Give Meditation a Try

Our Employee Wellness Program recently launched an employee wellness challenge called “Renew.” While the registration has closed, you can still benefit from these wellness micro-learnings and activities. Check back often for activities to help you create calm, boost happiness, sharpen focus and increase energy.  

 Today’s lesson is on mediation:

 Breathe deep and focus the mind for myriad health benefits.

Meditation has ancient roots in cultures all over the world. Despite its rich history and traditions, you don’t need much to experience the advantages — just a quiet room and a few minutes. Here’s how:

• Find a guide. Meditation is a solitary practice, but a good podcast or app can provide useful tips and techniques to help keep you on track. Mindful.org is another excellent resource.

• Practice, practice, practice. As with learning any skill, improvement in meditation requires repetition. Don’t burn yourself out in the first week — play the long game and start with just 5-10 minutes each day, building up to 20-40 minutes a day.

• If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Your mind will wander; it happens to everyone. You’ll sit down to focus and end up thinking about groceries or bills. That’s natural and expected. Progress comes when you pause and bring your attention back to the breath each time. 

The simple act of sitting quietly has persevered through the ages for good reason; research shows it has numerous health and wellness benefits, ranging from stress and pain reduction to smoking cessation.

For more information on Employee Wellness offerings, visit this InSite page. 

You’re Invited to CECO's Heart of Gold Awards Breakfast

The County Employees’ Charitable Organization (CECO) will distribute $110,252 in grants to 68 local nonprofit programs and the Employee Crisis Fund at its annual awards breakfast at the County Operations Center on March 10.

Grant recipients include the Blind Community Center of San Diego, Elder Help of San Diego and Girl Scouts San Diego.

CECO invites County employees to attend the ceremony and learn about the grant recipients, their hearts of gold and commitment to our communities.

To attend, you must buy a ticket to the awards breakfast by March 3.

Doors open to breakfast and networking at 7:30 a.m. The program starts at 8 a.m. 

Since forming in 1956, CECO has given more than $7 million back to San Diego County. Contributions from employees and retirees to CECO are awarded to local nonprofits each year and are also used to help employees in need.

For questions, email SDCECO@sdcounty.ca.gov.

See the flyer below.

Have Boba with APACE

The Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees invites you to a boba meet up on Thursday, Feb. 23. The event will be held at Tea N More, Clairemont Mesa Blvd. in San Diego from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Boba tea, also known as bubble tea, is a blend of tea, milk, sugar and chewy tapioca pearls.

The meet up is open to all. Bring a friend and learn more about APACE.

Email APACE to RSVP.

See the flyer below.

Celebrating Love Your Hert

The County Administration Center is lit to celebrate Love Your Heart.

Earn $1,000 in Referral Reward Program

Participating in the County’s Employee Referral Reward Program can earn you money! The program pays $1,000 to employees for referring candidates who are hired into hard to recruit jobs at the County.

County team members have already taken advantage of the program, referring new employees into hard to recruit jobs including Sheriff’s Detentions Nurse, Protective Service Worker, and Deputy Sheriff. Check out the full list of eligible jobs.  

Earning a referral bonus is easy! Here’s how: 

1. Review the Program Guidelines, which include having the new hire enter the referring County employee’s name on their application. 

2. If all guidelines are met, complete and submit a Confidential Referral Form.

Celebrating Valentine's Day

The County Administration Center was lit Tuesday to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

An Employee of the Marrying Kind

A County employee gave up her regular day job for just a morning and spent part of Valentine’s Day conducting marriage ceremonies for couples who said “I do” at the County Administration Center.

Valentine’s Day is a big day for weddings at the County and Tuesday was no exception. Dozens of couples tied the knot at one of the four offices belonging to the County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk. 

Raquel Mendoza is a multi-media designer for the County Communications Office, but she wanted to experience what it was like to conduct a wedding.  

“I took some time off and signed up to become a deputy marriage commissioner for a day,” said Mendoza. “The process is easy, and you get sample vows, instructions on how to fill out the marriage license and a commission certificate.”

ARCC employees regularly conduct marriage ceremonies, but they can always use an extra hand on one of their busiest days of the year, Valentine’s Day.  

“It was a little nerve-wracking. I didn’t want to mess up vows or names on a couple’s wedding day,” said Mendoza. “But after I did one, it was a lot of fun. Everyone is so happy.”

Mendoza said she even got a little teary-eyed during the ceremonies.

The office conducted at least 82 ceremonies and issued 119 marriage licenses.

If you’re interested in becoming a deputy marriage commissioner for a day, either for the County, a relative or other loved one, visit the ARCC website.

Join African American Heritage Celebration

Mark your calendars for the first African American Heritage Celebration at Balboa Park from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Feb. 19. The celebration will acknowledge our past, honor our present and build a brighter future. Event partners are the African American Association of County Employees, Office of Equity and Racial Justice, Sheriff’s Department and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

There will be food, entertainment and more.

The event will take place at the House of Pacific Relations International Lawn Stage near the international cottages. The closest address is 2294 Pan American Plaza, San Diego. Here’s a map.

See the flyer below.

Picnic in the Park with LGBTQ&A ERG

Please join the LGBTQ&A ERG for a Spring Picnic at Heritage County Park on Saturday, March 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Enjoy sandwiches, snacks, drinks, lawn games and great company. Stay for a historical tour of Victorian Village from the Department of Parks and Recreation. Heritage County Park is located at 2454 Heritage Park Row in Old Town San Diego.

RSVP by March 4.

The picnic and tour are free for members and a $5 donation for guests. Guests can pay cash or Venmo at the picnic.

Renew your membership or join LGBTQ&A ERG today!

See the flyer below.

To view the park brochure full size, click the link.

Help Expand Inclusion in the County

The County is excited to announce our partnership for neurodiversity excellence with Rangam Consultants Inc., a global workforce solutions company with a focus on neurodiverse and inclusive employment.

The first step in this effort requires your voice. Rangam will roll out a survey to County employees to measure the accessibility and workplace culture for neurodivergent individuals. You’ll get an email from Survey Monkey via Rangam and your responses will be completely confidential. Rangam really wants your frank opinions so they can help to assess strengths, identify gaps, and formulate strategies to move forward.

For more information on what to expect, please see Rangam’s Inclusive Employment Survey FAQ and Key Terminology to know.

The survey will run from Monday, Feb. 13 through Friday, Feb. 24.