Cher and Friends Visit Animal Services

Cher, one of two littermates who arrived at the County’s San Diego shelter after someone cut off their ears last year, visited her old friends at Animal Services on Saturday, with a bunch of new friends in tow.

Penny Scarbrough, a teacher at Hillsdale Middle School in El Cajon, adopted Cher in January and regularly takes the puppy to class. Through their friendship with the pup, Scarbrough’s students got inspired to help the other animals at the County shelter.

On Saturday, Scarbrough, a group of her students and Cher delivered pet supplies to the shelter and presented a check for $250 that they’d raised for the County’s Spirit Fund. The all-donation Spirit Fund helps pay for surgeries requiring an outside veterinary specialist that Animal Services could not otherwise afford. The fund helped  Sunny, Cher’s brother, get surgery so his wounded ears would heal correctly.

The Hillsdale teacher and students aren’t the only ones Sunny and Cher inspired; all the media attention the pups got this winter drew attention to the plight of injured and abused pets in our County and prompted a flurry of Spirit Fund donations.

Looking for a Beautiful Local Weekend Getaway?

Sweetwater Regional Park's Summit Campground and Eastview Park celebrated the grand opening of over $10 million in additions, including 63 new campgrounds with full RV hookups.

Building Bridges, Creating Friendships

The 2011 Intergenerational Games were held in Chula Vista on March 10. The Games brought together about 100 older adults who were paired up with 120 Chula Vista 3rd graders for a day of fun, bonding and learning about physical fitness and nutrition. The event is put on by the Health and Human Services Agency's Aging & Independence Services and several community partners.

District Attorney's Project Lets Students Take Control of the Message

In 2008, two promising high school students were gunned down after leaving a party in Valencia park. Their deaths shocked the community and inspired the District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis, to create something completely new. An entirely different way of persuading young people to make better choices.

Skills for Youth Through Building Better Health

The San Diego Center for Children is making sure our youth have a chance at a better life. They do this through various programs and services. Here's a look at a program that's been around for less than a year and making quite an impact. The Life Skills program is funded by the Health and Human Services Agency's Mental Health Services.

For more information about the San Diego Center for Children, visit centerforchildren.org.

The County's New Waterfront Park Vision

HHSA Unveils Anti-Obesity Campaign

CECO/United Way Campaign a Success

The County Employees Charitable Organization (CECO) and United Way would like to extend their thanks and appreciation to all County of San Diego and Superior Court employees who contributed to making the 2010 Campaign a tremendous success! This year, we are projected to raise about $330,000 for the local community and employees in crisis.

Your generosity is truly inspiring and continues to be evident each year during the joint CECO/United Way campaign. For the past several years, these two charities have run their campaign jointly to maximize employee outreach and contributions to local non-profit organizations. In addition, the campaigns are the perfect complement to one another. Contributions to the United Way fund programs’ ongoing operational costs and creation of new local programs, while CECO contributions fund programs’ tangible items and provide one-time emergency assistance to County of San Diego and Superior Court employees and retirees in crisis.

To learn more about the programs and organizations County employee CECO and United Way donations have supported in the local region, please visit their web sites (CECO, United Way). And, to hear testimonial from County CECO volunteers and grant recipients view the CECO YouTube Video.

Thank you for your continued support.



County Health Wellness Screenings

Have you been meaning to get your blood pressure checked? Want to know your Body Mass Index? Maybe you're wondering why you've been feeling sluggish lately and if it could be related to depression.

Many of us are busy with work, family and friends and often don't take the time to stop and get regular health screenings. The County recognizes the importance of preventative health screenings and are brining them to a location near you!

You can get your blood sugar and cholesterol screened, blood pressure checked, height and weight measured, Body Mass Index calculated and get screened for depression at the March wellness screenings.

Please call 619-641-4194 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to make an appointment. They highly recommend you schedule a time to come in, but walk-ins will be accomodated.

Here is the schedule of March Wellness Screenings. All screenings are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday, March 7

County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, South parking lot

Wednesday, March 9

County Operations - Annex, 5201 Ruffin Road, West - lower parking lot

Tuesday, March 15

North County Regional Center, 325 S. Melrose Drive, Vista, South parking lot

Friday, March 18

East County Regional Center, 250 E. Main Street, El Cajon, Back parking lot (off Park Ave.)

Monday, March 21

HHSA - Rosecrans Complex, 3851 Rosecrans, Right side parking lot area

Wednesday, March 23

HHSA - South Region, 690 Oxford St., Chula Vista, West side parking lot area

Monday, March 28

County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, South parking lot

Tuesday, March 29

Duffy Administration Center, 9621 Ridgehaven Court, Front parking lot area

Solar Panels Top Off New County Operations Center

The massive field of SDG&E-owned solar arrays atop the new County Operations Center parking garage will provide clean and renewable energy to the community, producing enough power for 107 households a year.