What’s New?
Our Promise 2022 Kick-Off
CDCR and the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) launched the 2022 Our Promise Campaign on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at Headquarters courtyard. San Quentin Public Information Officer Sam Robinson was the emcee for the event.
Speakers included:
- CDCR Secretary Allison
- CalHR Chief Deputy Director ,Frolan Aguiling
- Sacramento City Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby
- Our Promise Senior Director, Tabitha Angel
- Chief Executive Officer, Richard Abrusci, with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area
Staff were able to enjoy music from DJ Eddie Z, win door prizes, visit and learn about the 20 non-profits organizations in attendance and enjoy tacos from Food Truck Dos Tacos Y Mas.
Secretary Allison spoke to attendees and said in part;
“This year we celebrate 65 years of caring for California, and that is truly something to be proud of.
Thank you to our outstanding Our Promise team, which includes representatives from CDCR and CCHCS. It is no small task to take on running this campaign along with your other duties, and I have so much respect and gratitude for your efforts.
I am so proud of this Department and your giving spirit. No matter the location, classification, or schedule, our employees are out there giving their time, expertise, and money to various causes.
Our Promise is a fantastic opportunity to make one-time or monthly donations via voluntary payroll deductions. There is no requirement to participate, but the benefits are immeasurable.
From helping animals to environmental causes to organizations helping find cures for deadly diseases, CDCR and CCHCS employees support hundreds of different organizations through Our Promise.
And remember, you can donate to any nonprofit of your choice. As long as they are a registered 501C3, they can be supported via Our Promise.
This results in thousands of people supporting different nonprofits – with more than $4.9 million raised by state workers throughout California in 2021.”
The CDCR and CCHCS campaign runs from October 10 through November 12. Check out Cal Employee Connect, a secure resource for state workers to access their paycheck information, leave balances, and more. It’s also where you can find the Our Promise portal should you choose to make a one-time or ongoing donation.
Observations
Governor Newsom Proclaims Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation earlier this week declaring October 10, 2022, as “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” in the State of California.
PROCLAMATION
For the fourth year in a row, and marking three decades since the City of Berkeley organized the first Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration, California proclaims today as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Today we honor and celebrate the perseverance, rich diversity and contributions of all Indigenous peoples – from the first peoples of this place to those from across the globe who now call California home.
In a time when many seek to exploit our differences, California understands that our diversity has long been our greatest strength. The first peoples of this place descend from one of the largest, most diverse populations of Native peoples in the nation. And, despite all odds, they have persisted in the face of successive waves of newcomers – sometimes hostile, seeking to extract, displace and destroy, and sometimes hopeful, seeking a better future for their children. Since that time, California has welcomed Indigenous peoples from all places, all of whom we now call fellow Californians.
Today we celebrate not only the survivance, but also the tenacity of Indigenous peoples to succeed despite deeply entrenched historical, institutional and cultural barriers. This year alone, we witnessed a Wailaki citizen of the Round Valley Indian Tribes become the first Native American woman in space, Indigenous Californians reclaim their right to manage coastal land under a first-in-the-nation program in partnership with the state, the removal of offensive place names throughout the state, the reintroduction of the California condor in Yurok lands and the restoration of lands and Native foods to Indigenous peoples throughout California.
As Indigenous peoples gather today at Alcatraz in commemoration of the Native American rights movement’s occupation of the island, we stand in solidarity and support of Native- and Indigenous-led movements toward balance, reciprocity and respect, understanding that these changes will require a reexamination and renewal of our collective values. We are living in times of massive change and existential threats – climate, capital and cultural shifts demand that we welcome each other with open hearts and minds, shedding the colonial thinking that allows us to too often dehumanize and demean each other in the pursuit of personal gain.
In that spirit, we again disclaim the celebration of the conquest of the lands we now call the Americas, instead calling on Californians to reflect on and celebrate the resiliency and tenacity of Indigenous peoples everywhere.
Victims’ Rights
The Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services attended the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims, sponsored by the Sacramento chapter of Parents of Murdered Children (POMC), to show solidarity with the family members of victims of homicide, and to offer support and services to those who requested it. The event, which was held at the State Capitol, included speeches, songs, and the blowing of a Shofar, a traditional Jewish horn used to symbolize the start of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). The annual ceremony is intended to bring about public awareness and recognition of the losses endured by the families and friends of murder victims, and bring communities together to support one another.
In the Media
California Medical Facility Officer and Incarcerated Work Crew Honored for Saving Woman’s Life
On Oct. 11, CDCR and the Vacaville Police Department honored a California Medical Facility incarcerated work crew members Darnell Armstrong, William Goin, Davion Howard and Correctional Officer David Peebles for saving a woman’s life last week. In attendance were Associate Director Dan Cueva, Warden Jennifer Benavidez, and Vacaville Chief of Police Ian Schmutzler. The crew was doing some work on the Alamo Bike Trail when they saw a man viciously attacking a woman, who was there walking her dog. The officer and crew worked to subdue the individual and help the woman. She was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover.
Future Fire Academy
Former incarcerated fire crew members work to make a difference. Anthony Pedro, a former incarcerated fire crew member, founded the non-profit Future Fire Academy to help others find careers in firefighting after they’re released.
Top Inside CDCR Stories for the Week
- Meet Officer Michael Webb, keeper of the gate
- Tales from the Cemetery: The rancher and the mobster
- Golden State Warriors return to San Quentin
- For Michele Taylor, breast cancer awareness is personal
- CDCR staff and incarcerated help schools, veterans, charities
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