Edition 3 May 2022

Welcome to the May 2022 edition of Pacifica Voice

Calendar of Events

MON 5/9 7 PM	City Council – sewer tax
TH 5/122 1-2 PM	Mythbusting Affordable Housing Costs, Virtual event, see Housing Leadership Council calendar
SAT 5/14 8:30 AM – 5 PM	Community Center, Mental Health First Aid Training
TU 5/17 5-6 PM	Affordable Housing for the Next Generation, virtual event, see Housing Leadership Council calendar
TH 5/19 5-6PM	Tackling the Challenge of Producing Deeply Affordable Housing, virtual event, see Housing Leadership Council calendar
FRI 5/20 7PM	Let’s Discuss Reparations, Sharp park Library, see Pacifica Peace People post
SUN 5/22 2 PM	Pacifica Historical Society Museum, free Flute Concert, see PHS post
MON 5/23 7 PM	City Council

See posted calendars for:

• Housing Leadership Council
• Sanchez Art Gallery summer schedule
• Pacifica Library

Photos have been contributed by Leo Leon and Mark Hubbell

Pacifica Voice is eager to receive articles on issues important to our community. Please send them to editors@pacificavoice.us for consideration.
To receive press releases and periodic messages from the Pacifica Voice please add your name and email address to our subscriber list – SUBSCRIBE HERE. FREE

---

---

FOR CONSIDERATION

Mayors Mental Health Initiative – Pacifica Mayor, Mary Bier

The announcement by the San Mateo County Mayors Health Initiative kicks off May as Mental Health Awareness Month. This year’s theme, #SMCTakeAction4MH, encourages taking steps to support mental wellness. Redwood City Mayor Giselle Hale and San Carlos Mayor Sara McDowell brought together mayors from 16 cities across the county to focus on the growing need for mental health services.

When Sara asked me to join the Mayors Mental Health Initiative, I knew it was exactly what I was supposed to do. It blended my role at the Daly City Youth Health Center (DCYHC)/ JUHSD with my leadership role in my city. The young people I was working with before lock down were focusing on “redefining mental wellness”. They wanted to put a positive spin to the phrase “mental health”. Then the pandemic hit. Suddenly they were experiencing all of the emotions that they had been discussing for months beforehand. It was now real – the sadness, anger, lack of motivation, social anxiety. We had to find a way to continue to support these young people and their families. Working with my team at DCYHC, we mapped out a plan to continue to create a safe space for the youth to come together and support each other, while we worked on connecting them and their families to services. We met on zoom two times a week for 18 months. I was honored to witness their journey. Their commitment to their mental health never waivered. They started a PodCast to use the platform to share their thoughts and experiences with other youth. (It’s Always Something) – They made videos and hosted webinars about youth mental health. They found their resiliency. The theme for this years focus is “Brilliance in Resilience”

I chose to tell you this story because, well, I am so proud of them; and also to talk about the collaboration across sectors that it took to make sure that these youth and their families received the services they needed to make it through the pandemic. Partnerships between the school district, the health center and the core services agencies was vital. As an Elected, I have the opportunity to encourage collaboration in my city. I can use my platform to raise awareness about mental health issues and how to access services. By participating in the Mayors Mental Health Initiative, I have the opportunity to work collaboratively across city lines and throughout the county. It allows me to get to know my colleagues. It provides a space for us to come together and support each other. It allows us to feel positive about the work we are doing. This is important for our mental wellness and it helps us to move forward in serving our communities.

We are coming into May, Mental Health Awareness Month. Cities across San Mateo County are participating in activities that start dialogue about mental health through presentations, training, and proclamations. Cities are lighting up their buildings in lime green, the color of the mental health movement. Cities are hosting Mental Health First Aid training. Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour course that teaches volunteers how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The course is delivered by trained instructors who meet certification requirements. Collaboration can be seen across sectors, Libraries are hosting meditation sessions and mental-health training. Art Centers are creating opportunities for art related activities. Schools are using digital storytelling to begin conversations between students. We are stronger together. This kind of collaboration creates many different ways to learn about resources and services. It helps to fill the gaps that exist in outreach and awareness.

Recognizing the need, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors provided $200,000 to help fund the mental health first aid training as part of COVID-19 recovery efforts. Funding comes from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, which helps communities overcome challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you San Mateo County for being such amazing partners! The San Mateo County Mayors Mental Health Initiative includes Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Daly City, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, and South San Francisco.

Throughout May, cities and the County are expected to support proclamations to raise awareness about Mental Health Awareness Month. Also look for public buildings alight in green (the national color for mental health) and public events to help raise awareness, highlight resources and spark conversations about mental health. San Mateo County Health is also sponsoring a series of events and activities.

More information on the cities’ Mental Health Month proclamations, community training, and other events free and open to the public may be found at https://smcmentalhealthmonth.org/.

---

---

---

---

CANDIDATES

Virginia Chang Kiraly

The month of May recognizes many important things – Affordable Housing Month, Asian Heritage Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month.  As a board member of the National Alliance On Mental Illness San Mateo County (NAMI SMC), I support the proposed Care Court system, which allows families, community members, probation officers, and others to refer people to services if they have schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder, not receiving ongoing treatment, and unable to make their own medical decisions.  People can also be brought into the system if suspected of a crime or being released from an involuntary hold at a psychiatric facility.  While Care Courts may not be perfect, they offer a compassionate way to help those suffering from mental illness, who may be a danger to themselves or to the public. 

Mental illness is different from mental health.  Mental illness affects the way people think, feel, behave over a span of time, affects people’s lives differently, and can be episodic.  One-half of all chronic mental illness begins at the age of 14 years.  Mental health looks at our mental well-being–  our emotions, thoughts, and feelings; our ability to problem solve and overcome difficulties; our social interactions; and our understanding of the world around us.  Everyone has mental health, just like physical health, and it can be on the spectrum from good to bad.  

Unfortunately, externalities such as safety, crime, worrying about having a place to live and the affordability of housing in our community, cause stress and negatively impact our mental health.  This stress is exacerbated by the high, and increasing, cost of living in our county.  Keeping our community affordable and accessible is important, particularly across generations.  Children deserve to live in a safe place where they can dream, study, and play.  Seniors should be able to live independently with services nearby, such as transit, community activities, and services like Meals On Wheels.  Our streets and neighborhoods must be safe for everyone.  Government has an important role to play by repurposing public lands for housing, specifically social housing for mixed-income residents.  To make people’s lives easier, required infrastructure should be built to support housing to avoid traffic and parking nightmares.  Having services that support housing is crucial to ease stress.   

Affordable housing can also help those who face street homelessness, which intersects with mental illness/mental health and housing accessibility.  For those facing homelessness and those needing workforce housing as essential workers, the Care Court system can be an effective way to help those in need to have a roof over their heads and a warm bed to sleep in, while accessing required treatment for substance abuse and services for mental health and/or mental illness.  

As a Chinese-American woman, I also celebrate Asian Heritage Month.  For me, the need to shatter the model-minority myth is important, and this was at fever pitch during the pandemic.  The most destructive part of this myth is the wedge that divides Asians and other communities of color to disrupt inter-racial solidarity.  This wedge makes society think that Asians do not have needs and challenges that warrant government policy corrections.  Asian Americans have the most significant income disparity of any ethnic group in America and have faced legislated discrimination for decades.  Fortunately, during the height of violence towards AAPI community during the last two years, the growing recognition that Asians need mental-health services has not gone unnoticed.  Unfortunately, the model-minority myth holds back Asians from seeking help.  Therefore, I hope that during this Asian Heritage Month, we Asians look at ways for self-care, seek help when needed, and shatter the model-minority myth. 

Learn more about Virginia and her campaign at www.VirginiaChangKiraly.com, info@VirginiaChangKiraly.com

---

Ray Mueller

Dear readers, much has happened since we last submitted articles to the Pacifica Voice!

Endorsed by Nick Lusson of “Save San Pedro Mountain” and the Sierra Club!
In March, in Pacifica, I was honored to speak to “Save San Pedro Mountain”. I am so grateful to my friend Nick Lusson and organizers, who have worked so hard to preserve open space in the foothills of Linda Mar’s San Pedro Mountain. I am excited to share Nick Lusson’s endorsement, as well as the sole endorsement of the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club.  As Supervisor, I will fight to protect our parks, our beaches, and our open spaces.

Endorsed by San Mateo County Firefighters Local 2400!
I am honored to share that I am the only candidate endorsed by San Mateo County Firefighters Local 2400, which represents firefighters and paramedics in nine different Associations, including the Pacifica Firefighters. As Supervisor, I will fight to mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect our communities from wildfire, and I will hold hearings and hold insurance companies accountable who cancel insurance policies.

Endorsed by Coastside Democratic Club!
In late March, all of the candidates were asked to participate in a forum put on by the Coastside Democratic Club. We discussed topics like housing, climate change, transportation, and public safety.  After the forum, the club voted whether it would endorse a candidate for Supervisor. Our campaign received over 67% percent of the vote, and won the endorsement!

Endorsed By the San Mateo County Democratic Party!
Then in April, our campaign won again, this time winning the sole endorsement of the San Mateo County Democratic Party. In the email sent to county Democrats, the County Democratic Party stated that I was “by far the best choice to represent this area on the Board of Supervisors.”

We have the momentum!
Our campaign leads all others in fundraising. We have won coveted endorsements from the California Nurses Association, the San Mateo County Labor Council, and from Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. You can view our full endorsement list at https://www.raymuellerforsupervisor.com/endorsements/.

A Campaign to Support our City’s residents, not the Legacy of Former Supervisors
One thing I have heard consistently during this campaign is that Coastsiders and Pacificans feel forgotten by the County and County Government. On day one I will bring an office to the Coastside. It will be staffed and I will be in it, two to three days a week. Representation is about relationships and trust with a community, not about photo opps with business owners on Facebook. You aren’t going to need to drive to Redwood City to see me, nor wait for when I decide to schedule a coffee, to share with me your concerns. I understand those in most need of help, need to be met where they are. That is why I am supported by 61 current and former City Councilmembers in District 3, including 10 current and former City Councilmembers in Pacifica. Change. That’s why you see my signs popping up at roadsides, on Highway 1, 92, and 84.

I am not running to be like past Supervisors. I am running for change, to be present to those in need, to stand by you and solve your problems with you, arm in arm. Pacificans deserve it. You deserve it. Change, for your families, for your neighbors, for our future.

I ask for your vote for San Mateo County Supervisor. https://www.raymuellerforsupervisor.com/

---

Laura Parmer-Lohan

Taking Care of My Neighbors Now & In the Future
By Laura Parmer-Lohan, Candidate, San Mateo County Supervisor D3

Dear Pacifica Neighbors,

I’m excited to update you on my campaign and to list my priorities for addressing the unique needs of the Pacifica community.

As your Supervisor, I’ll bring people together to develop realistic and results-driven plans mitigate the effects of climate change, including:

• Protecting our coastline, beaches, and open spaces
• Investing in wildfire prevention including recruiting, retaining, equipping, and training adequate numbers of firefighters, nurses and first responders
• Reducing the devastating effects of drought by using recycled and reclaimed water for irrigation, farming, and landscaping
• Tackling climate-induced flooding and sea level rise
• Reducing the pollution from traffic congestion by ensuring that our teachers, firefighters, and essential workers can live near where they work
• Addressing homelessness by expanding mental health, substance abuse, job training, and housing services
• Maintaining Pacifica’s safety, charm and small-town vitality

I am the only candidate who has publicly supported a funding solution to address the local impacts of climate change.  And I am the only candidate endorsed by our outgoing supervisor for the Coast, Don Horsley, as well as both preceding supervisors from our district, Rich Gordon and Ted Lempert. I am also endorsed by local firefighters because I’ll fund year-round investments in wildfire prevention and coastal protections.

There is a direct link between a lack of accessible, affordable healthcare services and homelessness. I will activate community and governmental resources to reduce homelessness by expanding mental health, substance abuse, job training, and housing services. We need to provide multiple forms of housing that are respectful to our neighborhoods and can house our local workers. We must find ways to utilize public lands to address these housing needs to provide resources for upcoming generations.

As a Peninsula Clean Energy Board member, City Councilwoman, and former mayor, I am already working on these issues. It is now time to take them head-on at the county level to ensure that the Coastside has equal access to critical resources that meet local needs.

Supervisors can bring our diverse communities together to solve these problems. For the past year, I have been soliciting local perspectives through my community conversation project called “Listen and Lead.” If you haven’t already done so, please share your thoughts and ideas through my website www.LauraforSupervisor.com

I hope I can count on your vote for Supervisor, and I look forward to working together to develop meaningful solutions that will address the important issues facing our communities.

---

---

HOUSING

San Mateo County’s Commitment to “FUNCTIONAL ZERO” HOMELESSNESS – Suzanne Moore

San Mateo County presented their plan, “Working Together to End Homelessness,” in a virtual all-star cast event on April 22nd. Supervisor Don Horsley began with information on the monetary investment in the plan, the County’s continued commitment, and a reminder that homelessness is “the issue of our lifetime.”

County Manager Mike Callagy followed with a summary of current achievements. Manager Callagy described the homeless issue as a “health, mental health, job, and housing issue,” and it will require community participation to resolve.

Bob Nisbet, City Manager from Half Moon Bay, spoke of the success of Coast House, an interim housing program, necessary due to the scarcity of affordable housing. Manager Nisbet stated the ultimate goal is for permanent affordable housing. Nisbet acknowledged the need for homes for our essential workers who “carried on the work of COVID”.

During the presentation, the County did its best to define the growing problem, give a human face to our unhoused, and describe the impact of homelessness on the individual, family, and community. Our departments of public health, mental health and education all discussed affects of homelessness on County systems. A study from Santa Clara County estimated the financial cost of homeless services at $520 million annually with costs heavily skewed for those chronically homeless – the most vulnerable in the unhoused community. If the “high-end users”are identified, stabilized and provided supportive housing, tragic recidivism can be interrupted. It is apparent we need our systems to achieve better outcomes.

The County presented data that firmly identifies our unhoused have deep ties with our communities: they go to work and school, have family and friends, and were formerly housed in their neighborhoods. The greatest single reason for being unhoused is being priced out of previous housing.

Homelessness takes a toll on physical and mental health. The lifespan is dramatically reduced for our unhoused with premature death 3-4 times higher than for the general population. Homeless students are denied access to healthy foods, transportation, quiet places to rest – all which impede learning.

County leaders believe that the County’s continuum of care model can address our homeless crisis:

• the CORE agencies, the first-line of intervention, prevent homelessness and provide a doorway to rapid rehousing,
• the Coordinated entry systems (CES) develop individualized care plans, meet clients “where they are at”, identify barriers to stable housing, and assist clients to achieve goals for successful housing transition.
• interim housing provides safe respite, access to wrap-around services to advance skill building. It is an intermediary step when appropriate long-term housing is unavailable,
• permanent supportive housing gives assistance to maintain the highest level of functioning for folks who cannot live independently.

Presentation slides and Q&A from the initial presentation are available at smcendinghomelessness.org

The County plans continued community discussion on homelessness.  The next virtual events are planned for 5/20/22 and 6/3/22. Visit www.smcgov.org/ and search for – 2022: our year of working together to end homelessness. You can register for future events at that site.

---

HIP Housing Seeking Volunteers – Laura Fanucchi

Human Investment Project Housing (HIP Housing) is a non-profit organization based in San Mateo County that specializes in affordable and creative housing solutions. Each year, HIP Housing helps 1,400 people find housing or keep their homes through our Home Sharing, Self Sufficiency, and Property Development Programs. We could use your help with program outreach, database and email list clean-up, and more. Each of the following projects take 1-2 hours per week. To apply, visit: HIP Housing Volunteer Interest application.

For more information, contact Laura Fanucchi lfanucchi@hiphousing.org or (650) 348 6660. 

---

Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County presents Affordable Housing Month 2022

Click on Event Below to Join

---

---

Social Justice

Pacifica: Let’s Discuss Reparations – Pacifica Peace People

Some facts & thoughts to consider:

In the U.S., the median white family has $147,000. The median Black family has $3,500–
—2% of its white counterpart.

On average, a white child born in the U.S. has 16X more wealth than a Black child at first breath.

“Truth and reconciliation about the ‘original sin of American slavery’ is necessary to light the way to the beloved community we all seek. The uncomfortable truth is that the United States owes its position as the most powerful nation in the world to its
slave-owning past.” –Representative Sheila Jackson Lee

“An America that asks what it owes its most vulnerable citizens is improved and humane. An America that looks away is ignoring not just the sins of the past but the sins of the present and certain sins of the future.
… the payment of reparations would represent America’s maturation out of childhood myth of innocence into a wisdom worthy of its founders.” -Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Case for Reparations

“It is though we have run up a credit-card bill, pledge to charge no more, and then remain befuddled that the balance does not disappear.” -Ta-Nehisi Coates, 2014

“Reparations is a healing project, a midway point between truth and reconciliation.”
-David Ragland

“Slavery didn’t end. It just evolved.” -Bryan Stevenson

---

---

Pacifica Resource Center Job Openings

Come be a part of our community!

Pacifica Resource Center (PRC) is an integral part of the Pacifica community. Our programs tackle a breadth of sustainability issues such as economic, food, and shelter security. We are a small team that has a mighty impact because each one of us is committed to excellence and providing the highest levels of care that we can, meaning we want everyone who joins our team to feel just as impassioned to provide excellent support to our community as we do!

THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS ARE OPEN AS OF 3/28/2022:

Pacifica Safe Parking Program (PSPP) Coordinator

Case Manager – Social Services, Non-Clinical

Unhoused on the Coast (UC) Outreach Specialist – Homeless Outreach, Non-Clinical Case Management

Grocery Rescue and Delivery (GR&D) Driver

Find more information about each position by selecting a link above or go to About Us / Join Our Team page (pacresourcecenter.org/jobs).

Apply:

1. On Indeed.com via the links above
2. Send your cover letter and resume to pacresourcecenterhiring@gmail.com. Be sure to note the title of the position you are applying for in the subject line.

---

---

---

THE COMMUNITY SHARES

Sanchez Art Center Summer Camps

Fine Art Camps

Drawing and Mixed Media Art Camp, Instructor: Jason Budowski
Ages: 8-15; Mon-Fri, June 27 – July 1, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm; Tuition & Materials Fee: $550
For young artists who love to draw and would like to improve their drawing skills this camp is all about learning to create truly amazing artwork. This camp demystifies drawing and helps to understand which mediums to use for different visual effects. We’ll also be creating a small mural for fun.
Register at BayAreaArtSchool

Hello Summer Art Camp (Flyer)

Printing and Collage, Instructor: Sharon Collins
Ages: 7-13; Wed-Fri, July 6 – July 8, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm; Tuition & Materials Fee: $290
Join us for creative studio time! We’ll explore a variety of printmaking techniques such as one-of-a-kind prints and plates that print several images of your work. We will also experiment with different paints and textures for collage. Students will build a portfolio of work over these three days.
Register on Eventbrite

Mixed Media Art Camp, Instructor: Annie Latzke
Ages: 6-10; Mon-Fri, July 11 – July 15, 9:00 am – Noon; Tuition & Materials Fee: $250
We will have a variety of projects throughout the week that will build on one another and inspire some imaginative play. Students will be directed in specific projects and also have time to work independently on projects of their choosing.
Register on Eventbrite

Hands On, Screens Off!, Instructor: Petra Schumann
Ages: 7-10; Mon-Fri, July 18 – July 22, 9:00 am – Noon; Tuition & Materials Fee: $235
Kids will make art using messy supplies they may have missed while learning from home and/or re- entering the classroom. We’ll paint with tempera, make waves with watercolors, press prints, play with pastels, and glue assemblages.
Register on Eventbrite

Acrylic Painting, Instructor: Jason Budowski
Ages: 8-15; Mon-Fri, July 25 – July 29, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm; Tuition & Materials Fee: $550
We will be looking at how to mix-and-match accurate colors so that your painting skills get to the next level. We will create fantastic worlds, epic landscapes and different magical and surreal scenes that tell a story through composition, layering and color.
Register at BayAreaArtSchool

Filmmaking Camps

Action Movie and Action Stop Motion, Instructor: Incrediflix
Ages: 7-13; Mon-Fri, June 20 – June 24, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm; Tuition & Production Fee: $485
In the mornings, adventure awaits in these high energy movies where we’ll use a green screen, camera tricks, and special effects to create a live-action movie. Collaborate to write, act and direct this stunt- packed movie with action choreography that thrills audiences. Then in the afternoons use mini-green screens for special effects, and stop-motion tricks to create fires, explosions and floods as characters battle it out or work together to save the day.
Register on Eventbrite

Live Action and LegoFlix, Instructor: Incrediflix
Ages: 7-13; Mon-Fri, Aug 1 – Aug 5, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm; Tuition & Production Fee: $485
In the mornings, kids discover their filmmaking talents! No experience needed to take part, as the instructor will guide campers through the Hollywood process to create, direct, film, act and more. At the conclusion of the camp, a movie will have been created AND everyone will have the skills to make more movies with friends and family. In the afternoon, LEGOs will be brought to life working in groups to create a LEGO stop-motion movie with voice-overs.
Register on Eventbrite

Health and safety protocols will follow CDC and local San Mateo County guidelines in effect at time of the camp; face masks are currently encouraged as the best way for everyone to remain healthy.

SanchezArtCenter.org info@SanchezArtCenter.org
650.355.1894
1220 Linda Mar Blvd., Pacifica, CA 94044

---

Pacifica Historical Society Announcements

A new exhibit upstairs at the museum features the Pacifica Tribune. 

Bill Drake’s (owner and publisher 1959-1989) original desk is part of the exhibit. 

On the desk, we have a computer so visitors can access in digital/ searchable format (at no charge) the Tribune from 1957-2013.  Save the articles you find:  bring your own USB flash drive or purchase one at our Museum Gift Store.

Now on YouTube:  The PHS Event from Sunday March 27th  

SAVE THE DATE

---

Update from Pacific Beach Coalition – Antony Luxton

Get your butts off the beach!  This past Saturday, April 23, the Pacific Beach Coalition hosted the largest beach clean up since the start of the pandemic!   With cleanups at over 11 sites from Daily City through Half Moon Bay, including one new site in Foster City, hundreds of people from around the Bay Area showed up collecting over 650 lbs of trash, over 55 lbs of recycling, and thousands of toxic cigarette butts. 

This weekend’s event was part of the annual Earth Day of Action which also included education, awareness, and celebration.  Representatives from US, State, County and City were on hand to take action and share a few words.  With this year’s Earth Day theme of “Invest in our Planet”, talks included getting our butts off the beach and taking action. 

The North Coasts County Water District, San Mateo County, Peninsula Clean Energy, and Plastic Free Future provided valuable information on reducing our impact on the environment, what action we can take, and how we are all investing in our planet. The Worldwide initiative supported by the US known as 30×30, aims to conserve 30% of the world’s lands and water by 2030. It’s a bid to not only protect natural areas and biodiversity but to slow the planet’s warming by ensuring enough plants and soil remain to support carbon sequestration. 

How will you support our planet?  What action will you take?  How will you Invest in our planet?

---

Mental Health Awareness Month – San Mateo County Libararies

ONLINE

Taking Time to Meditate -May 2, 4 and 6, 11:00-12:30pm
Are you looking for a chance to slow down and let your body, mind, and spirit be centered and grounded? Join me for this meditation workshop series where you will have the opportunity to relax into stillness as we practice various meditation techniques. In this series, we will also discuss the personal benefits of meditation and the relationship between meditation and mindfulness. Join us for this three-part virtual meditation series with Janet Stickmon Please plan to attend all three sessions.
REGISTER HERE

Chair Yoga – May 5 and 19
Interested in learning how to do yoga or already have a practice and want to join others in your community for free online sessions? Join certified yoga instructors for accessible well-rounded vinyasa-inspired flow yoga and chair yoga classes on alternating Thursdays from 11:30 AM -12:30 PM. Sessions will focus on relieving stress and rejuvenating your body!
REGISTER HERE

Take a Break from Stress With Meditation – May 19
We live in a fast-paced world, filled with challenges and constant demands made on our precious time. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could step back, take a little vacation from all the tension and find a place filled with joy, bliss and peace? When we learn how to meditate, we find such a place within ourselves. We discover a ready remedy, a source of all calm, light and wondrous new realms that await us, without ever leaving our easy chair! Meditation can be practiced daily so we can connect with this inner paradise any time we wish, and this helps us to meet our daily challenges with greater vitality, creativity and confidence. Join Gaurav Singh for this powerful workshop. 
REGISTER HERE

Be Brave, Be Sensitive Mental Health 6:30pm-8:30pm –May 25

“Be Sensitive, Be Brave for Mental Health” infuses culture and diversity throughout a foundational workshop on mental health. This free workshop from San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity and Star Vista prepares community members to help friends and loved ones during times of distress. Learn how to recognize mental health conditions, what to do when someone needs support, and tools for maintaining good mental health.Identify someone in mental distress

• Practice being sensitive and brave in helping others
• Increase awareness of mental health resources
• Build resilience using a recipe for mental health
• Build cultural sensitivity around mental health
• Respond to community needs and decrease stigma

REGISTER HERE

IN PERSON

Daily Calm 10-Minute Meditation Drop in at 12:45pm May 2^nd to 6^th  to practice guided meditation using the Calm app. Calm provides courses, stories, music, guided meditations, and other helpful tools to manage stress and mental health and you can get 6 months free use with your SMCL library card (cards starting with the prefix “29041”).
The following branches offer Daily Calm – Belmont, Brisbane, Half Moon Bay, Millbrae and San Carlos. Please check the branch for exact dates.
Visit smcl.org/get-calm to learn more about Calm and request your free 6 months of service.

Meditation: A Tool to Balance Your Life
The practice of meditation contributes to a more positive, healthy lifestyle. It is an invaluable tool for helping people reduce stress, gain a deeper sense of fulfillment in life as well as foster greater physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Join Bruce Faithwick long-time meditator for this engaging program. There will even be a chance to practice this simple technique.

May 3 – Foster City           Register Here
May 9 – East Palo Alto     Register Here
May 11 -Pacifica Sharp Park   Register Here

Meditation with Shiraz Zack
Shiraz Zack will lead a meditation group that focuses on chanting and breathing exercises. The simple steps of this guided meditation will help you reach a peaceful meditative state. Beginners and people of all experience levels are welcome. Please come join us! Please wear comfortable clothes for meditation and you may want to bring a cushion to sit on.

May 2– San Carlos                      Register Here
May 3 – Millbrae                        Register Here
May 10– Belmont                      Register Here
May 12 – North Fair Oaks        Register Here

TAI CHI
Chen-style Taijiquan (Tai Chi) is widely acknowledged as the ancestor of all other styles of Taijiquan. This class will introduce the Chen-style Taijiquan form, Silk-reeling Exercises and Wuji Qigong. The Chen-style Taijiquan form is soft and graceful with strong rooted stands that will help students to develop strength, balance, coordination and an understanding of basic Taiji principles. Silk-reeling Exercises are a series of spiral movements which promote muscle relaxation and flexibility by reducing physical tension and strain. Wuji Qigong (standing meditation) will help students to cultivate internal energy (qi) with proper body alignment for better internal energy flow which will enhance their immune systems, and to reduce physical and mental stress.

Several Classes will be offered at the following branches starting in May. Belmont, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, Portola Valley and Woodside. Find the dates and times on www.smcl.org/events and enter Tai Chi in the search bar.

Art Mindfulness: Chinese Calligraphy for Beginners
Hu fa, or “the way of writing,” is an art deeply rooted in the long tradition of aesthetic beauty in Chinese culture. Calligraphy is an elegant art from the Chinese tradition. It trains hand-eye coordination, promotes self-cultivation, helps observation, and enhances artistic expression. The way of calligraphy also provides a chance to relax the mind, enhance your awareness, and focus on calmness. This class teaches the fundamentals of writing Chinese characters with a soft brush pen, creating calligraphic strokes, and developing artwork with calligraphy. Class will be taught in English.

Half Moon Bay  May 16    REGISTER HERE
Brisbane             May 19    REGISTER HERE
San Carlos          May 23    REGISTER HERE

Angst Film Screening, Q & A Following – May 28^th
San Carlos Library 2:00pm
Join us at the San Carlos Library for a free special screening of “Angst,” a film dedicated to raising awareness about anxiety. This hopeful and inspiring film combines personal stories from teenagers suffering from anxiety with expert perspectives. Following the screening will be a Q & A panel from the StarVista Crisis Center. The StarVista Crisis Center has offered free services to San Mateo County for more than 55 years, focusing on crisis intervention and suicide prevention. This event aims to help remove stigma when talking about anxiety and other mental health conditions and orient youth and families to mental health resources in their community. Panelists will include staff and leadership from Crisis Center services.
REGISTER HERE

---

---