Orange County

LAUNCH OF ORANGE COUNTY NETWORK OF CARE FOR VETERANS
The Orange County Health Care Agency, Behavioral Health Services will launch the OC Network of Care for Veterans on Saturday, November 14, 2009. The launch will be held as part of a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) frontline event, which focuses on educating the community about services and resources available for Orange County veterans and their families.

The Network of Care is part of a growing awareness and effort to take a community approach to the needs of returning veterans. The website brings together critical information for all components of the veteran’s community; providing a one-stop shop for services, information, support, and advocacy related to veterans, their families, and services providers. To explore the site, please click here.

Garden Grove

INVEST IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND ‘BUY IN GARDEN GROVE!’
The City of Garden Grove encourages holiday shoppers to patronize local businesses providing consumers exclusive incentives through the “Buy in Garden Grove!” program.

The campaign was introduced last year as an incentive for residents to shop locally and enabling the city to keep more sales tax dollars at home for the benefit of the community.

Starting in November, participating businesses and their offers will appear on a special “Buy in Garden Grove!” web page on the City’s website at www.ci.garden-grove.ca.us. There is no charge for businesses to participate. To receive the offers, customers must ask for the “Buy in Garden Grove!” discount.

The goal of the “Buy in Garden Grove!” program is to help local merchants increase sales, while offering for investing their holiday dollars at home. Keeping sales tax revenues in the city assists the City of Garden Grove provide a better quality of life for the community through services such as police and fire protection, and street and park maintenance.

This year, several businesses in the InternationalWEST Resort District will participate by offering special resident-only discounts. To become a participating business, email your business logo (jpg or gif format) along with your special discount to buyingg@garden-grove.org. Questions can also be emailed to the same address, or by calling (714) 741-5280.

GARDEN GROVE COMMUNITY GARDEN
The City of Garden Grove is offering 10-foot-by-10-foot plots based on a lottery system for its first community garden at the corner of Eighth St. and Garden Grove Blvd. The volunteer-run garden will hold 55 plots for individuals and/or groups at $45 per plot for the calendar year of January through December. Residents are now invited to sign up for the lottery.

The program will offer residents a chance to have their own plot of land where they can organically grow their own food – be it vegetables, herbs, flowers or fruits. A grand opening is set for Nov. 21. Winners will be notified prior to Nov. 21. For more information about the Community Garden or to sign up for the lottery, contact the Community Services Department at (714) 741-5200.

Santa Ana

H1N1 INFLUENZA VACCINE FOR HIGH-RISK GROUPS AVAILABLE AT SANTA ANA COLLEGE
With the flu season fast approaching and the H1N1 influenza continues to be a threat especially with the young and the very young, the County of Orange announces the selection of the first two sites where vaccines for the H1N1 flu will be provided.

On Saturday, October 31, 2009, Santa Ana College will be the first site selected in the First Supervisorial District for the H1N1 vaccinations.

From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Orange County Health Care Agency’s (HCA) Public Health Children’s H1N1 Vaccination Clinics will be dispensing only the nasal spray H1N1 influenza vaccine to healthy children ages 2 years through 9 years of age who will need two doses of vaccine 28 days apart to achieve adequate immunity. Healthy individual 49 years of age and younger who are caregivers to infants under 6 months of age also qualify to receive this vaccine.

Santa Ana College
1530 West 17th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92706
Vaccination Room: Student Health Services

All others wishing to receive the H1N1 vaccine are encouraged to check with their healthcare providers to ensure that it is appropriate for them to receive these vaccines. Due to limited availability at this event, this will be first come first serve. People should arrive early or wait for future clinics as more H1N1 vaccines become more available. HCA will be providing at least one Children’s H1N1 Vaccination Clinic in each supervisorial district in this first round of vaccines.

HCA anticipates additional vaccines will begin arriving in Orange County as soon as next week in both injectable and mist forms. According to the California Department of Public Health, approximately 500,000 doses of the vaccine will be available through more than 1,000 Orange County private and public health care providers.

For the most current local updates on the H1N1 influenza, please refer to the HCA website at http://ochealthinfo.com/h1n1/index.htm or call HCA’s Health Referral line at 1-800-564-8448 for additional information.

Westminster

WESTMINSTER INITIATES HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION SHORT-TERM RESIDENTIAL RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Supervisor Janet Nguyen encourages Westminster residents residing in a rental property who might need help in paying their rent during this difficult economic time to contact the City of Westminster to take advantage of its new Homelessness Prevention Short-Term Residential Rental Assistance Program.

The program is reserved for Westminster residents who are at-risk of becoming homeless due to a recent job loss. The program provides short-term rental assistance for up to three months to assist eligible households to remain housed while looking for work.

The landlords of eligible participants will receive up to three months of rental assistance and potentially up to two months of payment of rent in arrears. To be eligible for this program, residents must meet the following requirements:

• The total household income must be at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Orange County.
• Proof of recent job loss within the previous two months of submitting the application.
• Must lack the financial resources and support network needed to remain in their existing rental housing.
• At least one year of residency in the City of Westminster.
• All applicants must have verifiable income.

City of Santa Ana
November 1, 2009 – The Science of Gingerbread
In the kitchen, much more is going on than pouring and mixing – it’s science at work! Discovery Science Center’s The Science of Gingerbread exhibition features hands-on kitchen science activities, decorating demonstrations and award-winning gingerbread houses on display. Don’t miss the chance to enter the annual gingerbread competition for fabulous prizes! For more information, call 714-542-2823 or visit www.discoverycube.org.

November 5, 2009 – Honoring All Who Served
Come join the 2009 Veteran’s Day Recognition on November 5th at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, 1000 E. Santa Ana Blvd. A military color guard will present the national colors at the Flag Raising Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. The event will also include a job fair. For more information, please call Daniel McHenry at 714-565-2624 or John Cook at 714-241-4455.

November 7, 2009 – "Noche de Altares"
Orange County’s largest Day of the Dead celebration is bigger than ever! The event will take place on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Fiesta Marketplace in the City of Santa Ana (3rd and Bush Streets). Organized by non-profit organization El Centro Cultural de México and local business Calacas Inc., Noche de Altares is a free, family-friendly community event. Throughout the day there will be arts and crafts workshops, face painting, local artists selling their wares, and delicious food from local restaurants and vendors. At the heart of the tradition, community members will construct over 40 altars. Participants are encouraged to build their altar in memory of a deceased loved one or to bring awareness to social issues. Registration to build an altar is free and open to the public! For ore information, visit the event’s website here.

City of Garden Grove
November 14, 2009 –Antique Doll Show and Sale
Thousands of beautiful antique dolls, miniatures and teddy bears will be up for viewing and sale at the Garden Grove Community Meeting Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Start a new hobby or introduce a youngster to the wonderful world of antique doll collecting. It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season with a stroll down memory lane!

City of Westminster
November 18, 2009 – Senior Flu Clinic
The Westminster Senior Center will provide free flu shots from 8:30 a.m. to noon for seniors 50+ and adults with chronic illnesses. The shots are administered on a first-come-first-served basis while supply lasts. This is the Center’s yearly regular seasonal flu vaccination. For additional information please call 714-895-2878.