Monthly Archives: January 2022

All Vaccinated Adults in California Can Now Get a COVID Booster Shot

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Booster shots have been a hot topic in recent discussions about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but have been limited to higher risk groups in many jurisdictions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends booster shots to any vaccinated adult 65 or older. The CDC also recommends boosters for people 18 and older who live or work in long-term or high-risk settings or have underlying health conditions.

As of November 11, 2021, California expanded COVID vaccine booster eligibility to include all fully vaccinated adults, ages 18 and up.

As with the initial vaccine, COVID booster shots are free, regardless of insurance status. The timing to determine your eligibility for a booster depends on the type of vaccine you originally received:

Pfizer: at least 6 months after 2nd dose

Moderna: at least 6 months after 2nd dose

Johnson & Johnson: at least 2 months after single dose

Visit MyTurn.ca.gov, call 833-422-4255, or contact your local drugstore or pharmacy directly to make an appointment.

How to Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste

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Did you know it is illegal in California to simply throw some household items in the trash? Many common household items, like batteries, lightbulbs, and household cleaners, contain potentially hazardous materials or ingredients that pose a danger to the environment, and to you, if disposed of in a landfill. These items, known as Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), must be disposed of in a special way to prevent contamination of our air, water, or even food.

What is banned from the trash?

  • Lights, batteries, and electronics – this includes lightbulbs and lamps, batteries, and electronic devices like monitors, TVs, microwaves, and cell phones.


  • Mercury-Containing Items – these can include items you may not think of, like electrical switches and musical birthday cards, as well as common items like thermostats and thermometers.


  • Household and Landscape Chemicals – including flammables and poisons, pool chemicals, cleaners, and pesticides.Paints and solvents – such as latex and oil-based paints and solvents


  • Building materials – this includes treated wood and materials with asbestos, like older kinds of cement, roofing, flooring, and siding.


  • Automobile-Related – including antifreeze, 
batteries, motor oil, and tires.


  • Other – compressed gas cylinders, healthcare needles and sharps, paint and ballasts with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and any nonempty aerosol cans labeled with “TOXIC” or “FLAMMABLE”

*Note that this is not a comprehensive list. Visit calrecycle.ca.gov/HomeHazWaste/Info/ or check with your local jurisdiction to verify if your item needs to be specially disposed of.

Where should you dispose of your hazardous materials?

Orange County has four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers. Call 714-834-4000 or visit www.oclandfills.com/household-hazardous-waste.

Riverside County has four permanent Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers and multiple additional locations that are temporary or specific to certain types of waste. Call 951-486-3200 or visit www.rcwaste.org/Waste-Guide.

San Bernardino County has fourteen permanent Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers. Call 909-382-5401 or visit www.sbcfire.org/collectionfacilities.

Do you need household hazardous items like paint, cleaning liquids, or pesticides?

Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties all offer Reuse programs where county residents can pick up unopened or partially used household hazardous items for FREE! There is no guarantee for item availability and locations and hours will vary by jurisdiction. Check with the they phone numbers and websites listed above to find your local Reuse location.

A Fresh Mindset for the New Year

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Though we’re a little late, we want to wish you and yours the happiest New Year! May 2022 bring you comfort, peace, and prosperity!

It is a time honored tradition that people begin the new year with new goals. If you’re like us and didn’t get started right away on January 1st, that’s okay! You don’t need to wait for the next year to roll around to make a move toward your goals – today is always the best day to start improving.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” — C.S. Lewis

The last two years have been unusual and tiring in numerous ways and many of us could use a mental reset. Even if everything around you feels out of your control, one thing you can control is yourself and how you respond to the world around you. So, in honor of the New Year and new beginnings, we thought it would be good to take some time to reset our outlook and approach the new year with fresh feelings of purpose and possibility.

“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.” —Anne Frank

If you’re having trouble coming up with resolutions or ways to reboot your mindset, we found a few recommendations from Parade.com that will hopefully help you with both – goals to help you change yourself and your outlook for the better.

Give one compliment a day – it’s like a free form of gift giving. You can make someone else’s day a little better and maybe feel better afterwards yourself.

Do random acts of kindness – it can be something as smaller, like holding the door for the person behind you or letting that person over in traffic, or more substantial, like volunteering your time to help someone in the community. No matter the method you choose, it seems like we could all benefit from a little more kindness.

Clear out the clutter – studies have indicated that clutter can increase your stress levels, which then negatively impact your physical and mental health. Take some time to clean out stuff you don’t need, because it can make you feel so much better. Plus, fewer things to worry about keeping clean and organized!

Write down something you’re grateful for each night – big or small, taking time each day to be thankful can help shift your overall outlook towards the positive. Some also believe that daily gratitude can also help with depression and anxiety.

Whatever the goal, write it down – there have been some studies that indicate putting your goals in writing makes it more likely that you accomplish them. It helps you remember your starting point, reinforces the plan in your mind, and you can reference it later if you fall off but want to get back to it.

No matter how you approach the New Year, we wish you the best and hope that you find peace, prosperity, and success in your endeavors.

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” —Benjamin Franklin