VENTURA COUNTY, CA - The concept is simple but the potential pay-off is huge. If every single individual, family and business makes the personal commitment to take action to battle hunger during the month of September, FOOD Share, Ventura County’s regional food bank, can continue feeding more than 74,500 people who visit its 180 pantry partners each month.

Organized by Feeding America, Hunger Action Month is a nationwide campaign to mobilize the public to take action on the issue of hunger, and promote ways for everyone to get involved with the movement to solve it.

“While our efforts to raise food and funds donations, and implement strategies on how to feed the line today and shorten the line for tomorrow are year-round, we take this opportunity to thank our partners who have dedicated endless hours toward our poverty-alleviation work,” said Bonnie Weigel, president and CEO of FOOD Share. “Without them, we would not be able to achieve the work we do to deliver food and services to the 74,500 people who depend on FOOD Share each and every month.”

FOOD Share relies on community support and is currently restocking its shelves in preparation for the upcoming holiday season when more people turn to local food banks for assistance.

How to Take Action for Hunger Action Month:
• Hunger Action Month proclamation with FOOD Share and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. in the Ventura County Government Center’s Hall of Administration
• Vote for FOOD Share to help Ventura County’s regional food bank win a $60,000 funding grant from Walmart’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change campaign.
• Finding simple ways at work and home to help feed the hungry, like hosting a neighborhood canned food drive with your kids, having potlucks and asking guests to bring canned food donations, or pack their lunches then donate the funds it would have cost to dine out to FOOD Share.
• Stroll the sidewalks of Ventura Harbor Village for the Ventura Art and Street Painting Festival the weekend of Sept. 13-14, and enjoy the vibrant displays of chalk art, painting, photography, pottery, sculptures and more. The signature FOOD Share event will feature more than 50 regional artists. All event net proceeds will benefit FOOD Share.

For more information on Ventura County’s hunger alleviation efforts for Hunger Action Month, visit www.foodshare.com.

About FOOD Share:
More than 35 years ago, eight citizens performed a good deed by distributing food to those who were in need underneath a Ventura bridge. The early philanthropic movement quickly formed into what is now Ventura County’s regional food bank, FOOD Share, which has grown from serving a few hundred hungry people per month to 74,500 people. Today, staff and volunteers distribute more than 10 million pounds of food annually from its distribution site; more than 180 partner agencies, which include neighborhood and church food distributions and soup kitchens; as well as hunger assistance programs. FOOD Share’s programs provide healthy nutrition and education to children, families and seniors, which include: KIDS Share, SENIOR Share, Nutrition Education, Community Market, SoCal Gas CARE Program, ART Share and more. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, FOOD Share is a member of the Feeding America network, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. For more information about FOOD Share, visit www.foodshare.com. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.

LOS ANGELES, CA — The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to help ensure a stable and diverse blood supply by giving blood in honor of National Sickle Cell Awareness Month this September.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited disease that causes red blood cells to form an abnormal crescent shape. It is estimated that sickle cell disease affects as many as 100,000 people in the U.S. Many of these patients face a lifetime of blood transfusions to help reduce the risk of stroke, damage to major organs and other complications that can arise as a result of sickle cell disease.

Since blood from donors of the same ethnic background as the recipient is less likely to cause complications, the Red Cross must maintain a diverse blood supply. This is particularly important for patients like those with sickle cell disease who may require regular blood transfusions.

To help increase donations during the month of September, those who come out to donate blood or platelets throughout the month will receive a coupon by email for a free haircut at participating Sport Clips locations.

For more information or to make an appointment to donate blood, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:
Ojai
9/12/2014: 12 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., Quarter Mile Films, 407 Bryant Circle, Suite D

Simi Valley
9/4/2014: 12 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., Simi Valley Rancho Santa Suzanna Community Center, 5005-C Los Angeles Ave
9/12/2014: 1 p.m. - 7:15 p.m., Rancho Santa Suzanna Community Center, 5005-C Los Angeles Ave

Thousand Oaks
9/3/2014: 1 p.m. - 7:15 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
9/4/2014: 1 p.m. - 7:15 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
9/8/2014: 1 p.m. - 7:15 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
9/10/2014: 1 p.m. - 7:15 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
9/15/2014: 1 p.m. - 7:15 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd

Ventura
9/11/2014: 8 a.m. - 2:15 p.m., Ventura High School, 2 North Catalina
9/11/2014: 2 p.m. - 8:15 p.m., Ventura High School, 2 North Catalina

How to donate blood
Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

Tickets are on sale now for the Ventura County Humane Society’s 7th annual fundraiser “Cats in the Canyon & Hounds in the Hollow” scheduled from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21 at Boccali’s restaurant, Ojai.

Prices are $45 adults, $30 children which includes a full Italian dinner and a live band. Also featured is a “Buy It Now” marketplace with bargains on items and services from businesses throughout Ventura County. Several adoptable animals from the Humane Society shelter will be at the event.

Funds raised through this event go towards the care and protection of the animals of the shelter, including a new effort to modernize the dog kennels. It costs approximately $960,000 yearly just to keep the shelter open. The Humane Society of Ventura County receives no direct financial assistance from city, county and state agencies, the ASPCA or the Humane Society of the United States. Fundraising events, grants and donations are the HSVC’s only sources of income.

The benefit is outdoors on the lawn at Boccali’s Restaurant at 3277 E. Ojai Ave. For tickets call 805-646-6505. Limited tickets available at the door for $50 adults and $35 children.

Have you come across a title recently that isn’t part of the Ventura County Library’s collection? While our Interlibrary Loan system is a wonderful way to get books from libraries throughout the country, E.P. Foster Library would like to offer our customers an additional option.

Starting on September 2, 2014, customers looking for titles the library does not own will be able to submit a request for the E.P. Foster branch to purchase the title in eBook format. For titles that meet our criteria, the customer can then borrow a Kindle DX eReader from the library with the title pre-loaded and ready to read! In addition, each device will maintain a growing library of previously purchased titles that will remain accessible into the future.

Currently, E.P. Foster Library has SIX Kindle DX eReaders to loan. Each will circulate for three weeks at a time, and library customers over the age of 18 with a valid Ventura County Library card will have access to these devices after signing a short borrower agreement. This exciting new program has plenty of room to grow, and we welcome our customers’ feedback going forward!

Anyone who is interested can view a sample borrower agreement online or contact E.P. Foster Library at (805) 648-2716 for additional information about the library’s eReader lending policy.

E.P. Foster Library is located at 651 E. Main Street in Ventura. Our hours of service are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

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"September 20th will be here before you know it. That is the day Team Namaste is participating in Relay for Life. This is a 24 hour event our team has participated in for several years. We do this to support those who are battling cancer, honor those who have passed away and last but not least try to raise money to help with cancer research and programs that the American Cancer Society has developed to help those suffering with cancer. To date our team has raised over $4,000 . . . but we're not done yet. I'd like to thank several Fillmore vendors who are helping our team by showing some baskets our team is raffling off for this event.

The vendors are:
Patterson Hardware - Dodger basket
Vintage Pleasures - Doll basket
Fro-yo Frozen Yogurt - Lakers basket
Elkins Golf Course - donation of a round of golf for 4 individuals

We also have a USC basket, a Raiders basket and a frozen basket. The tickets are selling for 3 tickets for $5.00. We will continue selling the tickets through Saturday, September 20th and will pick the winners at the Relay for Life event. If you are interested in purchasing some tickets you can contact Lola Rogers (team captain) at 805-276-9274.

Our team would like to thank you in advance for your support.

CAMARILLO, CA - “Hogs for Dogs,” the first poker motorcycle run to benefit Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS), will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20,, 2014. The ride will kick off with registration from 9 – 11 a.m. at Ventura Harley-Davidson, 1326 Del Norte Dr., Camarillo, and travel to three additional stops throughout Ventura County before ending at the fifth and final stop, where a family-friendly festival will be happening from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the VCAS Camarillo Adoption Center, 600 Aviation Dr.

The cost to participate is $25.00 per rider and $10.00 per passenger and includes snacks, lunch and prizes.
During a poker ride, riders collect cards at each stop and, at the final stop, those with the high and low poker hands are awarded prizes. Those who love animals but are not motorcycle riders are encouraged to support VCAS by attending the free end-of-ride festival where they will enjoy live music, raffles, games, vendors and fee-waived pet adoptions.

Preregistration is not required, ALL types of motorcycles are welcome and proceeds will go toward the care and comfort of animals waiting to be adopted at VCAS Adoption Centers.

The ride, organized and hosted by the SEIU 721 Union Bikers Caucus, is being supported by many local businesses. For more information or to become an event vendor or volunteer, contact: Jann Linsalato, SEIU worksite organizer, at: (818) 298-8488 or janthebiker@gmail.com.

Oakland, CA - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing several new tools to assist communities, including news media, to help promote September’s National Preparedness Month (NPM). This is the first year that NPM will also include the America’s PrepareAthon Fall Day of Action on September 30.

The goal of America’s PrepareAthon! is to build a more secure and resilient nation by increasing local awareness about the types of disasters that could happen in one’s own community and what to do to be safe and prepared; but most importantly, practicing a response to these disasters. Therefore, this campaign is focused on getting people to take action, such as participating in a preparedness drill, exercise, or discussion to increase their level of emergency preparedness.

The following are resources available to communities and newsrooms:
• A digital guide on how to promote and participate in 2014 National Preparedness Month.

• The National Preparedness Month Digital Engagement Kit includes suggestions for engagement through social media as a way to promote National Preparedness Month, September 1st-30th.

• Three promotional preparedness videos, that include:
o It Started Like Any Other Day- 4:11 (Full version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_omgt3MEBs
o It Started Like Any Other Day- :30 Seconds (Promo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVeQw9uCfJc
o It Started Like Any Other Day- :15 Seconds (Promo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvvl6urVy-4

• Register with America’s PrepareAthon!, which provides Day of Action guides, How to Prepare guides, and customizable promotional materials designed to help Americans take action and join the growing number of individuals who recognize that preparing for disasters is a shared responsibility.
Follow FEMA Region IX online at www.twitter.com/femaregion9.

Ventura, CA - Community Memorial Health System holds regularly scheduled free Smoking Cessation classes. The next eight-session classes begins on Monday, Sept. 8.

The class includes sessions on how to handle smoking urges, how to handle stress and moods and how to handle slips. Sessions on weight and exercise, lifestyle balance and life without cigarettes also will be covered. Nicotine replacement therapy products are also provided to program participants.

The classes are at the CMH Cancer Resource Center located at 2900 Loma Vista Rd., Suite 105 in Ventura. The cost is $50.

Classes are held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call the CMHS HealthAware office at 805/667-2818 or email healthaware@cmhshealth.org.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and twelve family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

The Sept 3rd meeting of the Ventura County Garden Club will be held at St Paul's Episcopal Church located at 117 N. 7th Street in Santa Paula. The meeting will begin at 1PM.This will be a 'Meet and Greet' or 'Welcome Back' meeting to review proposed programs or to get feedback from members on other topics of interest. We welcome existing members as well as anyone interested in joining our group as we celebrate our 90th year. There is no charge for the meeting and light refreshments will be served. For further information please contact : Carol Cutright 805-889-1969

Sacramento, CA – The California State Assembly today passed legislation to increase funding for the California Competes program which helps businesses seeking to locate or stay in California. Assembly Bill 1560 allows an increase of up to $25 million per year in tax credits to the California Competes program through 2019 to manufacture advanced strategic aircraft in the state. Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo), a principal co-author of the legislation, praised the bipartisan support for the bill.

AB 1570 was originally a Gorell privacy bill, but after coordinating with the Assembly Speaker, was amended entirely to advance the economic development legislation.

“The California Competes tax credit has been hailed by the Chamber of Commerce as a job creator, and is already projected to create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in state investment,” stated Assemblyman Gorell. “As aerospace employers look to bid on the military’s next-generation Advanced Strategic Aircraft Program, this tax credit will help them bring even more jobs to California. The golden era of aviation was born in California, and we are working here to bring that innovation back to our state.”

The California Competes Tax Credit was approved by the legislature in 2013, providing awards of up to $200 million annually to businesses seeking to locate or stay in California. The program is run by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). In its first year of operation, the program was so popular that it was oversubscribed by $470 million.

Two previous pieces of legislation to help California companies compete for the Advanced Strategic Aircraft Program were also co-authored by Assemblyman Gorell. AB 2389 and SB 718 were passed this by the legislature in the past few weeks and subsequently signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. While voting for these bills, Assemblyman Gorell stated that he believes that these are the type of economic development tools that will promote the future of the aerospace industry in Ventura County as well as the rest of California.

Based on figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the past year California’s unemployment rate has fallen from 9.0% to 7.4%, but is still significantly above the national average of 6.2%.

Ventura County Library cardholders can now borrow dynamic content from their smartphones, tablets and PCs through a new partnership with hoopla digital (http://www.hoopladigital.com/). Thousands of movies, television shows, music albums and eaudiobooks are available for mobile and online access.

Ventura County Library cardholders can also download the free hoopla digital mobile app on their Android or IOS device or visit http://www.hoopladigital.com/ to begin borrowing titles from major Hollywood studios, record companies and publishers.

“Ventura County Library focuses on partnering with services like hoopla digital who keep our content and capabilities fresh and on par with modern technologies,” said Jackie Griffin, Library Director at Ventura County Library. “Our customers can now use their library card to access educational and recreational content on-the-go. They can also stream or download content on the hoopla app or web site for free. Plus, there’s no waiting period for popular titles and the service’s automatic return means no late fees.”

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

Camarillo, CA – Residents of Ventura County donated thousands of dollars in school supplies including backpacks for local students from low income families, making Assemblyman Jeff Gorell’s (R-Camarillo) “Stuff the Bus” grass-roots effort a resounding success.

“Today’s students are the future of Ventura County, and ensuring that our students are prepared for the coming school year makes us all stronger,” said Gorell. “I’m really proud of the charitable response we have received from the community, and I’m glad that I am able to bring this effort to my district.”

Staff and volunteers from Hueneme Elementary School District, the Oxnard Union High School District, Community Action Partnership of Ventura County, Big Lots and a host of others stuffed a school bus with boxes of school supplies, and the supplies were driven back to the school for sorting and distribution by school administrators.

“We strive to help our students reach their highest potential. Our kids are not always equipped with the supplies they need to make this happen. This effort will help our kids immensely,” stated Hueneme Elementary School District Superintendent Dr. Jerry Dannenberg. “I’d like to thank Assemblyman Gorell for organizing this effort as well as everyone who contributed to make it a success.”

“Stuff the Bus”, a grass-roots effort presented by Assemblyman Gorell, ran for two weeks and culminated in a final day effort collecting donations of school supplies to deliver to students from families who might otherwise not be able to prepare their kids for the new semester. The last day effort at the Big Lots store in Camarillo, one of the locations where supplies were collected, brought together a coalition of businesses and community leaders, including Community Action Partnership, who fueled the success of “Stuff the Bus” by donating their time and resources to the effort.

Major supporters of the Stuff the Bus effort included:

• International Paper donated $500 ($250 to each school district)
• AT&T Pioneers (in-kind contribution of 50 backpacks)
• Big Lots (in-kind)
• Community Action Partnership (in-kind)

Ventura, CA - Community Memorial Health System is sponsoring a free live simulcast of “TEDMED Live,” an annual conference focusing on health and medicine originating from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Sept. 11.

TEDMED Live will be held in two sessions from 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main Street in Ventura. The intent of the conference has been described as “a gathering of geniuses” that brings together some of the most innovative, thoughtful pioneers of healthcare technology, media, and entertainment to learn from one another and mix people up from different disciplines and industries to solve big problems in healthcare.

Session 9:45 to 11:15 a.m.: “Don't You Dare Talk About This.” This session will raise controversial issues in health and medicine that many people are reluctant to discuss publicly. Speakers include Sigrid Fry-Revere, organ donation ethicist; Patricia Horoho, Army surgeon general; Elizabeth Kenny, patient performer; Carl Hart, drug data dealer; Amy Baxter, pain deflector; Leana Wen, transparent physician; and Heather Raffo, global witness/artistic healer

Session 1:30 to 3:05 pm: “Play Is Not a Waste of Time.” This session reveals the many ways that imagination rewards us, specifically how health and medicine are enhanced through the extraordinary power of play. Speakers include Gerardo Contino, Cuban musician; Kayt Sukel, edgy science writer; Rupa & The April Fishes, rock star hospitalist/rebel musician; Carla Pugh, haptic educator; Jill Vialet, recess champion; Cole Galloway, pediatric motor learning scientist and designer; and Howard Rose, health games designer.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. For more information or to register visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call 800/838-3006.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and twelve family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

Join our vibrant art community by expressing yourself in the new sketchbook check-out program at E.P. Foster library. We have archival quality sketchbooks that check-out for three weeks, giving customers ample time to create wonderful sketches, poetry or other forms of 2 dimensional art.

The goal of this program is to create a personal and public museum of Ventura County residents art. All skill levels are welcome to participate in this creative community endeavor.

In addition to our sketchbooks we check-out DVDs, books, magazines, e-books, and of course, ukuleles. We have free parking, free WIFI and desktop computers to use for one hour per day. Amazing things happen when you have a library card!

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

CAMARILLO, CA - The Ventura County Community Foundation is accepting proposals to support behavioral health programs in Ventura County through a primary prevention approach aimed at reducing the number of people who need services.

The VCCF Health Fund will award a minimum of $80,000 to support local programs using at least one of three primary prevention strategies. These strategies focus on: 1) enhancing places where people live, work, attend school, seek recreation, to name a few; 2) connecting people to strengthen positive social-emotional development; and 3) fostering prosperity to enhance opportunities for self-sufficiency.

The application deadline is 3 p.m. Sept. 22, 2014. Proposals must be received in the VCCF offices by the deadline. Those that are postmarked the day of, faxed or arrive late will not be accepted.

Submit completed proposals to Ventura County Community Foundation, Attn: Linda Garcia, vice president, Philanthropic Services, VCCF Nonprofit Center, 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd., Suite A, Camarillo, CA 93012.

A staff member from organizations that plan to apply are strongly urged to attend an applicant information session from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 22, at the VCCF Nonprofit Center, 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo. To attend, please RSVP to Natalie Kamajian at 805.330.6673 or nkamajian@vccf.org. Bring a copy of the RFP, available at vccf.org/grants/index.shtml, to this session.

For more information, visit vccf.org/grants/index.shtml or contact Linda Garcia at lgarcia@vccf.org or 805.330.6678.

In observance of the Labor Day holiday, employees of Santa Clara Valley Disposal will be taking the day off on Monday, Sept. 1. As a result, Fillmore city residential customers will have their trash and green waste collected on Saturday, Sept. 6, one day later than usual.

The regular Friday collection schedule will resume the following week.

For more information, call 647-1414.