Vista Community Info by Michelle Walsh

Something to think about.... What if you were a single parent with a child . You work full time for $14.00 hr. You bring home roughly $800.00 per paycheck (bi-...weekly). Your bills: $1,100.00 / rent $150.00 / electrical $250.00 / car payment $50.00 / car insurance So let’s do the math : You bring home about $1,600 .00 a month & your bills average about $1,550.00 (give or take). You’re making it, but barely. This doesn't even include groceries, internet, cable, cell phone, etc . (nor does it include child tax credit, or child support) Now, it’s a really cold December and you get a power bill for $600.00 How do you pay that? To put it simply, you don’t. Because you can’t. So your power gets shut off after months of trying to catch up and utility assistance running out. But you know what your lease says? It says you get evicted if your utilities are terminated. So now you’re in court crying to a judge who doesn’t care & you have 10 days to get out. Well you’re in luck, because you found somewhere with 3 days to spare & it’s only $850.00 a month! But to get in, you must pass a background & credit check. Which you can’t because you just got evicted. You’ve never been a criminal, but even if you could pass it, you’re looking at $1300 to move in, after paying the deposit & first month’s rent. Time’s up .... Landlord shows up at 7am with the police & changed your locks. So, now you’re living in your car with your 7 year old son & everything you need to get by. You tried to get a storage unit, but you don’t have a billing address so they won’t sell one to you. So you could only take what would fit in your backseat. You pay to shower at local truck stops & eat whatever can be cooked in a gas station microwave.Someone sees you & your son living like this & calls C.P.S; guess what happens next ? ? ? They remove your child from your care. As if this isn’t devastating enough, you lose your job too. (Because an employee losing their child reflects poorly on this company .) So now, you apply for an apartment with the region where the waiting list is 3-7 years. Then you go into Wal-Mart to put in an application. When you get back to your car you see that your back window has been smashed & someone helped themselves to your belongings. Remember that it is December & really cold. Now you have damage to your only shelter. You call your car insurance, who says your deductible is $1,000.00 ~ AND ~ they’re going to increase your monthly rate since you’re now high risk . You call the homeless shelter as a last resort & all their beds are full. I’ll stop here ..... Because I think you get the point . The people we work with everyday are these people . WE ARE THESE PEOPLE . We are all so close to homelessness & don’t even realize it . All it takes is : * one unexpected bill~ * one fender bender~ * one lay-off ~ * one house fire , etc. Instead of judging people who are poor, homeless, or need assistance, why don’t you try being grateful that you’re not in their shoes...YET ! This is about staying humble & being kind . BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE - Author unknown

Anyone else feeling overwhelmed by the guidance and terminology related to COVID-19 and schools? What's the difference between quarantine and isolation? Close c...ontact? Asyptomatic? PCR or antigen test?! Our teams are working daily on keeping a decision tree for schools and districts up to date with the latest information and answering questions related to the guidance from the California Department of Public Health and local county health department. It might help you too. Decision Trees for K-12 Students and School Workers: https://covid-19.sdcoe.net//He/COVID-19-Decision-Tree.pdf Decision Tree frequently asked questions: https://covid-19.sdcoe.net//Health%/Decision-Tree-FAQ.pdf

VCC can help support you and your family with our food and diaper distribution. If you need assistance during these times. Come visit us this week: 1/4: 1:30-4:...30pm at VCC: Durian Pediatrics, VCC Durian, 105 Durian St. 1/8: 9-12pm at Libby Lake Community Center, 4700 North River Rd. VCC puede ayudarlo a usted y a su familia con nuestra distribución de alimentos y pañales. Si necesita ayuda durante estos tiempos. Ven a visitarnos esta semana: 1/4: 1: 30-4: 30pm en VCC: Durian Pediatrics, VCC Durian, 105 Durian St. 1/8: 9-12pm en Libby Lake Community Center, 4700 North River Rd. #VCC #ChooseHealth #Support #Food #Diapers #Patients #Vista #Oceanside

Please read our Special Edition Newsletter for Food Resources for the Thanksgiving Break. https://www.smore.com/rc380

FREE COVID Testing Tuesday, 11/3/2020 Vista Magnet Middle School 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ... Call for an appointment to make sure your wait time is reduced. 760-631-5000 ext. 7201

Student Support Services is partnering with Vista Community Clinic to bring free Covid Testing to our community. These self-contained testing vans will accept all insured and uninsured individuals of all ages. All sites are open 9 a.m. -4 p.m. and can test approximately 40 people a day. They are located on the street side of the parking lots, and no one will need to enter the school buildings at any time. November 2, 2020 Rancho Buena Vista High School November 3, 2020 Vi...sta Magnet Middle School November 9, 2020 Mission Vista High School November 10, 2020 Vista Magnet Middle School November 11, 2020 Vista High School See more

Free COVID Testing on Monday in the RBV front parking lot. Make an appointment with VCC for faster service. 760-631-5000 ext 7201.