Mobile Probation Centers will enhance services for community

THE state awarded San Diego County Probation a $1.2 million grant to establish two Mobile Probation Service Centers that will help its clients and the community access services conveniently.

Join the City of San Diego at the 2023 Arbor Day Event in Mission Bay’s Vacation Isle, located on Hibiscus Lane, as volunteers and City leaders plant trees and beautify the park, reminding us of the benefits of trees and our urban canopy.

• Creek to Bay Cleanup – Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Join Think Blue San Diego and partner I Love a Clean San Diego for the largest cleanup in San Diego County this Earth Day. Choose from 4,000 cleanup sites to volunteer and beautify our local environment.

• Earth Day at South Clairemont Recreation Center – Saturday, April 22, 10 a.m. –12 p.m.

Join the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department at the South Clairmont Recreation Center, located at 3605 Clairemont Drive, to celebrate Earth Day. The free event will include seed planting, a park cleanup, simple crafts and a selfguided scavenger hunt. There will be informational booths throughout the park as well. All ages are welcome.

• Every Day is Earth Day: One San Diego – Saturday, April 29, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Join the City of San Diego and community partners at the

Valencia Park/Malcom X Library, 5148 Market Street, for an Earth Month celebration event that will get attendees interested, informed and invested in preparing communities for climate change. Attendees will also enjoy giveaways, food and connect with others in the community.

• Fight Climate Change From Your Kitchen! – Saturday, April 29, 2023, 10:30 a.m. – noon

Wrap up Earth Month by learning how to decode food labels and prevent food waste by making the most of your kitchen food scraps during this free educational workshop at the San Ysidro Library, 4235 Beyer Blvd.

Along with April’s celebratory events, the City of San Diego’s Climate Action and Climate Resilient SD plans and other initiatives under Our Climate, Our Future demonstrate the city’s commitment to climate action and protecting the environment. These evolving programs will help the city achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 while benefitting residents through new economic opportunities, improving natural and urban spaces, and protecting vulnerable communities from climate threats like extreme heat, wildfires and sea level rise.

(City of San Diego Release) n

to safely dispose of old tax files?

City of San Diego residents can have paperwork securely shredded and recycled for free

SAN DIEGO – Just finished filing your inches high, 15 inches wide and 25 inches deep. This free service is for City of San Diego residents only; businesses can find recycling services by going to WasteFreeSD. org and searching for “Paper Shredding Services.” Diverting trash from the landfill is part of the city’s Zero Waste Plan and supports climate action goals. For information about all of the city’s recycling programs and services, please visit sandiego. gov/environmental-services/recycling.

(City of San Diego Release) n

The Board of State Community Corrections grant will allow Probation to purchase two vehicles approximately 22-foot-long, similar to a command center vehicle, that will help its clients in overcoming barriers, including lack of transportation and homelessness that affect their access to supervision and services.

The Board of Supervisors will decide at its June 13 meeting whether to accept the grant, and the vehicle order process will begin after that vote.

Once the Mobile Probation Centers are built, outfitted and ready to head out, they will be marked in a subtle manner to protect the confidentiality of Probation’s clients. The two vehicles can go anywhere but will likely be sent to rural areas and in communities that may have higher concentrations of Probation clients.

“Mobile probation service centers will strengthen Probation’s ability to perform outreach, deliver case management services, and provide linkages to care and assistance directly and swiftly to harder to reach and more vulnerable clients in all regions and in proximity to where they live. They will allow Probation to assist clients in improving their health, safety, success, and opportunity to grow, connect, and thrive,” said Chief Probation Officer Tamika Nelson.

The mobile centers will be staffed with Probation officers and alcohol and drug program specialists and will include extra laptops for clients to use to search for jobs or other resources. The mobile office may also allow clients to participate in virtual court hearings or teleconferencing with service providers, said Supervising Probation Officer Kristine Lefebvre.

Additionally, just like a permanent office, the centers will also be stocked with hygiene kits, food items and naloxone kits for distribution as needed.

Probation officers may do client assessments to determine needs or barriers, and then they can provide them with a

File photo/www.countynewscenter.com service or program referral. For example, if someone is experiencing housing instability, Probation can connect them with services. As Probation staff assess needs, they may bring a service provider or partner with them to make the resources even more convenient.

The San Diego County Probation Department is committed to providing the highest quality of compassionate service to its clients and the community. To accomplish this goal, staff use a positive, client-centered approach, and evidence-based best practices for the continuum of care, supervision, accountability and toward restorative justice.

(Yvette Urrea Moe/County of San Diego Communications Office) n