Dear Friend,

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! While the holidays may look different this year, I hope you and your family are finding ways to safely celebrate. As we continue into December and the New Year, it's critical that we adhere to public health guidelines including wearing a mask, social distancing, washing hands, and limiting gatherings to only members of our household. California is experiencing the fastest rise in COVID-19 cases to date; it's incumbent on us all to do our part to reduce the spread. For the latest guidance and updates on the state's coronavirus response, please visit covid19.ca.gov.

If you have any questions or need assistance from our team, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to help!

Sincerely,

Ben Hueso
State Senator
40th District

Tenth Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drives

For the tenth year in a row, our office helped kick off the holiday season by providing Thanksgiving meals for families in need throughout San Diego and Imperial counties.

This year, we teamed up with the San Diego Food Bank, Northgate Gonzalez Market, PepsiCo, and California American Water to provide turkeys and vouchers for constituents at distributions being held by George L. Stevens Senior Center, Mountain Health Community Center, Catholic Charities, Barrio Station, Mabuhay Foundation, Veterans Chula Vista, Community Through Hope, Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) and the San Ysidro School District.

Despite the circumstances this year, we still have so much for which to be grateful! In challenging times such as now, supporting our community is more important than ever. I'm so thankful for partnerships like these that allow us to help our less-fortunate neighbors beyond the realm of policy.

Organization of the Month: Monarch School

  
                                    (Photo taken in 2018)

Monarch School is the largest and most-comprehensive K-12 program in the country for youth experiencing homelessness, serving up to 350 students daily. The school's name was chosen by students in 1998 as a tribute to the Monarch butterfly, a symbol of "their current struggle as well as the success they hope to achieve."

Founded by Sandra McBrayer in 1987 to provide youth experiencing homelessness with academic resources, Monarch School now functions as a public-private partnership between the San Diego County Office of Education and the 501(c)(3) Monarch School Project. In 2013, Monarch School moved its campus to Barrio Logan, where it continues to expand its services today.

Understanding that the pandemic poses unique challenges for its students, Monarch School provides meals, housing resources, clothing, and PPE to families. When libraries and other community spaces closed, the school provided hotel vouchers to students and families so they could continue to attend class. To assist students outside the realm of the classroom, staff serve as case managers to provide regular check-ins to further support student, family and alumni needs.

This month, rather than hosting its annual Thanksgiving dinner, Monarch School provided hundreds of safe to-go meals via the Coronado-Monarch School Turkey Project. The school is also collecting prepaid gift cards to give students and families for the holidays.

Please join me in thanking Monarch School and its staff for all they do to improve the lives of our youth experiencing homelessness in San Diego.

Citizen of the Month: Patricia Ureña

Patricia Ureña is an incredibly dedicated public servant who uses her talents to give back to the community in which she grew up. The Calexico native has served as Recreation Supervisor for the City Of El Centro for nearly 40 years. During her tenure, she has expanded recreational opportunities for Imperial Valley youth, including developing various sports leagues and playing an instrumental role in making the El Centro Aquatic Center a reality.

Patricia also serves as Director of the local National Youth Project Using Mini-Bikes Program, which aims to help at-risk youth develop strong values and a sense of responsibility using the mini-bike as a teaching tool. In addition to her work for the City of El Centro, Patricia is the Area Director for the Special Olympics of Imperial Valley. She has also served as chair of Imperial County's Juvenile Justice Commission since 2007, where she advocates for children and youth in the county's juvenile justice system.

As if these accolades aren't enough, in 2018, Patricia was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission. She is also a member of the El Centro Optimist Club Board, El Centro Elks Lodge 1325, El Centro Kiwanis Club and MANA de Imperial Valley.

Patricia Ureña is an inspiration to all, and we are so fortunate that she has dedicated her life to making Imperial Valley a better place for our youth. Thank you, Patricia!

New Statewide COVID-19 Restrictions

On November 16, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that, due to the fastest rise in COVID-19 cases that the state has seen to date, 41 of the 58 counties will be in the most-restrictive purple tier until further notice. Tier changes can now take place any day and businesses will have 24 hours to comply. Additionally, the State has strengthened its face mask guidelines, now requiring individuals to wear a mask at all times when leaving their home, with limited exceptions. For more information about these changes, click here. or visit covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy.

Additionally, on November 19, Governor Newsom announced a new limited stay-at-home order  to stop all non-essential work & activities from 10 p.m. - 5 a.m. in counties in the purple tier. The order will remain in effect until at least December 21, 2020.

For more information and updates, please continue to monitor covid19.ca.gov and tune into the Governor's and Health and Human Services Secretary's public briefings.

Need Health Insurance? Enroll in Covered California through December 15

The Open Enrollment period for health insurance through Covered California is here! If you need coverage for 2021, now is the time to shop. Nine out of ten enrollees receive financial help to lower the cost of coverage – you may be eligible too. Enroll by December 15 at CoveredCA.com.

Information about California's response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on my website at https://sd40.senate.ca.gov/covid-19-resources.

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