October is National Bullying Prevention Month and on October 21st Antioch residents are encouraged to wear orange and show support for Unity Day, “This simple call to action is one way everyone can promote kindness, inclusion and acceptance,” says Parks and Recreation Director Nancy Kaiser. Why orange? It is a common color during October and orange is associated with safety and visibility. Orange is warm and inviting yet makes a strong statement. Wearing orange on Wednesday, October 21st is a visible representation of the supportive and universal message that bullying is not acceptable behavior. Children, teens, senior citizens, and many adults are victims of bullying and it should not be tolerated in any setting.  Schools, community centers, parks and recreation programs should be places that are warm and inviting for everyone.

Unity Day was created by PACERS National Bullying Prevention Center in 2011 and Antioch has participated for several years.  City staff, recreation program participants, parents and business owners have started wearing orange in support towards a better community.  It really is as simple as wearing orange and standing up to those that are not kind, nor accepting. Pull out those orange T-shirts on October 21st and wear them proudly. Putting a stop to bullying begins with each of us.

For more information contact Nancy Kaiser, Parks and Recreation Director, at 925-779-7078.

Photos courtesy of San Francisco Zion Church.

By Greg Bernard

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak that has devastated communities around the world, churches and religious institutions have had to shut their doors and services for several months. Congregants have been unable to gather together to fellowship or worship, leaving members feeling isolated and disconnected from their community.

But one church has found that the best way to re-engage members is to get them involved in giving back. San Francisco Zion Church, a Christian church that serves the Bay Area, held a letter-writing campaign for the firefighters of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area this past weekend. Members who participated in the letter-writing campaign hailed from cities and counties across the Bay Area and Northern California: from Contra Costa, Solano, Alameda, San Francisco, and as far as Sacramento.

Local church members and their children wrote cards for the brave men and women who have been fighting the State’s worst wildfires in over a century. Some of these heartwarming letters found their way to Contra Costa’s Fire Departments. The words of encouragement were warmly received, with some firefighters commenting that it was the first public appreciation they’ve gotten for their service in the fires.

Their next major volunteer campaign will be in collaboration with the Red Cross. According to the World Health Organization, blood donations have been in short supply since the beginning of the pandemic. As a result, San Francisco Zion Church resolved to partner with the Red Cross to host a series of blood drives. The first of these drives will begin in November.

“We’ve received over 30 recognitions from local businesses and neighboring cities in the Bay Area in the past few years for our volunteering,” says Adam, a resident of Antioch and member of San Francisco Zion Church. “Next week, we’re raising support for the families affected by the fires and reaching out to the elderly who suffer the most when they are socially isolated from their family members. With everything that’s going on right now, there’s so much need for volunteers.”
For the past five years, San Francisco Zion Church has been active in volunteering and helping people throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Members of the church hope that their volunteerism and donation drives will encourage other churches and organizations in the area to gather together and contribute.

Gyms up to 10%; indoor retail and malls up to 50%; thanks to improving situation; nail salons, massage services back indoors

Thanks to recent progress being made in the fight against COVID-19 in Contra Costa, indoor restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, massage parlors and places of worship may now open with restrictions in the county.

The changes come after the county qualified to move into the less restrictive red tier (“substantial”) of the state’s four-tiered, color-coded reopening system today. Contra Costa had been in the state’s purple or “widespread” tier, the most restrictive tier.

Moving into the red tier means the following sectors can reopen with modifications:

• Places of worship, restaurants, movie theaters and museums can be operated indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less
• Gyms can reopen indoors at 10% capacity
• All personal care services, including massage, can move indoors
• Indoor shopping malls can operate at 50% maximum occupancy (instead of 25%). Food courts can also open following the state’s guidelines for restaurants.
• Indoor retail stores can now operate at 50% capacity (instead of 25%)

“The credit really belongs to the residents of Contra Costa, who have adapted to the new normal and modified their lifestyles to reduce the spread of COVID in the county,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, the county’s health officer.

Elementary and secondary schools can reopen for in-person instruction on Oct. 13 if the county remains the red tier for two more weeks. Currently, elementary schools can apply for a waiver from the health officer to reopen.

In order to move into the more permissive red tier, the county had to see average case rates drop below 7 per 100,000 people and testing positivity rates dip below 8%. For the past two weeks, Contra Costa has met those benchmarks. As of Tuesday, the case rate was 6.7 per 100,000 people and the testing positivity rate was 3.7%.

Dr. Farnitano noted that Contra Costa continued to see its COVID numbers improve or remain steady even after the Labor Day weekend, suggesting fewer people engaged in risky behaviors like large social gatherings compared to the previous holiday weekends.

Health officials caution that COVID is still circulating in the community and people should continue to take all the same precautions health officials have been advising for months: wear face coverings in public, maintain physical distancing, wash hands frequently and stay home if you’re sick.

In addition, health officials encourage essential workers and people with lots of close contacts outside their own household to get tested for COVID at least monthly.

Businesses and other organizations should review their applicable industry guidance for reopening safely from the state. For more information about COVID-19 in Contra Costa, visit cchealth.org/coronavirus.

Join us for our 3rd Annual Bedford Block Party, benefiting the Bedford Center for Adult Day Health Care in Antioch. The FREE event is happening on zoom from 4:30-5:30 PM. The FUNdraiser event will include appearances from local elected officials and a Bedford participant caregiver, an honoree ceremony for the late Ralph Garrow Jr., information on the Bedford Center, and live music from members of The Delta Dogs!

The event is free to attend, but if you’d like to support us, you can purchase BBQ catering to be picked up (between 1:30-3:30 PM) at the Bedford Center, 1811 C Street in Antioch, or purchase a VIP Package (which includes 30 min extra of live music by the Delta Dogs!), which we will deliver to your door! Learn more about these options here–deadlines to order these are soon!

With a late summer heat wave upon us, the City of Antioch is committed to providing a safe, cool place for residents to spend the day. The cooling center located at the Nick Rodriguez Community Center will open Saturday, September 26th and remain open through Wednesday, September 30th for all residents. Citizens without home air conditioning, or with health conditions made worse with extreme heat and poor air quality are encouraged to seek out the cooling center. The Community Center is located at 213 F Street, Antioch. The cooling center will be open from 12:00noon to 6:00pm each day.

COVID-19 Health Orders remain in full effect and the following modifications are activated and required by all individuals coming to the cooling center:

– Everyone must wear masks and/or acceptable face coverings; one will be provided if needed

– Social distancing will be enforced; only families may sit or stand together

– All visitors must answer the COVID health questions; if you feel sick stay home, you will not be admitted into the center

– Bring your own snacks; sharing food is not allowed. Bring books and games also.

The cooling center has been an important resource for families that need some respite during this time. The change in air quality due to recent fires makes the cooling center invaluable for individuals with breathing difficulties. All residents are encouraged to visit the center as needed.

Also, the Antioch Water Park continues to offer family swimming sessions this Saturday and Sunday. Families or households up to six individuals can enjoy a refreshing dip in a specific area of the water park this weekend. Social distancing and other COVID health rules are in place. The entry fee is $5 per person payable by credit card. Reservations are required, and residents are encouraged to call the water park at (925) 776-3070 to secure a swim time for this weekend. The pools reach capacity quickly!

Residents are encouraged to stay connected with the City of Antioch by following the daily announcements posted on the website www.antiochca.gov. For more information about park use and the activities allowed at this time please call the Recreation Department at 925-776-3050.

Photo courtesy of White Pony Express.

SHARE Community and White Pony Express are pleased to announce that on September 29, 2020, the “Oasis Project,” designed to brighten and uplift the lives of unsheltered neighbors in our community, will be launched in Antioch, CA.  Among other services, Oasis will include a 2-unit Mobile Shower, and a Clothing & Care Closet, which will be stocked with high quality clothes that guests can choose from. To celebrate the opening of Oasis, a short ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at Golden Hills Community Church’s Community Outreach Center, located at 525 E. 18th Street in Antioch.

Initially, Oasis will be stationed at the Community Outreach Center and operated on Tuesdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  The Mobile Shower, which is ADA certified, will be the only operating shower unit for the unhoused in East Contra Costa County.  It will be free for the public to use with no questions asked.  Also, there will be no charge for any of the other services offered by Oasis.

Even though several partners are involved, the project is called “Oasis” to give it a unified identity.  During its operation, Oasis will include:

• Mobile showers with bathrooms, organized by SHARE, that any guest is free to use.
• A “Clothing & Care Closet” operated by White Pony Express (WPE) that will provide clothes that guests can select from free of charge.
• Medical referral services provided by Contra Costa Health Services’ Coordinated Outreach Referral and Engagement team (C.O.R.E.), and
• Free haircuts offered by licensed hair stylists.

“The opening of the Oasis Project on September 29 has been a dream of mine for a long time, and it makes me extremely happy that the project is now ready to begin elevating the lives of our unsheltered neighbors,” remarked Ricka Davis-Sheard, Co-Founder of SHARE Community.  “We have been working closely with the nonprofit LavaMae^x in preparation for our launch, who has helped us with everything from in-depth training to troubleshooting issues with our Shower unit.  We have learned from an agency that has been around for years and which consistently provides a high level of care for their guests.”

Prior to its acquisition by SHARE, the Mobile Shower had been owned by WPE.  WPE volunteer Peter Brooks spent over two years diligently looking for a place to set up and operate the Mobile Shower, and in the process contacted numerous groups.

Finally, Brooks met Davis-Sheard at SHARE and was immediately impressed by her earnestness to help the unsheltered.  Says Brooks, “Ricka was the light at the end of the tunnel of my long search.  She saw the Mobile Shower as a perfect fit for the work SHARE wanted to do in East County.  What she had in mind was exactly what WPE had in mind.”

As the project evolved, Brooks suggested that the group of services offered with the Mobile Shower be called the Oasis Project.  “My hope is that the whole experience, for people in the ‘desert’ of hard urban homelessness, will be like travelers in the Sahara finding relief in an oasis.”

WPE operates the White Pony General Store which distributes high quality clothing, shoes, books, and games to those in need.  “For Oasis, our General Store will operate a well-organized, inviting ‘Clothing & Care Closet’ so that guests can make selections based on their unique tastes and needs,” says Eve Birge, Executive Director of WPE.  “The Closet will have items like shirts, jeans, jackets, shoes, undergarments, and other items useful to our unhoused neighbors.  WPE will treat those who visit Oasis as our special guests and support them with love and dignity, offering only our best.”

Concludes Davis-Sheard, “We want people to emerge from Oasis looking brand-new and transformed.”

The hope is that if Oasis is successful at its initial location, it can move to other locations across the County to serve the needs of the unhoused population.

About SHARE Community

SHARE Community was co-founded by Ricka Davis-Sheard and Vincent Vidriales in 2019.  Its mission is to share hope, abundance, resources and encouragement with members of the community and the organizations who serve them by creating ways for people to work together toward positive change.  In addition to mobile showers,

SHARE Community serves East Contra Costa County through its community programs Adopt-a-Block and Adopt-a-Senior-Home. These programs provide much needed care and attention to underserved neighborhoods and seniors.

For more information about SHARE, visit: www.thesharecommunity.com

About White Pony Express   

White Pony Express, headquartered in Pleasant Hill, CA and founded by Dr. Carol Weyland Conner in 2013, operates a Food Rescue Program which picks up quality surplus food every day from supermarkets, restaurants, and farmers markets and then delivers that food—free of charge—to shelters and churches that feed the hungry.  Since its founding in 2013, WPE has delivered over twelve and a half million pounds of fresh food.  WPE also has a General Store that has distributed over 500,000 items of high-quality clothing, toys, and books free to the underserved.

For more information on WPE, visit www.whiteponyexpress.org