington  presiding.  


Judge Washington was sworn in as San Diego County’s newest Superior Court Judge at a 1:30 p.m. ceremony today.  California Gov. Jerry Brown recently appointed Washington, a Republican, to serve.


Judge Washington, 54, of Temecula, brings extensive experience in criminal law to the Bench.  He has been an attorney in the San Diego County Public Defender's Office since 1994.  


Before joining the Public Defender’s office, he was a judicial extern in Federal District Court for the Honorable Rudi M. Brewster.  Since 2003, he has also served an adjunct professor at the University Of San Diego School Of Law. In addition, he works as a faculty member for both the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and Lawyers Without Borders.


Judge Washington earned a Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from San Diego State University. He fills the vacancy created by the passing of Judge George W. Clarke.

Innovative County Programs Grab Three CSAC Merit Awards

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Terrific job Health and Human Services Agency employees! Your efforts on three innovative programs were recognized by the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) from more than 200 other county programs that applied this year.

An independent panel of judges with expertise in county programs and challenges selected the award recipients.

The three CSAC Merit Award winners were:

San Diego County – Live Well San Diego an ongoing plan launched by the County to promote health, safety and a thriving region. The plan aims to steer people away from a state of chronic disease and spiraling health care costs.

The plan includes three components: Building Better Health, Living Safely, and Thriving. Since it was adopted, the plan has helped nurture farm to institution relationships including 14 school districts, one independent school and some senior meal contractors and restaurants. The County is also helping to improve the health of its employees with worksite wellness activities such as boot camp, Zumba and yoga classes.

San Diego County – Blueprint: Comprehensive Services for Homeless Mentally Ill is a program with a goal to reduce homelessness in the mentally ill by providing a combination of services, housing and community support.

The Blueprint for Recovery uses a team approach to stabilize a mentally ill person and helps him develop independent living skills such as cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping and money management.  To reach out to the community, HHSA developed a Housing Matters media campaign to reduce stigma, housing discrimination and landlord/community fear of the mentally ill.

San Diego County – Technology & Aging Coalition was created to help educate older adults about technology so they won’t become isolated as the technology is absorbed more and more into society. The goal is to help senior citizens get on email and the internet. The coalition also educates tech companies about the needs of this population.

The coalition, which includes nonprofit and for-profit organizations, started in 2010 after an Aging Summit on Technology drew more than 2,000 older adults interested in learning more about technology. The coalition put on three Get Connected public events, printed a Technology Resource Booklet with various useful websites, and created a listing of technology-related classes and clubs offered at libraries, senior centers and community centers with computer labs.

Ready, Set—Enroll in HR Benefits Starting Sept. 30

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Are you interested in changing your health insurance plan? Maybe you want to put away more money in a health savings account?

Mark your calendars. This year’s Open Benefits Enrollment period starts Monday, Sept. 30 and runs for three weeks, ending at the close of business Monday, Oct. 21. The benefits you select will become effective Jan. 1, 2014 and last through calendar year 2014.

Enrollment is optional. That means if you’re happy with your current benefits and don’t need to make any changes, you don’t need to do anything. Your 2013 designations will automatically roll over into 2014.
The major exception is if you participate in the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). Employees who take advantage of these accounts must re-enroll in their benefits each year.

Unlike last year, employees can expect only minor changes to the County’s 2014 Benefits offerings. Those include:

•    Employees can contribute more to their Health Savings Accounts (HSA). Maximum contribution levels have increased to $3,300 per year for an individual or $6,550 for an employee +1 or more. Employees who are 55 years or older can contribute an additional $1,000 per year.

•    The monthly cost for an HSA account has dropped from $3.50 to $2.75 for accounts with a balance of less than $5,000.

•    Anthem Blue Cross will replace CVS Caremark as the pharmacy vendor for Anthem Blue Cross traditional plans (non-high deductible plans), starting Jan. 1, 2014. All Anthem Blue Cross traditional plan members will receive a new medical card in the mail that can be used at both doctor’s offices and pharmacies.

•    Non-represented employees and employees in bargaining units who have a newly adopted agreement with a term of June 28, 2013 – June 25, 2015 will see 5 percent increases to their County flex credit contributions for 2014. Employees who are in a bargaining unit that has not yet reached a successor agreement will not see a change to their flex credit rates until negotiations with their unit have concluded and MOA’s have been adopted by the Board of Supervisors.

•    Some monthly premiums will increase, while others will stay the same or drop. Premium increases for County medical plans are the most modest in recent years. Plans with rising premiums include Anthem Blue Cross’ Full Access, Select and PPO plans and Kaiser Permanente’s Traditional HMO and High Deductible plans. Premiums for the Anthem Blue Cross High Deductible Plan will remain the same. Meanwhile, premiums for the County’s VSP Vision and United Concordia DHMO and PPO Dental plans will decline.  

For more information, visit the County’s Human Resources Open Enrollments website or call the Benefits office at (888) 550-2203. You can also attend an upcoming Open Enrollment Educational Seminars, scheduled at the following dates and times:

•    9/16 12 to 1 p.m. – 220 W. Broadway, 6th Floor Orientation Room

•    9/16 1 to 2 p.m. -- NBC Building, 225 Broadway, 8th floor Conference Room

•    9/16 4 to 5 p.m.—CAC, Bayview Room

•    9/18 9 to 10 a.m. – COC, Room 171, Building 5560

•    9/20 12 to 1 p.m. – Vista Courthouse, Jury Lounge

•    9/27 3 to 4 p.m. – El Cajon Courthouse, Jury Lounge

•    9/27 3 to 4 p.m. – HHSA, 690 Oxford St., Chula Vista