• Face, Hands, and Feet campaign will be featured on outdoor boards, transit shelters, and digital and social advertising. Protect Each Other toolkits. 

• OC Workforce Development Board second round of funding for the Layoff Aversion Support Program will feature grants for OC businesses up to $10,000. To be eligible, businesses must be in OC, have a workforce of 500 or fewer employees, and be up to date on Unemployment Insurance (UI) taxes and in good standing with the State of California.

• OCBC is honored to host Kimberly Reed, Chair of Export-Import Bank (EXIM) of the United States. EXIM helps American businesses get the funding they need to export their products. Don’t miss out on hearing from this national representative on August 5. Register today!

• OC Supervisors have agreed to move forward with the purchase of multiple local motels for conversion to homeless housing. Read more.

• Now in its tenth year, OCBC’s renowned Turning Red Tape Into Red Carpet Awards will once again honor excellence in local government. COVID-19 has required cities, counties, water districts, transportation agencies, schools and universities, special districts and other public agencies to act more nimbly and creatively. Nominate a program today to highlight your commitment to OC! The Awards recognize business retention and expansion, public-private partnerships, leadership and more. For more information, please see the nomination document HERE. Please submit your nomination online HERE to be honored at a virtual award ceremony on November 19!

• Orange County Taxpayers Association wrapped up its Tax Talk series with a discussion on Proposition 15, or “split roll” initiative, featuring OCTax CEO Carolyn Cavecche. Prop 15 would increase taxes on business properties at the worst possible time. Ms. Cavecche noted that Prop 15 would force businesses to pass costs down to consumers and disproportionately impact small businesses. OCTax is focused on educating Orange County residents about how important Proposition 13’s (1978) protections are. Sign the pledge to Protect Prop 13 here and watch the Tax Talk here.

• Grants up to $10,000 will be available to eligible small businesses and non-profits. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first funded basis. The program will permanently close on Saturday, August 22nd at 5:00 p.m. or when each city allocation is exhausted, whichever occurs first.

• In April 2020, California issued a statewide moratorium on tenant evictions which is due to expire on August 12. California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakau has announced she plans to hold a vote to extend the order. Learn more.

• Small businesses, especially, that are struggling to remain open amid a severe economic downtown and unprecedented closures, will be faced with significant increases in operating costs beginning January 2021. Read the full press release here.

• Join OC Human Relations for this free, 3-part education, awareness and engagement series around civil rights in OC. All are welcome and space is limited. Learn more and register.

• On this episode of The Workplace Podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank is joined by employment law experts Bianca Saad and Matthew Roberts to discuss the most common COVID-19-related business questions.

• OC One-Stop Centers will host multiple career workshops for the month of August. Workshops will include: winning resumes, resume lab, mock interviews, interview skills, transferable skills, networking with LinkedIn, workplace expectations, and empowering you. View class list here.

• Joe Johnston, Senior Accounting and Business Development Manager at TGG will lead a four part series that targets business models for retail, manufacturing, and software on Thursday, August 6th at 12 p.m. This series will provide business executives with tools to see how their companies rank against competitors with the use of basic business models and price-value matrices. Register here.

• The Governor’s Cybersecurity Task Force invites cybersecurity professionals from public and private sectors to the 2020 California Cybersecurity Industry Convening Virtual Meeting, a free workshop with an interactive convening designed to assist IT professionals with their workforce needs. Learn more and register here. 

• The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) has teamed up with Kallman Worldwide and the U.S. Commercial Service to offer California businesses an online series of virtual trade missions designed to link California suppliers directly with pre-screened international buyers, potential partners and buying authorities. Learn more and register here.

• Interested in the latest data on Q2 earnings, stimulus checks, COVID-19 increases and more? View Christopher Schwarz, UC Irvine Associate Professor of Finance and Faculty Director of the Center for Investment and Wealth Management for more information on economic and financial updates. Watch now.

• Small Business Development Center
• SBDC Resources for Small Businesses
• Go-BIZ FAQ for Small Businesses
• UCI Free Small Business Toolkit

• In a candid discussion, Dr. Fauci reviews schools reopening, vaccines, resent towards the scientific community, and the U.S’s current status. Read more.

• FivePoint Holdings, LLC’s generous mask donation to the City of Irvine will be available to the public on Saturday, August 8th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Irvine Civic Center. Each car will be gifted a box of 50 disposable masks. Learn more.

• The Mission Viejo Library and Cultural Arts department calls on you to help capture our country’s historical pandemic. Submit photographs, images, artwork or other visual records that distinguish the impact of the pandemic. Submit your piece of history here. 

• The Irvine Animal Care Center wants to meet your furry friends for its annual Photo Fundraiser. Submit a photo of your pet to be featured in the 2021 Irvine Animal Care Center wall calendar. Deadline submission is September 8, 2020. Submit your photo here.

• TCA Board of Directors unanimously voted to amend Debt Management Policies that will preserve practices, enhance transparency, and bolster TCA’s creditworthiness. The updated policy followed guidelines from the Government Finance Officers Association and California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission. This revision came to light for the Board’s mission to provide future TCA Board’s with a roadmap for best practices and development. 

• The PBS feature on the value of traditional higher education during the COVID-19 era highlighted UCI’s experts and the school’s leadership throughout the pandemic. In the video, UCI discusses how it has paved the way for first-of-its kind studies to establish ways to improve student experiences and learning outcomes. Watch here!

• The School of Health and Human Sciences will offer both graduate and undergraduate degrees in health-related fields of study. Academic offerings in the new School of Health and Human Sciences include a Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), Master of Coaching and Athletics Administration (MCAA), a Bachelor of Arts (traditional and online) in Healthcare Management, a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN), and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Learn more.

• Southwest Storytellers has cultivated unique virtual conference call backgrounds for all users. The backgrounds feature destinations from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to Kauai, Hawaii. Choose your new background today! #WannaGetAway

• Bank of America Supports Orange County High Schoolers for Leadership Program. Bank of America has selected four students to participate in their Student Leaders program. Due to COVID-19, the program will turn to a virtual format. OCBC applauds Bank Of America for maintaining critical internship programs like these during this pandemic.

• Anaheim Convention Center Test Site: Appointments Required.
• Testing Basics: COVID-19 Test Options.*
• Free testing in OC: How to access.
• DO IT! Where to get tested in OC: Find a testing site near you. 
• OC Testing Sites: Appointment & walk-in resources.
• Public & private sector testing: Contact your provider today.
• COVID-19 Hotline: For general questions & information call: (714)-834-2000.
• OC Health Care Agency: Data Dashboard featuring confirmed COVID-19 cases.