Tag Archives: philanthropy

Orange County: OCDA Adopt-A-Family Celebration

Staff Reports

 

Santa Ana – Over 100 children from 40 families were able to participate in a special holiday celebration at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office’s (OCDA) 16th Annual Adopt-A-Family holiday event. The event was held on Sat., Dec. 13, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at Russell Elementary School in Santa Ana.

OCDA staff, affiliates, friends, and family have adopted 123 children from 40 families who were identified as needing assistance during this holiday season by school administrators and staff. Each child received donated gifts and toys and their families were provided with grocery gift certificates for a holiday dinner.

All of the adopted families were invited to attend a holiday celebration that included arts and crafts activities, baked goods, a photo opportunity with Santa Claus, and distribution of the gifts to the children. Staff and volunteers were on-hand to answer questions, discuss the criminal justice system, and disseminate bilingual resource booklets.

This holiday event is part of the OCDA’s ongoing commitment to help improve the quality of life in the Orange County communities it serves.

Local Families Help Donate Life At The Rose Parade

Staff Reports

Donate Life california

Image Courtesy: DonateLifeCalifornia.org

San Gabriel Valley – Local families are paying tribute to loved ones by sharing their gift-of-life legacies in the upcoming Rose Parade, in the form of “Floragraphs” on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float.According to Donate Life California, more than 70 organizations will join together to help inspire people to become organ, eye and tissue donors in an effort to save the lives by creating awareness at the Rose Parade. 2015 will signify the 12th year that Donate Life California has participated in one of the world’s most visible campaigns available.

Covina’s Jesus “Jesse” Cruz lost his life at just 20 years of age. In September 2010, at a Rio Hondo College wrestling meet, the athlete and star student collapsed during one of his matches, and was unable to be resuscitated. A few years previous, Jesse told his family he wanted to become a donor if anything should happen to him; a fortuitous decision for others.

Diamond Bar’s Lo family will honor 78-year old donor, Sandy Lo, who not only lived a life of grace and giving to others, but saved the lives of five others through her donations. Lo was an immigrant from Taiwan who worked her way up in the clothing industry. She continued to volunteer in her community long after retirement; including cooking meals for Hurricane Sandy victims in a tireless effort that family reportedly says was just part of her everyday demeanor. Lo passed away in February 2013 from a stroke.

Glendora’s 48-year old Joseph “Jody” Culver, who in October 2008 suffered a fatal heart attack, has benefitted more than 95 individuals with cornea, tissue and bone transplants from his gifts. His memory has been greatly enhanced through his donor wishes. Culver’s January 1st birthday will also be remembered at the Rose Parade.

For the families of these individuals, there is a certain solace associated with the gifts of life that have occurred because of these acts of generosity. Knowing that your loved one lives on through others, and has created so many possibilities in those lives brings about bittersweet consolation.

“The Never-Ending Story” is the title of the Donate Life Rose Parade float, and it features “beautiful butterflies emerging from storybooks to symbolize the enduring power of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. The butterflies ascend above 72 volumes adorned with Floragraph portraits – all created with organic materials – of deceased donors whose legacies are nurtured by their loved ones.”

Donate Life California says that 12 living organ donors whose stories have become intertwined with those of their recipients will be walking alongside the float this year. In addition, 30 riders representing transplant recipients who celebrate the new chapters of their lives made possible through the generosity of donors will be seated among thousands of dedicated roses onboard.

The 126th Tournament of Roses Parade begins on New Year’s Day 2015 at 8 a.m. and features floral floats, marching bands and equestrian units that all travel the more than five miles down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. The Rose Parade is presented by Honda, and is seen by millions of people worldwide each year.

For more information about the parade, visit www.tournamentofroses.com. For more information about the Donate Life Rose Parade Float and organ donation, visit www.donatelifecalifornia.org.

 

 

Orange County: Ford Rewards Over 150 Local At-Risk Students

ford-transit-connect

Ford Transit Connect (Photo Courtesy: Ford.com)

Staff ReportsIrvine – On Fri., Dec. 5, the Ford Motor Company – in conjunction with the Orange County Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (OC GRIP), and the Taco Bell Corporation – rewarded over 150 local at-risk elementary, middle and high school students with an exclusive visit to their regional headquarters.

Students met with professional skateboarder, reality star, and entrepreneur, Ryan Sheckler, and were taken on an exclusive tour of Ford’s Design Studio. They also heard from law enforcement officers and prosecutors, including Orange County District Attorney, Tony Rackauckas, who spoke to the students about positive life choices and the negative effects of criminal street gangs. Lunch and additional activities were provided by Taco Bell.

To earn this incentive, the students met a challenge to have no unexcused absences, criminal activity or arrests, violence or weapons on campus, and no gang-related clothing, writing, or behavior.

As a reward for their commitment to additional OC GRIP programming, 25 students and their families in attendance were eligible to win an all-new Ford Transit Connect, furnished by the OC Ford Dealers Advertising Fund.

This is the third year that the OC GRIP program, in partnership with Ford and their employees, have provided at-risk-students with resources and support to encourage them to make education a priority in their lives. In this year alone, over 90 Ford employees volunteered their time by visiting 12 Orange County schools to meet with students in the program.

 

 

 

Walnut: Donor’s Gift Boosts Mt. SAC Pathways Program

By Mike Taylor

 

Walnut – Mt. San Antonio College’s Pathways to Transfer program – a program designed to help students complete a degree and transfer to a four-year university – recently received a $100,000 donation from San Gabriel Valley Charitable Foundation philanthropist, Gary Chow.

The two-year $100,000 gift will help the Pathways program continue its work to provide an accelerated learning program to help students taking basic skills English and math courses succeed and keep them on track to transfer.

Through the program, students in basic skills courses take classes in cohort groups with the same instructor in an accelerated time frame. Three courses are fit into an intersession and semester so that students are fully engaged in the subject. The classes include the same instructor throughout the sequence to provide a sense of continuity, and each class has a tutor to provide additional help.

The courses are also linked to a learning community class, a counseling class, or a library class. The result has been a dramatic rise in completion rates, a decrease in English and math phobias, and increased student self-confidence.

“There is a sense of continuity and support in this program that enables basic skills students to succeed at higher levels and makes this program unique,” said Mt. SAC American Language Professor and Basic Skills Coordinator, Glenda Bro.

In the last year, persistence rates for Pathways students were 36 percent higher in math courses compared to non-Pathways students. In English, Pathways students performed 27 percent better than non-Pathways students.

Persistence rates measure whether students successfully complete the sequence of courses.

“These students aren’t just passing one class. They are committing to the program and completing the entire sequence of classes,” said Bro.