What If I Say the Wrong Thing on Race?

Have you ever worried that you’d say the wrong thing? TEDx Talk speaker and author Michelle Silverthorn answers that very question in this short article.

Learn more.

Volunteer Virtually with APACE and Traveling Stories

The Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees ERG invites fellow employees to be a part of a six-week virtual reading program for children in kindergarten through second grade.

As part of the Traveling Stories Virtual StoryTent program, volunteers will be paired with a reader on a virtual platform for one hour each week from Feb. 17, 2021 through April 13, 2021. Each volunteer will have the same reader for the duration of the program.

Reading resources and training materials will be provided.

Virtual reading session availabilities will be on Wednesdays at 3, 4 or 5 p.m. or Saturdays at 9, 10 or 11 a.m.

The deadline to apply is Jan. 15th.

Learn more and apply at travelingstories.org. If you have questions, email apace@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Working Snow Hard

Snow fell in the higher elevations of the county overnight and our Department of Public Works crews were out plowing. Thanks for working snow hard!

Celebrating Kwanzaa

The County Administration Center was illuminated in red, black and green on Saturday to mark the start of Kwanzaa.

What Is the Origin of Race?

Do you believe that race correlates to skin tone? Because that wasn’t always the case. So how did Americans come to believe that race equals characteristics such as skin color and hair? Watch this video to find out.

San Diego Police Bring Joy to Kids at Polinsky Children’s Center

Kids living at Polinsky Children’s Center received a special gift this holiday season. Members of the San Diego Police Department recently brought holiday gifts—one for each child individually, and several others for the center, such as sports balls, chalk and paint.

“We want to be more visible to the children at Polinsky, to help them not be afraid of the police,” said Capt. Brent Williams. “We set up a gifting tree at our department, with ornaments for kids in different age ranges. Officers could take an ornament, purchase the gifts and bring them back for our donation to Polinsky.”

The A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center is a 24-hour facility for the temporary shelter of children who must be separated from their families for their own safety, or when parents cannot provide care. Each month more than 100 children ages birth to 17 are admitted to the center.

Many children living at the center will not be able to celebrate the holidays at home or with their families and the gifts allow the center to help provide as much normalcy as possible.

“This is a great opportunity for us to be a partner with Polinsky during these pandemic times to give a little back to our community,” said SDPD Lt. Dan Sayasane, as he helped haul Santa-sized sacks of toys onto the Polinsky campus.

The toy donation represents an ongoing commitment to Polinsky Children’s Center, not just a one-time holiday effort.

“This is a phenomenal group of officers that have had many positive interactions with our kids,” said Child Welfare Services Deputy Director Norma Rincon. “They came to the table and wanted to be a part of the solution to help our kids.”

Rincon said the department reached out to the facility to develop a partnership and foster positive relationships with the kids by coming on campus regularly and getting to know them.

The efforts appear to be succeeding. Rincon says the time the officers have put in to develop relationships and help support the kids has been invaluable. One child in particular wanted to make sure she was able to say goodbye to an officer who had formed a truly positive relationship with her during her stay at Polinsky, before she was placed in a foster home.

CAO Message: Thank You and Happy Holidays!

Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer

As we prepare to close out this tumultuous 2020, I want to offer you my sincerest best wishes for the holidays. I do hope you and your household have a warm and safe celebration.

I’ll repeat how much you’ve inspired me throughout this difficult time. Each challenge that came our way, you’ve risen to it. I’m grateful in a crisis to be in a position of helping our community through it. And I’m so, so appreciative that I have all of you working with me on the same goal. Your talents and dedication embody everything about the spirit of giving that this season represents. You are my most treasured gift. 

We’ll enter a new year with our work cut out for us. I draw strength and optimism from knowing you’ll be there with me. 

Happy holidays, and then let’s get ready to tackle 2021.

Update Your Address

It’s time to review and/or update your personal information in PeopleSoft.  

In January 2021, the County will be mailing your 2020 W-2 form by Jan. 31, 2021. Unfortunately, many of those important tax forms get returned due to incorrect or outdated addresses.

Please review your address in PeopleSoft using Employee Self Service and confirm it is the correct mailing address and contains the correct nine-digit ZIP code.

The deadline to review and update your information in Employee Self Service is Jan. 8, 2021.

Helpful Information

Q: What if I don’t have a County computer?

A: Please contact your Departmental Human Resources Officer to request an address update.

Q: How do I log into Employee Self Service?

A: When you use Employee Self Service, your login is your six-digit employee ID number. Be sure to include all six numbers, and don’t include the letter “E.” You must also enter your Self-Service password. If you don’t remember your password, Self Service Password Reset is now available in PeopleSoft or please contact the appropriate Help Desk.

Help Desk Contact Numbers

• Sheriff Department: 858-256-2100

• District Attorney: 619-531-4104

• All other County employees: 888-298-1222

Additional Information to Consider

While you’re logged into Employee Self Service, please review your Emergency Contact information. If this information is out-of-date or incomplete, it could delay notification in case of an emergency.

Monito, Monita! CSDFEA Holiday Recipe Exchange

Spread some holiday cheer by sharing a recipe that reminds you of home or a traditional holiday family recipe.

To participate, email csdfea@sdcounty.ca.gov no later than Tuesday, Dec. 22. You will get randomly paired up with another participant with whom you will exchange recipes before Dec. 31!

See flyer for details.

You don’t have to be an avid cook or baker to participate, you just have to have a recipe to share

CAO Message: A Milestone, But Critical Work Ahead in Our Pandemic Fight

Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer

We’re witnessing history this week. A few of our colleagues, medical staff at the County Psychiatric Hospital, got COVID-19 vaccines yesterday. Additional doses the County received Monday were sent to local hospitals for their frontline workers. We hope we’ll look back on this time as a turning point in our fight against this virus that’s created so much havoc with our lives.

It is, however, just the start of a process that will take many months. The first vaccines are going to acute care health workers and the vulnerable residents of long-term care facilities. There’s a detailed plan for which groups of the population will follow, and some of that may be adjusted along the way. The County is coordinating an advisory group that is heavily engaged with the community to make sure vaccines are given out equitably. We’ve talked a lot about equity this year, and these are just the sort of life-impacting decisions we need to work very hard at.

The vaccine’s arrival is huge cause for celebration. That excitement is tempered by the dire situation we find ourselves in now with the pandemic. Local case numbers have exploded the last several weeks, as have hospitalizations. ICU capacity has dropped dangerously low, which prompted the state to issue the Regional Stay at Home Order with its renewed restrictions on businesses and gatherings. Our health care system and sectors of our economy both face breaking points. There’s pain all around.

So while a vaccine is here, it’s not here yet in a way that can turn the tide. It’s still on each one of us to take the individual steps that will make the difference. Not gathering, keeping your face covered. Staying apart from others during the holidays is awful. But every preventive action you take can mean one more break in the chain of infections. And that can result in maybe one more hospitalization avoided, and a family not worried about their loved one. A little less strain on an exhausted ICU nurse. In this season of giving, let’s all give that to each other, to our community.

You’re probably familiar now with the term “pandemic fatigue.” I know many of you are feeling it. It’s hard living this way. Let’s draw strength from the promise of the vaccine, and in the knowledge that our collective action can help us through – what we hope will be – the final stretch of this fight.

Stay safe and thanks for all you’re doing.