nd welcome to comunidad del valle. i'm damian trujillo. we have a show packed with very valuable and useful information this week on your comunidad del valle. ♪♪♪ damian: and we begin with carnaval san francisco. it's happening, it's back--maybe in a different form, but it is back. rodrigo duran is here to fill us in. rodrigo, welcome back to the show. rodrigo duran: damian, thank you for having me. yes, carnaval san francisco is back--different. you know, we pivoted during the pandemic. we actually had a resource fair last september 2020, and we're coming back this time in may, our memorial day weekend

tradition, and we're having again a resource fair, 'cause we know things are not the same. things have not been the same, and we want to provide everyone with resources, when it comes to health, we have covid vaccines, job fair, health, education, and so many more on harrison street on may 29th and 30th. damian: all right, well, we're looking at video of what carnaval used to be like. and you remember those days. talk about how we miss those days. you know, it's really up to us to get back to that. because if latinos statewide continue not to want to get vaccinated, it's gonna be a while before we get to see carnaval in this form again. rodrigo: exactly and, you know, we want to create this space so that people feel like they can see that light at the end of the tunnel. because back in the day, yes, the parade was 20 blocks, the festival was 20 blocks with performances like los tigres del norte and more. but this, we're bringing it back, you know, bringing it back to the roots of carnaval, which is always to give back, to always support, to always keep our community thriving, even

through a pandemic like this. damian: and you mentioned the resource fair. so, we're talking about how to apply for a job, how to get a new job. we've been hit so hard with many different things through the pandemic that this resource fair is to get us back on our feet, basically. rodrigo: exactly, so we have--we're partnering with city oewd, the city, to bring over ten employers to, you know, encourage people, if they need a pivot. and they need to find a new career, they can come to carnaval and find it by people like yourself in languages like spanish, english, chinese, and mayan. so, again, we're inviting everyone to come join us. and then our health, in health pavilion, we're having over 20 health providers, not only covid-related but, you know, in all different types of field, in your language, so that you feel comfortable, you feel at home, if you have any questions or concerns in regards to your health. damian: the bottom line i guess, rodrigo, was that there's no way that carnaval was not coming back in one from

or another this year. rodrigo: exactly, you know, we're resilient people, as a whole, and so we know what our community needs, and we've always been in tune. so, with this pandemic hopefully now exiting, we still want to make sure that no one gets left behind and that, at the end of the day, we will be here. even with vaccines, we will have a space for folks to get vaccinated, if they haven't gotten their covid-19 vaccine. and we have incentives. you know, we have a raffle going on. if you sign up to get vaccinated, or you get vaccinated the day of, you automatically enter a raffle to get bad bunny tickets, so you can go see him live and ready next year. damian: well, i didn't know about bad bunny until my kids started bringing him up, but i guess that's the thing right now. you're not omitting anything, it seems like, at this resource fair, because you're talking from job searches, to

covid vaccinations, to entertainment tickets. you name it and you're gonna have it there. rodrigo: exactly, and we're still taking all the protocols necessary during covid. we're still encouraging people to wear masks, you know, to just keep distance away, because we're still getting used to, you know, folks being togeth even though we're opening up as a city, we understand that every person's experience is different. so, we will take precautions; but at the same time, we want to celebrate, celebrate that we came out of this pandemic more resilient and-- with more of that energy to get us moving forward. damian: tell us briefly, if you can, about your team, rodrigo. because, i mean, when covid hit, your team and the collaborators were on top of it, and now you're on top of it coming out of covid. you're not reactive; you're proactive when it comes to this.

rodrigo: yeah, you know, that's how we've been brought up by so many leaders in the mission district. when pandemic hit, my executive director, roberto hernandez pivoted and gave birth to what is now known as mission food hub, and we began in march providing culturally relevant groceries to a lot of families, our families in need in the mission. and that's grown from a few thousand to now serving over 9,000 culturally relevant groceries, not only to the mission and not only to the latino community, but the african american, pacific islander, asian community, native american community. so, that was really like the platform which we decided to then create a whole resource fair in september of last year and fast forward this year is why we're doing this resource fair, because we understood the needs of people, starting with comida, with food, and then going, working our way with

jobs, with health, and with educational resources. damian: well, there's a big difference in being proactive versus being reactive, and i know that you guys have always been proactive with all of this. we're talking harrison street here, rodrigo. we have that information to show on the screen. it's happening may 29th and 30th. we were talking about carnaval san francisco. it is back, just in a different sense, but it is back may 29th and 30th. there is a email address for more information. rodrigo, thank you so much for being the leader in our community and for being on our show again. rodrigo: thanks damian, gracias. damian: gracias. and up next here on comunidad del valle we're gonna be having upward scholars, so stay with us. california phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones. - ( phone ringing ) - big button, and volume-enhanced phones. get details on this state program. visit right now or call during business hours.

now california phones offers free devices and accessories for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone. - ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program visit right now or call during business hours. we want to bring in a special new soccer club, soccer program out of san jose. jodi washington is now here to tell us all about it. this is pretty unique. jodi, welcome to the show. jodi washington: hi, thank you so much for having me, damian, it's so nice to be here, damian. damian: great to have you. now, this is pretty unique. we do have a video that you provided for us. tell us about what we're talking about here.

jodi: right, so a little over a month and a half ago, i was approached by an opportunity to bring the park san jose to life. the park is two five versus five soccer fields that were brought to us by urban soccer park, a local--well, not so local--they're based out of boise--west coast organization. and we're super excited to have them. we've been running into a ton of trouble with fields. and guess what? our girls now have a place to train. damian: so, how did it happen, where is it, and who can use it, and how often are you--you're probably there every day. jodi: i would love to be there every day. so, the fields are available to the general public. it's located in downtown san jose at 1650 monterey road. we are actually doing a lot of community outreach right now, because the demographic that we service is generally in the area where the fields are located. so, it's pretty awesome to be in the heart of a soccer, in the heart of downtown san jose in the place where i've been--i was born and raised.

damian: yeah and there's a--talk about the component of the program right now that you're running. or is it--it's not a free-for-all to come use the soccer fields. you've got special programs there to help the kids. jodi: right, so we are in the process of setting up some community play days that begin this sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. they are available for all kids, all areas, and we're just super excited to be able to offer that. we're also in the process of setting up adult leagues and youth leagues, so that kids, adults alike, can come play between the hours of, you know, 5 p.m. and, you know, midnight, essentially. after school programs are going to be awesome, so we're really excited to get the ball rolling on those, as well. damian: you know, during my news reporting, we'll go through, drive through neighborhoods, and there's kids playing soccer on their driveways. they're playing soccer, if they're in an apartment complex, you know, in whatever small area they have. boy, this is a chance for them to really stretch out and enjoy what a real soccer field feels like.

jodi: yes, we're really, really excited, and i think--i'm working in partnership with a number of local organizations, as well as, you know, christina robo over at franklin elementary school. we're gonna be doing some after school programming stuff for them. and so we're just hoping to be able to touch folks in a safe playing environment. you know, the fields are outdoors, so they're covid--super covid safe. we don't have to worry about anything there. we're prepared for pretty much anything. we just want to get the kids out there and playing. damian: what did it take? you mentioned it a little bit, but what did it take to kind of, to get to where we're at, to where you have what you feel is needed in the neighborhoods. jodi: yeah, so we were approached by a really close friend, who gave us an opportunity to build out an old restaurant in downtown san jose, into both a community indoor space and two outdoor fields. and essentially what we did was we converted the parking structure or the parking lots outside into two five versus five fields. so, our club, our local club that i'm a part of was able to utilize the surface, when we couldn't find fields to play on.

all high school fields are closed, right, due to covid. any kind of school, you know, is limiting access, 'cause we don't even have our kids back on campus yet. so, it's been an awesome opportunity to get kids out. it's been an awesome opportunity for adults to have some fun playing in the community, and it's really just been super fun to be outside again and having fun again with the game. damian: yeah, as a little league coach, i can attest to that. it's hard to get a field to play on. you're fighting other teams for that one field. because yeah, i mean, understandably, the schools are not allowing extracurricular activities on their campus, and that's understandable. but yeah, to see these children stretch those legs and be in a team-affiliated atmosphere, where they can talk to their friends, and talk and make new friends, it's just, it's what they've needed for the last year. jodi: it's amazing. it's funny because one of my players came back and just said, like, "this is not about anything more than my community and my family. it's bigger than the game." and i think that kind of, you know, set my heart kind of

pumping is like we were able to at least provide the kids a safe space, a comfortable space for them to reconnect with their friends, who they've missed so much, right, in the last, you know, year and three--what are we, at almost 12-13 months now right? damian: yes. jodi: so, it's been awesome. damian: all right, well, i've asked you all the questions. what do you want us to know about the park san jose? jodi: so, i think that, you know, working in conjunction with victor bernárdez at the earthquakes has been fantastic. he is a community guy at heart. i hope you guys get to spend some time and get to know him. he's going to be working in partnership with us to help build this thing into something really awesome. i'd love for everyone to come out and give it a try. visit our website, www.theparksanjose--or sj.com. come see us, come visit us, come drive by. it's a great place to be, and it's a fun place to play. i don't want to leave there. i'm sitting in my family room right now, but it's a place i want to be all day, every day. so, come join us. damian: i don't blame you.

jodi, you're a great salesperson. we're gonna show that information once again on your screen. this is the park san jose. it's a brand-new facility. and the important thing is that it's for the kids. it's for the community, and it's run by professionals. there is the web address for more information and the phone number. jodi, thank you so much for what you're doing with our kids and with our community. jodi: thank you so much for having us on your show. we'll see you soon. damian: all right, thank you so much jodi. and now comunidad del valle upward scholars. they'll be back, so stay with us. ♪♪♪

fabulous, fascinating program. with me is dr. linda prieto, who is the executive director of upward scholars and also griselda mien is a student, who's already accomplished a lot. welcome to the show, ladies. dr. linda prieto: thank you, damian, for having us. damian: thank you. dr. linda, tell us about upward scholars. linda: absolutely. you know, upward scholars is a local nonprofit.

we are currently serving all of san mateo county, and we focus on providing adult immigrants from low income households the support that they need to move up the economic ladder and be able to continue to afford to live in san mateo county and to thrive alongside their families. so, we're really assisting them, as they continue their education through our local community colleges, and that way they can, you know, move up the economic ladder, improve their job situation and serve as role models for their family and our community at large. damian: boy, you know, i know a lot of adults who once they either drop out of high school or don't go anything beyond high school, they feel like that's it, that it's time to work, and what your students have been able to accomplish is just fascinating. griselda, you are one of them. tell us--first you had to learn english, and then you had to tackle the english subjects. tell us what you've done so far. griselda mayen: yeah, okay, thank you. thank you for having me here. so, i'm so happy to share with you that upward scholars

is more than an association. upward scholars is like a family. thanks to the association, i am able to continue with my education here in the united states. i came to this country eight years ago, and i remember i was unable to say anything in english. and then i meet the person from upward scholars, and they told me, "so, you're ready to go to college. you're ready to go to school. we can help you in different ways. so, i started my education in community college now. i'm a pdk member. i get my associates degree next semester, and i work so hard, because they with me, they provide me support in many ways. i have tutors. i have books. i don't have to pay for my books, because they provide me with everything, which is amazing, because i'm able to continue with my education. damian: well, i'm shaking my head because, griselda, that's not supposed to happen, according to the experts. you're not supposed to be learning english in such a short time.

you're not supposed to be getting your associates degree, given what your history is, but you're proving everybody wrong. griselda: we can do it. we can do it. because if we work hard, we're able to do everything. as linda, knows, i'm on the dean's list for six times at college. i'm a pdk member. the association is around the world, and anyone can be on this association. we get good grades. we work so hard. and i never can say, "i do this, i do that," no. we do this, because i'm unable to continue with my education if i don't get the correct help. so, i think upward scholars provide me with the tools, and i decide to continue. i'm a mom, i have a family, i have work on full-time job. and i'm here. i'm still working hard on my goals, because if other persons can, we can do it. damian: boy, if everybody had your attitude, griselda, you

mentioned that we would accomplish--and dr. linda, i'm fascinated by your smile throughout this interview, throughout whatever griselda is saying. you're just--it's from ear to ear. talk about the pride that you feel. linda: oh, my goodness, i feel so much pride not only for griselda, but for every student in our program, because they are, just like she said, they are parents of school-age children. they're negotiating their jobs and family responsibilities, and they're still, they're still on track. they're still going to school at our local community colleges. and so our, you know, vision and dream for the organization is to be able to remove barriers, so t immigrants like griselda can continue on an educational path that will be helpful for them, and for their family, and for community at large, as i mentioned before. and so for us, it's about paying for their college textbooks, as she said. it's about getting them a laptop, if they don't already have one, hotspot support right now during the pandemic, especially, providing volunteers from the community who will

serve as their tutors or conversation partners, as well. so, anything that we can do to eliminate those barriers for our adult immigrant learners is what upward scholars is all about. so, we're super happy to then be able to see them on this journey, to be able to push them to dream, maybe even further than they had originally dreamt for themselves. so, griselda is just one example of the many students in our program who are doing so well. damian: that is wonderful. griselda, it would've been easy for you to say, "i'm an immigrant, i'm not going to be able to do it. i come from a low income family. i'm not going to be able to do it." but in the end--and i tell, when i do some motivational speaking, in the end it's just an excuse. we're making excuses for why we're not succeeding. you didn't make any excuses. you just said, "i can do this, i want to do this, i'm going to do this." griselda: yeah, to tell you the truth, sometimes i remember i make excuses, but i have a lot of people around me who tell me, "no, you can do it." those kind of people like linda, they told me,

"no, you can do it. you can continue with your goals. you can continue with your dreams." and something that makes me happy and makes me proud is like, for example, in this pandemic, i faced so many obstacles on my path. and when i called this person from the association, they helped me, not only with books, not only with i can't tell you, like, my story here on television, but they helped me in many ways--family, with my family, and a lot of kind of stuff. so, for that reason, i think i'm lucky, i'm lucky. although i make excuses sometimes, but i'm able to continue because i have them with me, so-- damian: you are such an inspiration, griselda. thank you so much for inspiring us. griselda: thank you. damian: linda, any final thoughts before i let you go, linda? linda: yes, just, you know, to the viewers out there, if you yourself are an adult immigrant or if you know someone who is,

who would benefit from enrolling in a community college, learning be more successful with their own dreams and goals for themselves, please refer them to us. please look at our contact information. we are currently, as i said, serving all of san mateo county, but we also have goals to serve the wider bay area before the end of this year. so, please reach out to us. thank you so much, damian, for having us. damian: thank you. you all are the epitome of-- thank you so much for what you're doing and for your inspiration, gracias. griselda: thank you so much. damian: gracias, thank you. for more information--boy, this is fascinating. they're upward scholars, and they are scholars in their own right. there is the web address for more information, also the phone number in san mateo county, if you'd like to get a hold of them. thank you all so much. we'll have some more here on comunidad del valle when we continue, so stay with us. ♪♪♪

wanna help kids get their homework done? well, an internet connection's a good start. but kids also need computers. and sometimes the hardest thing about homework is finding a place to do it. so why not hook community centers up with wifi? for kids like us, and all the amazing things we're gonna learn. over the next 10 years, comcast is committing $1 billion to reach 50 million low-income americans with the tools and resources they need to be ready for anything. i hope you're ready. 'cause we are. [speaking spanish]

[speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] damian: and since that promo, los tigres del norte, all of them have been fully vaccinated, and so we hope that everybody does the same. still in santa clara county, just over half of latinos have

not been vaccinated. so, that's something that needs to be addressed. but if you want to get a hold of us here on comunidad del valle, you can get a hold of me on instagram. my handle is @newsdamiantrujillo. on twitter, it's @newsdamian, and also pick up a copy of el observador newspaper and support your bilingual weeklies all across the bay area. boy, we thank you for another great show of inspiration. thank you for joining us. we're going to leave you now with a little bit of a musical tribute. we'll see you next week. damian: but you all might remember this song. this is called "love the way." [applause] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ ♪ i love the way you make me love you. ♪ ♪ i love the way you make me smile. ♪ ♪ i love the way you make me want you. ♪ ♪ so sit right down, stay a while. ♪ ♪ 'cause with you by my side, ♪

♪ i know i can make it. ♪ ♪ i want you so much and i love you. ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ of all the times we've been together. ♪ ♪ well, it's so hard to let them go. ♪ ♪ but could it be we'll last forever? ♪ ♪ and onl

♪ 'cause with you by my side, ♪ ♪ i know i can make it. ♪ ♪ you just give me your love. ♪ ♪ i want you so much, and i love you, ♪ ♪ and i need you. ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

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today on "talk stoop," it's ladies night. first up, "younger" star debi mazar stops by to chat with me and lots of laughs were had. debi. i'm so happy you're here. yeah, thanks. and nice to see you. nice to see you. you are so beautiful. and i can't believe you did your own hair. like, talk about it. thank you. well, i went to beauty school in the '80s in times square. nessa: did you? debi mazar: so i know, like, where to shop, where, like, the drag queens get their stuff. yes. and you know, for me, i've always liked to add a little extra here and there. so, wait.