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Civic Engagement collaborating with Blue Shield of California
Our Civic Engagement team is collaborating with Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan to increase awareness of Medi-Cal redetermination in San Diego County! Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid health care program that pays for medical services for children and adults with limited income and resources. Our team will be informing community members about the Medi-Cal renewal process, how to update their contact information with the county, and more. Currently, those under 25 and over 50 qualify for Medi-Cal regardless of immigration status. Civic Engagement will ensure that community members understand the Medi-Cal redetermination process so they can keep their coverage.
To check on your Medi-Cal status or if you have questions about Medi-Cal redetermination, please visit blueshieldca.com/promise.
2nd Queer, Trans, and Intersex Pride Fair took place in June
Civic Engagement's 2nd Annual Queer, Trans, and Intersex Pride Fair was an amazing time with community members and organizations held on June 3rd! This year's theme is "Protect Queer Youth" and is a response to the hate and fear our community continues to experience.
“Together we will create hope, joy and community while learning, playing and making new connections,” said Shanti Huynh (they/them/their), Mid-City CAN’s Civic Engagement Coordinator and organizer of the fair.
It was a pleasure to have so many wonderful allies at our fair! San Diego Pride, San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition, Planned Parenthood, Imperial Beach Community Clinic, Lambda Archives, Trans Health & Wellness Center, Dylan Friedkin, and the YMCA's Teen Programs, Our Safe Place, Housing Support including LGBTQIA+ Youth were present. Disco Riot was also in attendance to promote Queer Mvmnt Fest, a queer-focused movement-arts festival, that will be presented in San Diego from June 12-18.
Local youth teens entertained the crowd with a drag show and drag story time. There was also a Queeral (mural), speakers, art activities for all ages, an affirmation station, and community passport game. It was a great kickoff to Pride Month!
View photos from the event by clicking here.
Our team joined Youth Council’s outing at Campland on the Bay in March and had an amazing time playing games, eating delicous kabobs, Thai food and s’mores, and gathering around the warm campfire with them. Everyone had fun and we look forward to joining them for the next camping adventure!
On Monday March 13th, the Civic Engagement team attended our Engage Table partner, Viet Vote’s, Sharing Our Roots event which centered intergenerational healing through storytelling. The event, located at Balboa Park’s Mingei Museum, was beautifully put together and shared many impactful and special memories from people and families from the Asian-American community of San Diego. We hope to attend and support more events like this where we can see and hear each other in ways that uplift, heal and connect.
Civic Engagement Team Geared Up for Busy New Year
Our Civic Engagement team is looking forward to the New Year and has many exciting events planned for 2023! With an eye on the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the team will continue their steadfast dedication to voter engagement and turnout this year. Civic Engagement will be using notable yearly events such as their “Queer, Trans, Intersex, Health, Pride and Resiliency Event” to bolster voter education.
The team is proud to announce their new YMCA Youth Mental Health program partnership. This January Civic Engagement attended seminars on “Public Tools and Resources to Define Community Health Worker Demand” and “Financing Options to Support the Work of Community Health Workers/Promotores (CHW/Ps)” where they connected with experts in the field of Medicaid/Medi-Cal financing. The team gained knowledge on how to create an equitable socioeconomically mobile and empowering path for current and future CHW/Promotores to continue the important work of connecting community members and educating them with the information and resources they need to live their best lives.
In addition, Civic Engagement will collaborate with the local YMCA (Copley-Price) and other small grassroots organizations to engage in bidirectional learning and sharing around mental health promotion and prevention efforts. This is particularly exciting for the team as the collaboration is focused on young people with a trauma-informed approach.
The team is excited that their second annual “Queer, Trans, Intersex, Health, Pride and Resiliency Event” will return this summer. Stay tuned for more details about this event as the summer approaches!
Kicking off the Holiday Season with Snowy Wonderland!
Mid-City CAN's Civic Engagement team had a blast hosting our Snowy Wonderland holiday family event on Sunday, December 4 that drew over 300 community members!
Children and families enjoyed playing in 22 tons of snow! They also were excited to meet and get a picture with Santa and the Elf.
The event featured fun activities such as face painting, gingerbread cookie making, delicious food, desserts, games, and so much more! Residents also got to meet the many community organizations at the event.
Thank you to Sherman Heights Community Center and our community partners for making the event a huge success!
Many thanks to the community for joining us! We were so happy to see many children having so much fun!
Photos from Snowy Wonderland can be viewed by clicking here.
📷: Ron Sanchez, Mid-City CAN
Snowy Wonderland Family Event Set for December 4!
Congratulations to our Civic Engagement team for meeting their voter outreach goals for the General Election! The team knocked on over 6,600 doors in October and the first week of November. They also made over 11,200 calls, hosted a Boba and Ballot community event and did a PSA video on the importance of voting. Amazing job, team!
Next up is the Snowy Wonderland Family Event!
You may have noticed that the weather outside has been frightfully frigid. On Sunday, December 4 there is a 100 percent chance of snow from noon to 4 pm at the Sherman Heights Community Center. Yes, Mid-City CAN is going to deliver 20 TONS OF SNOW for kids and families to play in that day! Besides snow activities there will be arts and crafts, face painting, food, a hot chocolate bar, Santa's Grotto, community organizations, and much more!
Scan the QR code, click the link below, or email Lexxus at [email protected] to RSVP for this fun December 4 event!
Snowy Wonderland Family Event (midcitycan.org)
WHEN: Sunday, December 4 from noon to 4 pm.
WHERE: Sherman Heights Community Center, 2258 Island Avenue, San Diego CA 92102
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Snow is cold so bring gloves and other items that will keep you warm!
Get Ready for the November General Election!
The Civic Engagement team kicked off its Integrated Voter Engagement (IVE) campaign to get residents prepared for the November California General Election! We'll be canvassing and phone banking to reach City Heights voters and residents to ensure they know where to cast their vote. The team will educate residents on recent changes due to the Voters Choice Act (VCA) and serve as a trusted information resource and be available to answer any questions.
Check out the Public Service Announcement video that our Neighborhood Captains recorded at the Idea Lab in City Heights with Juan Lopez of Media Arts Center.
In conjunction with the IVE program, Civic Engagement hosted a “Boba and Ballot” community event on October 22 at Cafe X! Community speakers Mohammad Rahimi of CAIR San Diego, Aidan Lin of Our Time to Act United, and Oscar Rendon of Youth Will discussed the ballot measures, the importance of voting, and answered questions from the audience. View photos and a video from the event by clicking here.
The team will continue canvassing and phone banking until the November 8 California General Election. Say hi to these hardworking captains when you see them in your neighborhood!
Useful Voting Resources
If you have any questions about voting, please visit the Civic Engagement Voter Resources page:
Mid-City CAN's First Pride Event a Success!
Mid-City CAN was thrilled to hold its first Health, Pride, and Resiliency event in City Heights on June 25, 2022 at Henwood Memorial Park! Thank you to everyone who attended as well as our many community partners.
We were thrilled to partner with over 10 community organizations including Planned Parenthood, Rainbow Spaces, SD Black LGBTQ+ Coalition, and many more. The event featured speakers, a yoga session led by JustBriFree Yoga & Wellness, a tie-dye station courtesy of Sew Loka, a flag making station, a performance by Amber St. James, and food & drinks. Council President Sean Elo-Rivera stopped by and congratulated Mid-City CAN for hosting a wonderful community event!
To view photos and a video of the event, visit our Flickr page by clicking here.
Get Out the Vote Team Meets Outreach Goals
Congratulations to our 2022 Get Out The Vote field team for meeting their voter outreach goals!
Voter registration and voter engagement are critical power-building strategies for Mid-City CAN. By registering and encouraging people who don’t normally vote to participate, we are building a stronger and more robust democracy. Increasing the number of voters in City Heights also ensures that City Heights becomes more powerful, that resources are invested more equitably in the community, and that residents' needs are taken seriously by decision-makers. The voters who chose to, are then linked to Momentum Team campaigns where they can actively engage on the issues critical to their daily lives.
Useful Voting Resources
Visit the Civic Engagement Voter Resources page:
GET VACCINATED
Throughout April 2022, the Civic Engagement team worked hard to get community members vaccinated and offered COVID 19 resources. On April 9th, the team had a special event for the residents at the Atmosphere Apartments, a supportive and assisted living facility. Residents received the COVID-19 vaccine along with light refreshments. The team is continuing to push for more events on our high priority outreach zip codes which include 92115, 92105, 92114, 92102, 92113, 92136, and 92139. On April 23rd, the team offered resources during the Spring Love Event.
The Civic Engagement team wrapped up April with two events on April 30th. They tabled and offered COVID-19 resources at the Copley-Price Family YMCA where the YMCA hosted a Healthy Kids Day which featured kids activities, a chance to meet community partners, and the opportunity to learn about the YMCA’s programs and activities. While half of the team were at the YMCA, the other half were at the Employment Resource Center getting community members pre registered for their COVID-19 and flu vaccines. ERC will handed out free food packages, diapers, feminine hygiene products and seeds.
Watch the video of the Civic Engagement team's vaccine tour:
A second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for older people and certain immunocompromised individuals has been authorized, book your COVID 19 vaccine appointment by calling 1-800-778-0036.