Team Chaffee held our annual Toy Drive at Loara High School. In collaboration with United Across Borders Foundation, ICNA Relief Southern California SoCal, Community Action Partnership of Orange County, and the County of Orange Social Services Agency, we were able to provide toys, food, and diapers to the community. In total we served 1,200 families, bringing some extra cheer this holiday season to those in need. Thank you to all of our partners and volunteers for making this event a success and helping us give back to our community.

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Last Tuesday, my Board colleagues and I hosted a festive  Holiday Open House.

Many incredible community members, government and nonprofit partners, unions, and County employees stopped by our District 4 office to meet me and my staff, take photos, and enjoy some delicious food.

We served the best tamales and aguas frescas in Orange County from Tlaquepaque in Placentia. Thank you to all of those who attended and celebrated this holiday season with us.

To view and download the photos from the event, please click here.

Taking a trip during the holidays or getting together with family and friends? If so, remember that respiratory viruses are typically more active in fall and winter- otherwise known as the “cold and flu season” or “virus season.”

Make sure to reduce your risk of catching or spreading respiratory viruses like COVID-19, flu, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) by staying up to date on your vaccines, wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces like airports and planes, and washing your hands frequently.

If you do cough or sneeze, cover it with your elbow, your arm, or a disposable tissue. Be sure to wash or sanitize your hands and dispose of your tissue. Further prevention tips can be found by visiting go.cdph.ca.gov/respiratory-viruses. 

If you have COVID or flu-like symptoms, stay home and get tested. Free at-home COVID tests are available and can be ordered online at https://www.covid.gov/tests or by calling 1-800-232-0233 or TYY 1-888-720-7489. You can also schedule a convenient vaccination appointment for COVID or flu by visiting https://myturn.ca.gov/. 

​If you test positive, contact your health care provider right away and ask about prescription treatments. Act fast, most of these medications must be taken within the first 5 days of symptoms.

The OC Health Care Agency has information and updated trends on COVID, flu and RSV at:

COVID: www.ochealthinfo.com/covid

Flu:  www.ochealthinfo.com/flu

RSV: www.ochealthinfo.com/rsv

Remember that the best way to treat a cold is to do your best to prevent or limit it from happening in the first place through prevention. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season and a Happy New Year.

The County of Orange is conducting the first-ever Older Adults Needs Assessment, and we need input from our older adult and caregiver communities!

If you are 55 years and older, or caring for someone 55 years and older, please tell us what your needs are by completing the Survey online or by phone by calling (949) 415-6898.

Results from this survey will guide the development of Orange County's Master Plan for Aging. This is why it is VERY important to make your voice heard. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete the survey and your response will have a huge impact in shaping programs for older adults in Orange County.

The surveys are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic and Farsi, now through December 30, 2023, at: www.olderadultssurvey.com.

The deadline to complete the survey is December 30, 2023.

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Metrolink will pause service systemwide from Dec. 26-29 to complete infrastructure upgrades, maintenance and repairs. Trains will not run on any of Metrolink’s seven lines, and Arrow service will also be suspended during this time. Planned work will help Metrolink provide safer, more efficient service as the Los Angeles mega-region prepares to host high-profile international events, including the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in the coming decade.

To minimize the disruption to customers, the upcoming four-day service outage was strategically scheduled during a period of historically low ridership when schools are not in session and many employers provide time off for the holidays. The agency will not be providing alternative transportation but has created a repository of transit options to help Southern Californians reach their destinations while Metrolink trains are out of service.

The Point In Time (PIT) Count is a count and survey of people experiencing homelessness on a given night during the last ten days in January. The PIT Count helps us to better understand homelessness, so we can better respond with targeted programs aimed at reducing homelessness in Orange County. In 2024, the PIT unsheltered count of people experiencing homelessness will begin on Tuesday, January 23 through Thursday, January 25, 2024.

Opportunities to register to volunteer for the PIT Count within your Service Planning Area (SPA) are now open! Please click on the link for the Deployment Center you want to volunteer in, and the link will take you to a registration form.

To volunteer in Central SPA on Tuesday, January 23, 2024:

• Deployment Center: Freedom Hall located at 16801 Euclid St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 
• Deployment Center: County Administration South located at 601 N Ross St, Santa Ana, CA 92701 

To volunteer in North SPA on Wednesday, January 24, 2024:

• Deployment Center: Fullerton Public Library located at 353 W Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832
• Deployment Center: Orange County Social Services Agency (SSA) Anaheim Regional Center located at 3320 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92806

To volunteer in South SPA on Thursday, January 25, 2024:

• Deployment Center: El Toro Library located at 24672 Raymond Way, Lake Forest, CA 92630
• Deployment Center: Laguna Niguel Library located at 30341 Crown Valley Pkwy, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

For more information, please visit the following website: https://www.everyonecountsoc.org. 

If you have any questions about the 2024 PIT Count, please email info@everyonecountsoc.org.

Give a shelter pet the gift of a temporary foster home for the holidays! If you're not quite ready to commit to adopting a pet, you can still help one of our dogs or kittens by giving them a break from the shelter and becoming a foster. OC Animal Care will provide resources and basic supplies. 

To become a foster, please email ocacprograms@occr.ocgov.com.