On August 25th, Vice Chairman Doug Chaffee and I hosted a press conference in front of the Asian Garden Mall in Little Saigon, urging the U.S. Congress and President Biden to act swiftly to create an orderly process to admit Afghan refugees and establish opportunities for resettlement in the United States.

The location of the press conference was significant because Little Saigon is the birthplace of an immigrant community, a refugee community that came together after the devastating events that took place during the Fall of Saigon in 1975.

My family was one of the thousands of American and South Vietnamese families whose lives were saved by the heroic actions of the U.S. military’s evacuation of Saigon.

As Vietnamese Americans watch the heartbreaking images from Kabul Airport, we are reliving the trauma and deep pain felt during Black April 1975. We know what it means to flee a violent and oppressive regime and we understand what it means to live as refugees.

If we look back to the resettlement of the Vietnamese refugees in 1975, it was individual Americans, either alone or through their church or community groups, who, solely out of the kindness of their heart, sponsored those refugees out of the refugee processing centers in California, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Florida.

My family and I were beneficiaries of that kindness. We were sponsored to Alabama and we were welcomed and helped by countless neighbors in a little town, called Enterprise.  We can do it again for these Afghani refugees.

Thank you to all our participants and speakers for your solidarity. 

CAIR - Greater Los Angeles

Islamic Relief USA

Nahla Kyali (Executive Director, Access California)

Marwa Latif (Programs Specialist, Islamic Relief USA)

Fayaz Nawabi (Policy & Advocacy Manager, CAIR-LA)

Dr. Metra Azar-Salem (Board Member, Afghan Literacy Foundation)

Salmon Hossein (Attorney and Community Organizer)

Click here to watch the Press Conference.

Click here to read my Op-Ed.

The public-private partnership of Be Well OC has come a long way in just a few short years. 

In 2015, Supervisor Lisa Bartlett and I started the OC Mental Ad Hoc Committee. 

In October of 2019, my fellow colleagues on the Board of Supervisors, members of the Orange County Congressional and State Delegation, and other representatives, celebrated the groundbreaking of the very first Be Well OC Wellness Campus in the City of Orange - which opened in January of this year.

In September of 2020, the Board voted unanimously to support the development and construction of a second Wellness Campus in the City of Irvine.

And in May of this year, our Orange County state delegation greatly assisted in helping secure the following funding from the State:

- $5 million for the second Be Well OC Wellness Campus in Irvine.

- $2 million towards a countywide software solution for data integration. 

To most effectively and efficiently coordinate the care and treatment of the county’s most vulnerable residents, or “high-utilizers,” the county is developing a platform to allow information sharing among service providers, county departments, and external stakeholders. 

I would like to personally thank Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, Senator Tom Umberg, and Senator Pat Bates for taking active leadership roles in bringing forward the necessary funding for this project. 

Thank you to all our partners for advocating for the mental health services for Orange County’s residents and bringing the much-needed resources to make our second Be Well OC campus a reality.

On August 10th, the Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an amendment to the contract with Charitable Ventures of Orange County to increase the early childhood mental health consultation services to children up to eight years old.

I, seconded by Supervisor Chaffee, proposed to include an additional $5 million dollars in funding from the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA).

Under the approved amendment, Charitable Ventures, an Orange County-based nonprofit, will support the community’s increased need for services to families with young children. These services will be provided by mental health consultants who have extensive knowledge in trauma, adverse childhood experiences, challenging behaviors, and social and emotional skills development and can appropriately train childcare educators. 

Click here to read the full press release.

On August 10, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the launch of OC Health Care Agency’s Vaccine Equity Engagement Program in an effort to accelerate the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, with a continued focus on the most vulnerable high-risk populations in Orange County. 

Click the link to read the full press release in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

A couple of weeks ago, the OC Community Resources announced the selection of Jessica Castro as the Supervising Veterans Claims Representative for the Veterans Service Office. Ms. Castro has been in the OC Veterans Service Office for over 14 years and is truly passionate about giving back to those who’ve served in our military.

In late March, the Board of Supervisors also approved the recommendation to hire Elena Kim to be County Veterans Service Officer and County Veterans Remains Officer. Ms. Kim has previously served in the US Army from 2005-2010. Now, she ensures Orange County veterans, their survivors, and dependents are properly assisted in filing for benefits.

or call 833-704-0959.

Earlier this month, I met with Bill Bracken, owner of Bracken’s Kitchen in Garden Grove, and got to tour his facility and hear about the great work he does for our communities.

Since 2013, Bracken’s Kitchen has served hot, nutritious meals to low-income communities and shelters. They are committed to rescuing, repurposing, and restoring both food and lives. 

Thank you, Bill, and all your staff, for your life-changing contributions!

August 9^th was National Book Lover’s Day and the First District Team took the opportunity to recognize the Dynamite Book Club for their contributions to our team.

This youth organization was created in response to the pandemic and works to bring access to books in Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Midway City by providing donated books and volunteering with local nonprofit organizations. Special thanks to Catherine Hahn, their club advisor, for her dedication to literacy in our community!

Click here for more information on the Dynamite Book Club or to find a book drop off box near you.

Congratulations to Vista Heritage Global Academy on their newly renovated building!

On August 10th, the First District Team had the honor of attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the building’s grand opening. Thank you, Vista Heritage Global Academy, for your commitment to providing quality educational opportunities for the youth of Santa Ana!

Click here to learn more about this academy.

On August 21, Project Better Together celebrated their 1-year anniversary at the Bristol Swap Mall in Santa Ana. Kids and families got to celebrate with free meals and fun art activities like jewelry making and origami!

Project Better Together is a student-run nonprofit that aims to provide accessible catering to underserved communities in Orange County through the promotion and sales of local artists’ and musicians’ work. 

Congratulations to Dr. Chris Nguyen on the grand opening of Infinite Life OC in Santa Ana. This practice offers full spine care and perinatal care, among other services. Dr. Nguyen is a licensed chiropractor and founder of Infinite Life Chiropractic.

📍 1714 E. McFadden Ave Suite M, Santa Ana

Click here for more information on Infinite Life Chiropractic.

In honor of National S’mores Day on August 10, the First District Team stopped by Creamery Pop OC in Westminster to try their delicious s’mores cake bite. Creamery’s artisanal gelatos, sorbets, and desserts are made fresh using 100% natural ingredients.

📍 15556 Brookhurst St, Westminster, CA 92683

Click here to place your order online.

In honor of National Fajita Day on August 18, the First District Team stopped by Los Sanchez Restaurant for some lunch. Check out this local Mexican food spot in Garden Grove for some steaming hot fajitas and a variety of Mexican food!

📍 11906 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove

Click here to view the menu.

On August 21st, the First District Team celebrated Andrade's Barbershop’s 1 year anniversary and ribbon cutting ceremony in Garden Grove. Congratulations, Andrade’s Barbershop, on all your hard work and success! 

📍12935 Nelson St, Garden Grove 

Click here for more information on Andrade’s Barber Shop.

The First District Team had a blast at the 11th Annual Monarch Butterfly Day Experience at Mile Square Park on August 14th. The community had the opportunity to learn about monarch butterflies in their natural habitat.

Thank you to Orange County Parks staff for hosting this event featuring educational activities, face painting, and fun crafts. A special thank you to Priscilla, Joe, and John Cruz and for helping promote interest and the importance of Monarch Butterflies. 

Click here for more fun events at Orange County Parks.

On August 10th, the First District Team participated in OC Public Libraries’ Back-to-School event at the Garden Grove Main Library where kids of all ages had the chance to meet some of their favorite book characters, get some free books, and take home some craft kits. This was a fun way for kids and parents to kick off the start of their new school year.

On August 26th, the First District Team partnered once again with Saddleback Church, Bristol Swap Mall, and Dynamite Book Club to provide free groceries to families in need! 

Families received free food, employment opportunities, and resource coaching.

The next food distribution will take place on Wednesday, September 8^th at Mile Square Park at 8:00 am.

Supervisor Andrew Do invites the public to attend a free summer concert and car show event at Mile Square Park on September 18 from 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm.          

The event will feature a display of classic cars along, trophies for classical cars, food vendors, and a variety of musical performances.

Musical performances include:

• SouthBound & Company, a Lynyrd Skynyrd & Frynds tribute band
• Son Doux, a Latin/Cumbia/Rock Band in English & Spanish
• No Duh, a No Doubt tribute band.
• DJ Allura

Classic cars can register for free by calling 714-834-3110. Complimentary professional photos for car owners will be available for download after the event!

Supervisor Andrew Do invites the public to attend the annual Moon Festival event at Mile Square Park on September 19 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The festival will feature food vendors, face painting, balloon animals, live band entertainment, and a parade of colorful lanterns for children.

The free event is hosted in collaboration with CalOptima, OC Parks, OC Waste & Recycling, and the Vietnamese Cultural Center.