The Board of Directors Honor Contra Costa County Fire Protection District's 2025 and 2026 Firefighter of the year and Retirement

Lesher Foundation CARE Fund Grant Cycle Opens

The Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation created the CARE Fund to support nonprofit organizations, ensuring their staff have the strength and resilience to continue serving the community. The well being of Contra Costa residents depends on the dedicated staff and leaders or our non profits.

The $200,000 annual CARE Fund offers one time grants for activities that sustain and strengthen nonprofit teams, including: wellness and renewal activities; team retreats and relationship building; professional training and development; leadership coaching and wellness stipends. Deadline to apply is 7 AM on November 2nd.

Visit CARE Fund to learn more and to apply.

Safe At Scale Film Screening and Panel Discussion

The City of Orinda is hosting a regional wildfire safety event called Safe at Scale to be held on October 29th at the Orinda Theater. The Orinda Theater is a block from Orinda BART and has free parking. 

The evening will be a regional conversation about working together to create a more wildfire-resilient region and will feature an expert panel including Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Senator Tim Grayson, Steve Hawks from the Insurance Institute for Home and Business Safety (IBHS), Chief Jeff Isaacs from the Moraga-Orinda Fire District, and Trip Jennings, award-winning film director. 

The evening will include a screening of Jennings' PBS film, Weathered: A Year After the LA Firestorm.

Tickets for the screening are $10. The panel is free to all at the Theater or via zoom.

Visit Orinda Theatre for more information and to purchase tickets.

Support 4 Recovery

Tom Aswad, President, CEO and Co-Founder of Support 4 Recovery (S4R) stopped by this week to deliver a plaque of appreciation to Supervisor Andersen for her support over the years. Tom started S4R in 2007 in response to the unmet needs in our community. S4R is a grass-roots, non-profit organization made up of individuals and their families in recovery with the mission to assess the needs of the recovery community and develop action plans to educate and empower people towards their own success, while breaking down the stigma and discrimination associated with recovery, by helping people prepare for the job market and take ownership of their own recovery.

To learn more and to get involved, visit Support 4 Recovery.

EHSD is Seeking Volunteer Opportunities for CalFresh and MediCal Recipients

Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) is developing a robust referral list of community organizations and volunteer opportunities to help CalFresh and Medi-Cal recipients who need to meet work requirements while seeking employment.

Of the approximately 104,000 CalFresh recipients in Contra Costa County, fewer than 5% currently do not have an exemption or are not meeting the work requirement. For those individuals, EHSD wants to make it easier to find resources that may help them meet their requirements while also building skills, gaining experience, and connecting with their community. EHSD will provide the referral list to individuals who request information about opportunities to meet work requirements, and the list will also be available on the EHSD website.

If your agency or project has volunteer opportunities that you’d like to have listed in this referral list, please reach out to: EHSDVolunteerOps@ehsd.cccounty.us.

Election Season is Upon Us!

26 days left until November 3rd, the final day in which you can vote to let your voice be heard. You have several options to cast your ballot, you can mail it in now, you can drop it in one of the 43 secure ballot drop boxes in our county, you can turn it in at the Clerk-Recorder's Office in Martinez, and as always, you can go to your neighborhood polling place on November 3rd and vote in person on Election Day. If you have not received your ballot in the mail, would like to look up your polling location, or find a secure drop box visit Clerk-Recorder.

Did you know that our Clerk-Recorder has a non-partisan free, three-hour Trained Election Observer Program? Participants will learn how elections are administered, how ballots are counted and secured, and how members of the public can observe the process

Visit Observer Training to learn more and to register.

Turning Advocacy Into Action:

The ongoing fight for Menopause Policy in California



A Conversation with Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Bestselling Author Jennifer Weiss-Wolf

Menopause has officially shifted from a quiet personal topic to a major California budget priority. Join policymakers and advocates Rebecca and Jennifer for a direct discussion on what the state's new policy provisions mean for patients—including expanded insurance coverage for treatment and improved provider training. They will share insights into the advocacy efforts that drove this change, outline what lies ahead for state and national policy, and host an open Q&A.

Bring your questions and join the conversation on the future of women's healthcare. Visit Turning Advocacy into Action for more information and to RSVP.

Road Closure on Pinehurst Road, Canyon

The Contra Costa County Public Works Department will perform road work on Pinehurst Road near mile marker 4.8, located approximately 750 ft southeast of the intersection with Skyline Boulevard and Manzanita Drive, starting Tuesday, October 13th through Wednesday, October 28th. Work will occur from 9 AM to 3 PM, Monday through Thursday.

Pinehurst Road will be closed to all traffic between Canyon Road and Skyline Boulevard during working hours. Electronic Message Boards will alert drivers and cyclists to the work. Road users will need to use alternate routes.

District 2 Volunteer Opportunities

Click Boards, Committees, Commissions for more information on volunteering.

Behavioral Health Board Seeks New Members

The Contra Costa Behavioral Health Board (BHB) seeks applicants to fill several open seats. The mission of the Board is to advise the Board of Supervisors regarding community mental health and substance use disorders, as well as to review the community’s public behavioral health needs and services of Contra Costa residents. The Behavioral Health Board is comprised of 15 volunteer members. All members are appointed by the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors.

The following seats are available to fill:

District 2 Family Member Seat (parents, spouses, siblings, or other children of consumers, who are receiving or have received behavioral health services.)

One At-Large Alternate Seat

Applicants must be 16 or older and in live in Contra Costa County. Individuals who have experience with, and knowledge of, the behavioral health system are encouraged to apply, and includes members of the community who engage with individuals living with mental health or substance use conditions in the course of daily operations.

The BHB meetings are once a month and appointees are expected to serve on a subcommittee which meet every month or every other month. Meetings times and locations may vary to encourage participation from various segments of the community. Members serve three-year terms.

The BHB offers the opportunity to directly advise on the mental health and substance use needs in Contra Costa County by providing recommendations to improve policies, program planning and implementation, monitoring, workforce development, quality improvement, health equity, evaluation, and budget allocation.

Click Behavioral Health Board for more information on the duties and expectations of Board Members.

Visit the Board of Supervisors Boards and Commissions website for more information and to apply.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Measure X Community Advisory Board - Vacant Seat

Supervisor Andersen is looking for an individual from District 2 who represents broad and diverse voices and perspectives to fill the District 2 Alternate Seat. To be considered for this seat, candidates must either live or work in District 2. The Measure X Community Advisory Board currently meets quarterly.

Measure X is a countywide 20-year, ½ cent sales tax approved by Contra Costa County voters on November 3, 2020. Collection of the tax began on April 1, 2021. The ballot measure language stated that the intent of Measure X is “to keep Contra Costa’s regional hospital open and staffed; fund community health centers, emergency response; support crucial safety-net services; invest in early childhood services; protect vulnerable populations; and for other essential county services.”

Click Measure X Community Advisory Body for more information.

Submit an Application.

Countywide Volunteer Opportunities

Probation Seeks Applicants for Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC)

The JJCC is seeking applicants to fill one At-Large Community Representative Seat, who either lives or works in Contra Costa. Regular meetings of the JJCC and other standing committees are held at least quarterly.

The JJCC is a multi-agency advisory body that contributes to the development and implementation of a countywide juvenile justice plan. It is composed of several critical parts, including, but not limited to, an assessment of existing law enforcement, probation, education, mental health, health, social services, drugs, alcohol, and youth resources, which specifically target both at-promise, as well as system involved youth, and their families. Applications are due by 5 PM on Monday, November 2nd.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Integrated Pest Management Advisory Committee (IPMAC)

The IPM Committee is seeking applicants for two seats on the IPMAC. One Public Member #3 and one Environmental Organization Representative. The IPMAC advises the Board of Supervisors on pest management across County properties, landscapes, and roads. Deadline to apply is Friday, October 30th.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Fish and Wildlife Committee (FWC)

The F&WC is seeking applicants for two At-Large Member Seats. Applicants must be residents of Contra Costa County. The Fish and Wildlife Committee meets six times per year, generally on the third Wednesday of the month from 3-5 PM in Martinez. Applications are due by Monday, November 9th, at 5 PM.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Click Application to apply!