- California Legislature approves $5M for Benicia's Kyle Hyland Foundation for Teen Support

- Funds to be used to support teen mental health and suicide prevention

- City of Benicia to act as fiscal agent for administration of funds

The Kyle Hyland Foundation (KHF) recently announced that it will be receiving 5 million dollars in funding from the State of California to go towards the expansion of its mental health programs for teens.

The KHF serves a vital need in the community and is the only of its kind in Benicia and the surrounding area. Benicia's teens have few places to go to gather and support each other. A KHF spokesperson notes that while some improvements have been made in the level of mental health services provided by local school districts, many teens in trouble often struggle to find the support they need. Parents with at-risk teens also encounter difficulty finding the help they need, with few local resources or referrals. The stigma of mental illness remains with little to no understanding in the general public. As a result of this lack of support and resources, youth continue to battle anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.

The mission of the Kyle Hyland Foundation is to provide charitable and educational support to youth by offering mental health programs and other services, and will maintain a center where teens can be provided emotional support through mentoring, counseling, music, and art. The Kyle Hyland Foundation currently operates the Benicia Teen Center. In 2019, the Benicia Teen Center served over 180 teens.

As a result of the focus and advocacy of Assemblymember Grayson, $5 million in funding to the City of Benicia for The Kyle Hyland Foundation was ultimately included in CA Budget Act SB129, line item 171 and was formally approved when SB129 was signed by Governor Newsome on July 12, 2021. The City of Benicia will be acting as the fiscal agent for the administration of these funds.

According to the Foundation, the long-term plan for the use of this generous funding from the State of California is not fully formed; however, the initial focus will be to create a broad mental health program for youth in Benicia and beyond. In the wake of the COVID pandemic, youth are struggling more than ever before. The support received from the State, through the perseverance of Assemblymember Grayson, cannot come at a more necessary time. This funding is especially crucial given the fact that during 2012-2019, the rate of suicide deaths in Solano County was significantly greater than that of the state and the nation during 2 of the 8 years, including 2019 (per the Solano County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan Update 2021).

Also, the county suicide death rate is continuing to trend upward in 2021. The Kyle Hyland Foundation is dedicated to honoring its supporters as well as the State by, in turn, supporting as many youth as possible while everyone recovers from the pandemic. With these new funds, KHF will now be able to expand their outreach and resources to greater support mental wellness. They ask the community to continue to stay involved in their efforts and to watch as great things come to pass as a direct result of this investment in the Kyle Hyland Foundation by the State of California.

To learn more about the Kyle Hyland Foundation, visit https://kylehyland.com.

- Cannabis store to open Saturday in City/industry first.

- 39 jobs provided.

- Gallery space will exhibit Arts Benicia Presents.

The City's Office of Economic Development is pleased to announce the opening of Benicia's first retail cannabis store. STIIIZY Benicia, 160 East N Street, will open on Saturday, September 25 at 10 a.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring city officials.

As part of that commitment to the City, STIIIZY Benicia will provide safe and quality access to multiple cannabis brands including STIIIZY, California’s number 1 selling brand. STIIIZY now includes the BLESSED by STIIIZY line, proceeds of which will benefit the STIIIZY community giving program.

The retail space will include a 600 square foot art gallery, featuring an exhibition by Arts Benicia Presents that will showcase works by local artists.

STIIIZY is the flagship brand of Shryne Group, a cannabis holding company that prides itself on opening retail locations that provide safe access to their brands across California, and soon to be in other states. Shryne Group CEO Jon Avidor notes that he is excited for the new Benicia locations, not only to serve the population where many customers reside, but also because of the partnership with Arts Benicia and city government.

September 25 to October 3, 2021 is National Drive Electric Week throughout the United States, a nationwide celebration to educate citizens about electric vehicles; to raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, trucks and motorcycles; and to promote their adoption.

The City's Community Sustainability Commission supports National Drive Electric Week by sponsoring an exhibit of electric and hybrid vehicles at the Thursday, September 30 Benicia Farmers Market and invite those at the market to stop by to check out the vehicles and speak with owners to learn the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The Office of Economic Development shares information on Bounty of the County, a celebration of Solano County agriculture and chefs, featuring a different restaurant each week, September 27 through November 7. Each restaurant will highlight in-season ingredients grown on local farms in a special free sample item that will be given to restaurant customers that week.

Sustainable Solano, a partner of the City's Community Sustainability Commission, will highlight the event with weekly videos, including cooking demonstrations by the chefs and farm profiles on Facebook and Instagram and on the Bounty of the County webpage.

BackDoor Bistro (Vacaville), The Barn & Pantry (Dixon), Michael Warring (Vallejo), One House Bakery (Benicia), Rasta Mama’s Kitchen (Vacaville), Two60 Kitchen + Bar (Fairfield)

Did you know that food waste from our kitchens affects climate change? Rotting food in landfills creates methane gas that heats the atmosphere. Learn how you can cut back on household food waste, save money and resources, and be part of the solution!

5–6 p.m.

FREE

Join Stephanie Oelsligle Jordan, Sustainable Solano’s Local Food Program Manager, for a cooking class that explores what to do with those beet greens, carrot tops, potato peels and more! Chef Steph will walk through several recipe ideas, discuss meal planning strategies and food expiration dates, and demonstrate Quick-Pickled Giardiniera.

Sign up at www.eventbrite.com/e/cooking-class-tops-toroots-zero-waste-cooking-tickets-163435519037 or visit the calendar at SustainableSolano.org.

Information on upcoming food waste laws affecting Benicia will start the class and an audience Q & A will take place at the end.

This class is generously funded by Republic Services, the City's contract waste disposal company.

Looking for a new job or a change in career? The City of Benicia Human Resources Division is accepting applications for the following positions:

To apply for any of these positions, the application and supplemental forms may be found online, then click the job title. Employment applications may also be obtained from, and must be returned to, Human Resources at 250 East L Street, Benicia. Sign up with Job Interest Cards to be notified of future position openings when they occur.

The Benicia Public Library is fortunate to have a number of long-term staff members who have provided excellent continuity over the years, and Gina Shimel, Library Technician II, is a perfect example. Gina came to the Library first as an on-call circulation staff member in 1996, and shortly after that was hired as a permanent part-time employee, after two years of working two jobs and going to college.

In July 2001 she was hired into a full-time position, as supervisor of the library’s pages and department aides, which she did for 17 years, transferring to her current position as the Library’s cataloger.

“Not everyone has the patience to be a cataloger,” she says, “but I love the satisfaction I get and the sense of accomplishment from a very thorough and accurate record. Patrons then have an easier time finding exactly what they are looking for because of those records.”

She is a beginner gardener, having taken up the pastime during COVID. She also enjoys listening to true crime podcasts, and has been to Ireland twice (and would love to go back). She is an avid dog person, and has a 12-year-old dachshund named Vienna, “who is beyond spoiled,” she says. She has taken up American Sign Language in order to better communicate with deaf patrons at the Library.

Gina clearly gets a lot of satisfaction from her work (she loved being a supervisor, as most of her employees were teenagers, experiencing their first jobs, and she enjoyed watching them grow into reliable workers and professionals), and the Library is lucky to have her.

Find vaccine locations, resources and information for seniors, local food access, basic needs and rental assistance, mental health, stress and coping, and more courtesy of Solano County Public Health. Benicia residents in need of help during these difficult times may find assistance through these local resources: