In partnership with the OC Workforce Development Board, Orange County is taking the OC One-Stop Center to the streets.

The OC One-Stop Mobile Unit will provide access to education and training services traditionally offered by the OC One-Stop Center for youth, adults, dislocated workers, and businesses while reducing transmission and preparing the workforce for post-COVID-19 return.

For more information on the OC One-Stop Mobile Unit, including how to book an appointment, visit the Orange County One-Stop Center website or call the Economic and Business Recovery Call Center at (714) 480-6500.

The pandemic has only deepened language access issues. Now more than ever, we must reach every community and neighborhood in Orange County.

The County of Orange has hired Martin Plascencia, a trusted Spanish-language veteran journalist of 35+ years, to lead its Spanish-language communications and outreach efforts.

Click here to read the full press release.  

In Orange County, getting a COVID test is easy and free, you can even have a kit sent directly to your home.

You can view your options at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-testing.

The Alzheimer's Orange County COVID Memory Care Unit at Fairview has beds available. 

Located on the campus of the Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa, this unit is separate from other COVID-19 wings and specific to older adults who have memory loss or other cognitive impairment. 

This facility is for short-term stays, while residents recover from COVID-19 status, and not for long term placement. Individuals currently enrolled in Hospice or with Hospice admission pending can be admitted, provided they meet all other criteria. 

For more information please contact Patty Mouton at (714) 349-5517 or visit www.ocseniors.org.

Starting March 1, 2021, Orange County inmates will be able to apply for CalFresh benefits (formerly called food stamps) up to 30 days before their release under a pilot program recently approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As a former Deputy Public Defender, I know many former inmates can struggle to meet their basic needs when they are released back into the world, often without a job and sometimes without family support. 

Addressing basic daily needs in order to ensure a successful transition back into the community is part of an aggressive County criminal justice reform strategy known as the Integrated Services Strategy.

Click here to read the full press release.

On February 1, the County of Orange launched the Emergency Rental Assistance program, through $65.6 million from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

The County’s rental assistance will help keep our most vulnerable community members from losing their homes and a sense of security amid this ongoing crisis.

The cities of Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine will be serving their residents with city-run programs, as they have received direct allocations from the Federal Government.’’

The Emergency Rental Assistance program is accepting applications through February 28.

Click here for more information.

The OC Virtual Emergency Volunteer Center is pre-registering volunteers interested in assisting government staff with COVID-19 vaccinations at Super POD sites.

Both Medical Trained Volunteers and General Support Volunteers are needed.

Click here to register.

The Orange County Social Services Agency is reopening four regional centers, including the ones in Santa Ana and in Garden Grove, with limited functionality.

Orange County residents interested in applying for CalFresh, Medi-Cal, General Relief, or CalWORKs are still encouraged to use SSA’s online portal or call center.

Click here for more information.

Anaheim Regional Center

3320 E. La Palma Ave. Anaheim, CA 92806

Laguna Hills Regional Center

23330 Moulton Parkway Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Garden Grove Regional Center

12912 Brookhurst St. Garden Grove, CA 92840

Santa Ana Regional Center

1928 S. Grand Ave., BLDG. B &C Santa Ana, CA 92705

Tiffany Hoang is among the first Vietnamese American girls to earn the rank of Eagle Scout as part of Boy Scouts of America ll-Girls Troop 2279.

For this incredible accomplishment, I met with her this week to present a certificate of recognition from my office. On top of this achievement, she also earned her Girl Scouts Gold Award, putting her in a category of her own in receiving these two prestigious ranks.

Congratulations Tiffany, your hard work and dedication to service have improved the lives of others in Orange County. Thank you to Lien Doan Chi Lang Foundation and BSA Troop 2279 for providing opportunities for youth to thrive here in Orange County. 

Start taking steps to a positive change in your child’s well-being.

The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program helps parents and caregivers of children age 0-12 and teens support their children’s emotional and developmental needs. Visit www.triplep-parenting.com to access tools to communicate better, navigate emotional issues and equip your kids to handle life’s challenges. Free access to Triple P Online has been funded by the OC Health Care Agency.

For more information about the Triple P program in other languages and learning formats, please call the OC Parent Wellness Program at (714) 480-4678.

The Family Fur-st Drive-Thru Pet Food Pantry is this Saturday, February 13, and occurs on the second Saturday of each month.

To date, the Family Fur-st Drive-Thru Pet Food Pantry has distributed 31,624 pounds of pet food and helped 2,809 pets in Orange County. 

On February 26, 2021, the County of Orange and Orange County Human Relations Commission is inviting the public to participate in Health Equity Issues & the Community Experience, the second virtual listening session of a COVID-19 discrimination-based series.

This event follows Understanding Our Implicit Biases & Community Experiences, the first virtual listening session of the series held in October 2020.

Click here to find out how you can register.

Last Monday, we began a month-long recognition of the countless contributions made by the black community to our nation.

Since its founding, the United States has relied on the labor and ingenuity of the black community to grow and prosper. The black community has not fairly benefited from so many of their contributions due to slavery and institutional racism; issues which we continue to confront as a nation.

Take time this Black History Month to learn more about the history of the black community here in the United States and their foundational role in defining who we are as Americans.