California SILC

Habari Gani Today marks the beginning of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States that honors African heritage in African-American culture. Kwanzaa is observed from December 26th to January 1st. Do you want to learn more about Kwanzaa and the 7 principles? Habari Gani is a Swahili term meaning What is the news? It is spoken when greeting others during Kwanzaa. The appropriate response is to say the name of the principle for that day. Each day ...of Kwanzaa centers around a principle. All Seven Principles of Kwanzaa are inspiring, uplifting, positive, and centered on traditions of the African harvest season. In fact, the name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning first fruits of the harvest. Visit https://www.interexchange.org//history-principles-and-sym/

To prevent further spread of #COVID19, #Californians should not travel significant distances and should stay close to home as much as possible. Stay in your cou...nty if you can. Don’t drive more than 2-3 hours. See the CDPH Travel Advisory for more info bit.ly/traveladvisory2020 #HomeForTheHolidays See more

ICUs are filling up at an alarming rate; We each need to do our part to #StopTheSpread. Spread cheer, not COVID. #HomeForTheHolidays

Tomorrow, Wednesday November 11th, we will be closed for the Veterans day Holiday. Our office will be closed. We will be back Thursday, November 12th Thank you

Did you know that November is National Family Caregivers month? Family caregivers manage health emergencies, juggle priorities, and suffer isolation - and all that was before COVID. The pandemic brings even more challenges as family caregivers handle Caregiving in Crisis. https://caregiveraction.org//NFC%202020%20Theme%20w%20Fina

November is National Epilepsy Awareness month. This is a great opportunity for the community to learn more about the spectrum of 3.4 million people living with epilepsy nationwide. #NEAM2020 #SeizureFirstAid #ShareMySeizure... Stream4Epilepsy #S4E #EpilepsyEquity https://youtu.be/sWKhljNCby4

November is Pancreatic Cancer awareness month. https://www.pancan.org/get-in/pancreatic-cancer-awareness/)%2C%20a%20founding%20member.

Register now for the 2020 #DOnetwork Summit: Leading With Our Strengths. This year's summit will occur virtually, throughout the course of two weeks. Registration information at: http://tinyurl.com/donetwork2020. We look forward to your participation. #DOnetworkSummit2020

November is Military Family Appreciation Montha time when America honors and recognizes those unique sacrifices and challenges family members make in support of their loved ones in uniform. https://www.militaryfamily.org/november-is-military-family/

Are you a veteran with a disability and would like to know what your rights are under the #ADA? The United States Department of Justice has a publication which will outline your rights and provide resources for where you can find assistance. https://www.ada.gov/servicemembers_adainfo.html

Did you see it? San Mateo voters made their decision on who to fill two seats on the San Mateo Union High School District Governing Board. Hidden about half way down the page, for San Mateo Union High School District, the SILC's very own treasure---Ligia Andrade Zuniga! Stay tuned to the SILC's newsletter in December...we had already asked Ligia to talk about her experience running and hope to hear what she learned. CONGRATULATIONS LIGIA!!! https://www.smdailyjournal.com//article_c78a7d4e-1e7c-11eb

Today is National Stress Awareness Day! National Stress Awareness Day on the first Wednesday in November aims to identify and reduce the stress factors in your life. Everyone has stress. Some stress is good for us. It helps us to respond to changes in life. Stress is our body’s way of protecting itself from harm. However, too much stress causes harm to our health and relationships.... Identifying the stressors impacting our physical and mental health is important. Sometimes, health problems are the cause. But our health can also be affected by external stressors such as physical abuse, stressful work environments, financial stress, or other family health issues. Once we identify the causes of stress in our lives, we can begin to eliminate or reduce stress. Some tools that help with stress include: Develop coping skills for anxiety. Identify and let go of the things you cannot change. Exercise helps us to let go of built-up anxiety. Eating a balanced diet fuels our bodies so we’re able to better cope with the stress. HOW TO OBSERVE #StressAwarenessDay Develop a routine to help you lessen your tension. Go for a walk, do some deep breathing, get some exercise or a massage, or take a long, relaxing bath. If you’re struggling with the amount of stress in your life, seek help. You can speak to your doctor or check with your employer for an assistance program designed to help employees balance their life. Post your ideas using #StressAwarenessDay on social media. Image: Blue background with the word "Stress" in yellow and "awareness day" in white.

image: voter protection hotline number list by state

If you haven't already cast your ballot, don't forget to vote today! Image: "retro" style woman with blue eyes wearing a blue and white polka dotted shirt with her hand partially raised as blue text off to her right reads "Don't forget to vote today!"

If you're planning on voting in person tomorrow, be safe and bring the Disability Vote California emergency Voter Assistance Hotline phone number with you! Si p...lanea votar en persona mañana, tenga cuidado y lleve consigo el número de teléfono de la línea directa de asistencia al votante de emergencia de Disability Vote California. VOICE 1.888.569.7955 TTY 1.800.719.5798