“Economics and Votes Matter”

Dear Friends, Partners, and Community Members,

At the Urban League of San Diego County, we believe deeply in two interconnected truths: economic empowerment is the foundation for community strength, and voting is the vital lever by which communities stake their claim to power. In this issue of Urban Beat, we center on Economics and Votes Matter—and how we must approach them together if we are to realize our vision of social and economic ethical practices for everyone.

Why Economics and Votes Must Go Hand in Hand

The systems that govern access to jobs, capital, housing, and education are shaped by policy choices. When elected officials set budgets, tax codes, and regulatory priorities, those decisions shape who wins—and who is left behind. That’s why understanding economics is not only for experts—it’s for every community member. Because when our collective economic well-being is on the line, so is our voice.

Voting is our community’s signal to power. Every election—local, state, or federal—is an opportunity to align decision-makers with the values and needs of our neighborhoods. When turnout is low, decisions are made without us; when we vote in force, leaders must listen. Historically, marginalized communities have been disproportionately silenced at the polls. That must change.

Together, economics and votes mean that your voice is heard. When we equip ourselves with financial knowledge, civic literacy, and collective action, we reshape the rules of the game. We move from being governed to being partners in governance.

What You’ll Find in This Edition

• Civic engagement tools: You’ll find voter registration key dates and resources to help you become an informed voter or educate others to vote.
• Economic tips that you can use.

A Call to Action

1. Register, vote, and help others — If you're not yet registered, do it today. If you are registered, plan to vote, and encourage your networks—friends, family, and neighbors—to do the same.
2. Engage in — Attend Community workshops or town halls that are important to you. Participate in civic trainings. Volunteer with voter mobilization efforts in your community.
3. Advocate for fair economic policies — Use your voice to support policies that expand opportunity.

In our journey toward ethical economics, voting gives us a voice. Let us bridge knowledge with action. Let us ensure that when decisions are made, our communities are not afterthoughts—they are at the forefront.

Thank you for being part of this movement.

In solidarity and service,

Al Abdallah

President & CEO

Urban League of San Diego County

In an effort to promote political awareness and education, State Senator Dr. Akilah Weber hosted an information session about Proposition 50 last Saturday, October 4, 2025, in partnership with other community-based organizations, drawing a standing-room-only crowd at the Jackie Robinson YMCA.

Key Dates to Remember

October 6, 2025

County elections officials will begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots on or before this date.

October 20, 2025

Last day to register to vote.

November 4, 2025

Election Day!

Polls are open 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Who Was That Masked Man?

BY HERMAN C. COLLINS, Public Affairs Consultant

Editorial Opinion

The phrase “masked man" is drawn from characters both fictional and historical, such as Zorro, the vigilante of colonial California, and the Man in the Iron Mask, a masked prisoner in France. My favorite masked character was the Lone Ranger, whom I later learned was based on the life of Bass Reeves—a legendary Black US Marshal in the American Old West known for his bravery, clever disguises, and commitment to justice.

Today, a “masked” cornucopia of alphabet agencies is being deployed to American cities. The National Guard supports these agencies in addressing issues related to migration and crime.

If you know of high school youth struggling with multiple barriers, especially some form of homelessness, unhoused, please reach out to the Urban League of San Diego County at 619.266.6265 or kea@sdul.org. We want to invite them to join our network of high school and college students, which supports college and career readiness. We aim to empower the next generation of young leaders to succeed in education, career paths, and local community civic engagement opportunities.

We are partnering with Doors of Change and other local partners to help youth reach their highest potential for success.

If you know of students between 8th and 12th grade who want to join a program that helps them prepare for college and careers, encourage them to apply.

This program focuses on Mentorship, Leadership Development, College Tours, College Preparation, the National Case Competition, and Career Preparation, all in partnership with the National Urban League.

Scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who complete the program from start to finish, complete more than 88% of required activities, are active in the KUDER online platform, actively engage in activity discussions, and attend the necessary Golden Pyramid Scholars Program in May.

Participation is required in the Annual Golden Pyramid Scholars Program held on Sunday, May 17, 2026 (held on the 3^rd Sunday of May each year).

💰 Money Tips

1. Track Every Dollar – Utilize budgeting apps that integrate with your accounts to monitor spending in real-time.
2. Automate Smartly – Set up auto-pay for bills and auto-transfer to savings to avoid missed payments and build consistency.
3. Review Subscriptions – Cancel unused or duplicate digital services; small leaks drain long-term wealth.

💵 Savings Tips

1. Boost Emergency Funds – Aim for 3–6 months of expenses; economic shifts in 2025 make liquidity more critical than ever.
2. Save Before You Spend – Treat savings like a non-negotiable bill—pay yourself first.
3. Take Advantage of High-Yield Accounts – Interest rates remain competitive; use online savings or money market accounts for better returns.

📈 Economic Awareness Tips

1. Stay  – these factors affect borrowing costs, savings returns, and housing prices.
2. Invest for the Long Term – Focus on diversified, low-cost index funds and avoid reacting to short-term market swings.
3. Support Local Economies – Buying local and engaging in community investments strengthens neighborhood resilience.

By Shane O'Garro

The Problem with Passion: A Lesson Through the Ancient Laws of Energy

Passion is not about excitement; it is about how much you’re willing to suffer for what you love.

When people say they are passionate, they often mean excited, joyful, and overflowing with energy. It is the spark you see at the start of a relationship, when everything feels perfect, or the launch of a business, when dreams seem limitless. But passion in its original meaning has nothing to do with excitement.

The word comes from pati, meaning to suffer, to bear, to endure. True passion is revealed in what you’re willing to suffer for, what you will carry even when it hurts. A mother’s childbirth shows this clearly: the struggle deepens her bond with the child. Passion is not surface hype; it’s endurance.

And endurance always comes back to the Ancient Laws of Energy. Passion without these laws can lead to burnout. Passion aligned with them becomes purpose.

The First Law: Energy Is Currency

Energy is limited. Some is already spent before you open your eyes—on family, survival, and responsibilities. In many of our communities, energy is consumed by things others don’t always see, such as protecting children in schools that misunderstand them, advocating against misdiagnoses in the healthcare system, and standing guard against injustice.

That is why energy must be budgeted like any other expense. Scatter it and you collapse. Direct it and you endure. Passion requires suffering, but only effective energy management makes that suffering worthwhile.

The Second Law: Build a Bridge

No dream stands alone. To carry a heavy weight, you must build bridges with others. Bridges with people who share your mission allow energy to flow both ways. Without them, passion drains into isolation.

These bridges are often tested—by betrayal, by systemic barriers, by storms that try to cut them down. When the bridge still stands after the storm, the energy flowing through it becomes unshakable. That is where passion grows from hype into strength.

The Third Law: Maintenance

Every bridge requires maintenance. Passion means showing up for the complex parts: the conversations you don’t want to have, the paperwork that feels stacked against you, the zoning battles and funding rejections that entrepreneurs in our neighborhoods know too well.

Excitement fades when reality sets in. Maintenance is the work that proves you’re passionate. It’s not glamorous, but it's a matter of survival. Passion without maintenance is only talk.

The Fourth Law: Decay

Where there is no maintenance, there is decay. This is not punishment—it is natural law. Everything eventually falls apart: relationships, businesses, even seasons of life. However, decay also clears the way for renewal.

In our communities, this law is often lived: an old chapter closes because a job disappears, a relationship breaks, or a system shuts you out. The end hurts, but it makes space for rebirth. Passion must accept decay as part of the natural cycle, not as a sign of failure.

The True Measure of Passion

Passion is not just the smile you show when talking about your business or the excitement in a new relationship. It is the suffering you have endured to keep it alive—the betrayals survived, the paperwork filed, the crosses faced, the systemic walls pushed through.

When you live by the Ancient Laws of Energy, your passion is no longer hyped. You suffer with direction, you endure with strategy, and you rise with clarity. That is passion grounded. And once you grasp these laws, you don’t just claim passion, you prove it.

By Shane O'Garro

Foundation 79

Where vision takes form

📧 Bookings & Media: info@foundation79.com

🌐 www.foundation79.com

Are You a Senior Living in San Diego and

 Need Help Finding Resources?

Finding the right senior programs should not feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Not sure where to start—or tired of getting the runaround?

The Urban League of San Diego County (ULSDC) Elder Multicultural Access & Support Services (EMASS) Team is here to help you!

We proudly serve as advocates for San Diego residents aged 60 and older, connecting you to the resources you need and deserve.

While we do not provide direct senior programs or financial aid, our mission is to identify services tailored to your age, income, and personal or family needs.

We may be able to connect you with trusted programs that offer:

• Home food delivery (free or at a minimal cost)
• Transportation to and from appointments
• In-home senior services (cooking, cleaning, etc.)
• In-home health care providers
• Veteran services

Tell us what you need—we will do the legwork for you. This assistance is provided at no cost to you. We are your partner and your advocate.

You are not alone on this journey. We are here to support and stand by you every step of the way.

Once we find the right program(s) for you, we can also:

• Help you complete any required application(s)
• Attend appointments with you
• Speak with program representatives on your behalf
• We'll follow up with you to make sure that the selected program is meeting your needs.

Our EMASS team, led by Jackie Stanley, is available to help you. You can reach Jackie by email at Jackie@sdul.org or by phone on 619-266-6285

Are you passionate about the health and wellness of our community? Do you work in the health wellness industry? Do you have a skill that can benefit the advancement of health and wellness equity in our community? If so, we need you! Our community needs you! Sign up today using the link below. If you have questions, please send an email to info@sdul.org.

We want to help you with tools to "Thrive in 2025"!

Do you have a business that provides health and wellness for individuals and families in the County of San Diego, Orange County, or the Inland Empire?

We are creating a Health & Wellness Directory housed on the Urban League of San Diego County website. This will include a behavioral health directory and a general health and wellness directory. According to the attendees of our Fireside Chats, areas in our communities lack health resources and need more urgent care facilities, especially ones open after 5 p.m. Our young families need a directory and a resource toolkit that includes accepted insurance information and medical professionals with cultural sensitivity training for diverse community members. This will be an online business list versus a case management site. Individuals will be directed to contact hotlines if they need to speak to a live person or need case management services.

This can be mental health, medical health, doula professional health, promotoras/ community health worker, physical health, fitness, or nutritional health businesses. This can be small, extensive, private practice, or consulting businesses.

The UC San Diego Black Alumni Scholarship Fund offers eligible students a four-year $10,000 scholarship renewable at $2,500 annually. This scholarship program provides financial, academic, and personal support to over 200 students currently attending UCSD. Steps to follow to apply for the BASF Scholarship are: (1) apply to UCSD before the 11/30/25 deadline; (2) if you are offered admission to UCSD, you will receive a link to the application from BASF; (3) complete and submit the online application.

Please review a list of openings!

Please refer candidates to our website: https://jobs.citi.com/

Once you go to this site, you will see a search bar. You can then type in the position you are interested in and apply. You just need to create an online profile and attach a resume. 

San Diego Area

• Community Lending Officer - San Diego (Hybrid)
• Head Teller (Full Time)- El Cajon Branch

Orange County Area

• Branch Manager Aliso Viejo, CA Assistant Vice President
• Part Time (20 hour) Universal Banker - Mission Viejo Branch

Community Programs & Administrative Support Specialist at Jackie Robinson Family YMCA

Internships

Southwest Cybersecurity Engineer Summer 2026 Internships

Delta Intern, Aviation Management - Flight Operations (Summer 2026)

Omni Hotels & Resorts Summer Internships

These are some important dates to mark on your calendar!

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Urban League of San Diego County Equal Opportunity Day

Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 2 p.m.

Golden Pyramid Scholars Program

Do you have an upcoming event that should be shared with our community? Please use the link below, and we will review and add it to our website calendar.

The Urban League of San Diego County uses specific image sizes to maintain consistency across all viewing platforms. Any event submissions with images not properly cropped will result in immediate rejection.

Submitting your event does not guarantee that it will be posted on www.sdul.org.

Becoming a member of the Urban League of San Diego County does qualify your event to appear on the website. For more information about becoming a member of one of our auxilaries contact info@sdul.org or call 619.266.6265.