Dear Center Community,

Hello, I’m Rebekah Hook-Held (she, her), Chief Public Affairs & Civic Engagement Officer at The Center, and this week’s message is simple – VOTE! Today and tomorrow are the last days for our community to make our voices here in the November General Election – the stakes are incredibly high, and we need our community to mobilize.  
 
Over the past eight weeks, The Center’s team of staff and volunteers have called, texted, and reached out to thousands of voters throughout the county, working to build our community’s voting power for this election. Our democracy, and in fact our very rights and lives, depend on everyone’s participation to address issues and make our voice heard in shaping our communities, our states, and our country.  
 
This upcoming midterm election is a turning point with every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats in play. It will also be a historic first, featuring LGBTQ Americans on the ballot in ALL 50 states. With a recent increase in anti-LGBTQ laws being introduced in state legislatures throughout the country, this representation is more critical than ever. In California, LGBTQ leaders are confident that this election will result in 10% of California's 120 state legislators being LGBTQ – the first time that a statehouse has reached such proportional LGBTQ representation. We also know that LGBTQ people need safe access to a comprehensive range of competent sexual health and reproductive care services, including access to abortion, which is why The Center’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to support Proposition 1.
 
The Center is proud to serve our community as an official Vote Center, where you can feel welcomed, valued, and supported if you choose to vote in person! It’s not too late to participate!

Please come to The San Diego LGBT Community Center today, Monday, November 7th from 8am – 5pm or tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8th from 7am – 8pm to:

• Drop off your ballot or request a new one
• Register and vote, via same-day voter registration
• Vote using an accessible ballot marking device
• Receive in-person voting assistance, including language assistance, from Registrar of Voters staff
• Get your iconic and prideful “I VOTED at The San Diego LGBT Community” sticker and show your civic and community pride!

Masks are required indoors and clients are required to be vaccinated. Flexibility for the mask requirement will be allowed for special health circumstances.

If you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, please take a few moments to complete this #Out4MentalHealth survey and share it with your networks. It supports LGBTQIA+ community members in identifying system strengths and barriers based on our own lived experiences. Your responses will be utilized to help create a statewide mental health policy agenda. 

Share your experiences accessing mental health care by taking the Mental Health Advocacy Priorities Survey: bit.ly/O4MHPP2022

 NO-COST TIPS TO SAVE ENERGY AND MONEY

Looking for ways to save on your energy bill? Check out these no-cost energy tips to save energy and money.  

1.     Talk with your family, friends and neighbors to find out how they conserve energy. This can help you identify additional things you can do in your home to save. You may discover hidden energy costs, figure out how to eliminate them and learn from each other's good habits.

2.     If you have a second refrigerator, unplug it when it’s not in use. (Save up to $155/year). An older refrigerator uses nearly twice as much energy as new efficient models. You pay more to run your spare, older appliance than your primary one in the kitchen. If you only need the extra space around the holidays or you're a renter and can't recycle the landlord's refrigerator, simply unplug it when you don't need it.

3.     Turn your computer off at night or if you won’t use it for two or more hours. (Save up to $65/year). Turning off your computer at night could save you up to a third of its energy costs, depending on your use and power management settings. It’s good to give your computer a rest, some software updates require computers to shut down and the fan is more likely to wear out on a machine that continually runs. Shutting a computer down also clears its memory so it may run faster the next time you turn it on. Turn off other home office equipment for greater savings. Plugging all devices into a smart power strip makes this easy.

4.     Unplug electronics when they’re not in use. (Save up to $100/year). Many electronic devices continue to draw power even when they are turned off. By unplugging devices and chargers when they are not in use, you can avoid paying for this extra energy. Products that waste electricity like this are known as "vampire devices." Examples include televisions, coffee makers, microwaves, cell phone and battery chargers and video game systems. Many vampire devices have rectangular adapter boxes on their plugs. Plug adapters stay warm to the touch even when the connected device is off – a sign that it is a continuous energy user.

5.     Make it a habit to turn off lights when you leave a room. (Save up to $50/year). In an average home, lighting accounts for nearly 9% of electricity costs. Turning lights off when you're not in the room is a simple way for you to make a dent in your utility bill. Before you go to sleep, walk through your home and shut off any forgotten lights. To help get into the habit, try leaving eye-catching reminders near your lights and doorways. Encourage family members to turn off their lights as well. This is a great way for young children to do their part to save energy.

• MPOX vaccine eligibility has expanded in San Diego County. Visit our website to see the list of groups eligible for the MPOX vaccine. MPOX vaccination appointments are available at myturn.ca.gov for those without health insurance or healthcare provider. 
• MPOX vaccines are available a a walk-in or by appointment at Balboa Park Golden Hill Community Clubhouse.
• To get notifications of vaccine availability, please sign up to the MPOX alert system by texting COSD MONKEYPOX to 468-311.

• Prevention: The Center continues to educate our community with the latest information about MPOX. We continue to field calls from community members and provide guidance to access MPOX vaccines and testing resources.
• Education: The Center's MPOX resource page on our website has information in English and Spanish, and we are sending regular updates in our E-News and on The Center’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
• Advocacy: The Center is participating regularly in the San Diego HIV Planning Group's MPOX Task Force meeting, and will stay involved to ensure that our community is represented.

31 de Noviembre, 2022:

• La eligibilidad para la vacuna contra MPOX se ha ampliado en el condado de San Diego. Visita nuestro sitio web para ver la lista de grupos elegibles para la vacuna contra MPOX. Las citas de vacunación MPOX están disponibles en myturn.ca.gov para personas sin seguro médico o sin proveedor de atención médica.
• Las vacunas contra MPOX están disponibles sin cita previa o con cita previa en Balboa Park Golden Hill Community Clubhouse.
• Para recibir notificaciones sobre la disponibilidad de vacunas, regístrese en el sistema de alerta MPOX enviando un mensaje de texto con COSD MONKEYPOX al 468-311.

• Prevención: The Center continúa educando a nuestra comunidad con la información más reciente sobre MPOX. Continuamos respondiendo llamadas de miembros de la comunidad y brindando orientación para acceder a las vacunas MPOX y los recursos de prueba.
• Educación: La página de recursos de MPOX en nuestro sitio web esta en ingles y en español y hemos estado enviando información más reciente en nuestro E-News y en Facebook, Instagram y Twitter. Hemos actualizado nuestras preguntas frecuentes con las últimas preguntas frecuentes de nuestra comunidad.
• Abogacía: The Center esta participando en las reuniones del MPOX Task Force del Grupo de Planificación del VIH de San Diego, y The Center permanecerá involucadro para garantizar que nuestra comunidad esté representada.