Students from SunStreet Center’s STEPS program in South County presented the results of an April storefront compliance check to the City Council on Aug. 6, 2025, and invited residents to a second annual overdose awareness symposium on Aug. 21.
Danelle Hernandez, prevention program coordinator for SunStreet Center South County, introduced student speakers who told council members their team visited 10 randomly selected stores and assessed window signage under California law limiting window sign coverage to 25 percent. Students reported five of the 10 stores were out of compliance; two additional stores raised safety concerns because signs obstructed sight lines or windows were heavily tinted.
Student leader Angelina Gala, who also described the program’s paid work opportunities, said the group gave educational flyers to noncompliant stores and allowed a two-week period for voluntary corrections before a follow-up visit. Stores that were compliant were given certificates of acknowledgment, Hernandez said. The students acknowledged that many store owners were unresponsive to the outreach but said their objective was education rather than enforcement.
Council members asked whether outreach materials were bilingual; the presenters said materials were provided in English and Spanish. Council members and SunStreet staff discussed next steps — Councilmember Caldera asked staff to coordinate with code enforcement and to consider city support for follow-up education. Mayor Velasquez and others suggested the city share the group’s findings publicly and add police and code-enforcement follow-up if voluntary compliance does not occur.
Hernandez and the students also promoted the SunStreet overdose awareness symposium scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 21, 6–8 p.m., at the Soledad Community Center, 560 Walker Drive; SunStreet said Spanish translation, dinner, raffles and childcare will be provided. For event information the presenters gave contact Reina Alcala (rAlcala@SunStreet.org).