Children’s Home of Stockton (CHS) has elected three new board members, Cathy Ghan, SVP of Commercial Real Estate Group at Oak Valley Community Bank, Dr. Shuchi Gupta, Adjunct Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at University of the Pacific, and Mary Pimentel, VP of Client Relationship Manager at United Business Bank.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire nation and for youth living in the Stockton/Lodi area, access to positive and productive programming during Summer is more challenging now than its even been.

United Way chapters across Central California are getting an incredibly timely gift from a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous. The $6.6 million earmarked for United Way chapters in the Central Valley will be split between organizations representing the counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno and Madera, Tulare, Kings, and Kern.

The Emergency Food Bank of Stockton / San Joaquin County is honored to be one of the first in California to receive produce boxes from $1.2 Billion USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program.  The first delivery of hundreds of produce box will be welcomed by State and local dignitaries.The Emergency Food Bank of Stockton / San Joaquin County is honored to be one of the first in California to receive produce boxes from $1.2 Billion USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program.  The first delivery of hundreds of produce boxes will be on May 15th and welcomed by State and local dignitaries.

Community Medical Centers is turning to the spoken word and storytelling to gain the attention of young people in San Joaquin County’s diverse communities and raise their awareness of the dangers of substance use.

The City of Stockton is preparing for the future as a Smart City and a Smart region by adopting 5G broadband policies and preparing for both wired and wireless emerging technologies.

The San Joaquin County Parks and Recreation Division has extended its temporary closure of parks and facilities through May 31, 2020. This includes dog walking, nature trails, boat ramps, disc golf courses, playgrounds, campgrounds, fishing and all other park amenities in an effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. 

All Rotary Clubs in the Stockton Community have collaborated with Yosemite Foods, Inc. in an effort to help the Emergency Food Bank of Stockton and our community in this time of need.

The fear of being infected with the coronavirus — coupled with job losses, closed schools, shuttered churches, empty shelves and plummeting stocks — is stressful enough.

Take time to take a deep breathe and read how to handle stress and isolation.

“Concrete things like filling up a jug of water or buying a couple of cans of food can help,” Benjamin Farmer, a family therapist said. “Taking clear, small steps to move in a direction where they can feel they have some control. Reaching out to others to ask how they are doing can help an anxious person cope. Having a support system in place, even if it’s only one or two people, is enough to alleviate anxiety. Reframing how they approach this virus, saying, ‘I am socially isolating to protect my family.’ Reframing can give people a sense of power to navigate that stress."

As of March 23, 2020, the San Joaquin County Public Health reported 51 cases of confirmed COVID-19 cases with 2 deaths.  Social Distancing will certain become one of the most search terms online.  There are a lot of questions and the Caravan News will continue to bring you updated information.  Together we need to continue to “Prepare not Panic” as Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs has said.  Take time to relieve stress and know that we will get through this together.