On Monday, January 17, the County of Orange will observe a national holiday in honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Dr. King challenged us to embrace love instead of hate, as he brought about positive change with regard to how we view and treat others, and he motivated us to remain strong in the face of adversity.

Let us heed Dr. King’s words of wisdom that so enriched our nation, not just this day, but each and every day. In doing so, I urge you to please consider three of his many profound quotes:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

In observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, County offices will be closed this Monday. As such, please take time to reflect on the many inspirational messages he preached of love, equality, perseverance, tolerance, and freedom.

Wishing you a a safe, healthy and happy holiday weekend, as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - a day of service and leadership!

As previously reported in my newsletter, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last month to adopt an ordinance identifying new district boundaries for all five supervisorial districts. The ordinance was adopted following the Board’s action on November 22 to select Map 5A-1 as the preferred map for establishing new district boundaries. The ordinance will go into effect  January 6, 2022.

I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone who participated in the process, as I truly believe Map 5A-1 was the best outcome for the County as a whole in that it minimizes division, creates fair and equitable representation, complies with the Federal Voting Rights Act, and keeps the majority of South County intact. To view a map of the new 5th District of Orange County, click here or on the image below.

Click the image above to enlarge.

The Orange County Auditor-Controller’s Office has released the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), also known as the Citizens’ Report, a summarized guide to the in-depth County Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).  Both reports reflect information from the 2020-21 Fiscal Year which began on July 1, 2020 and ended on June 30, 2021.

Each year the Auditor-Controller’s Office chooses a County agency to highlight as part of the report’s theme. This report features the Orange County Probation Department, headed by Chief Steven Sentman. 

The prior report for FY 2019-20 once again received the award for outstanding achievement in popular annual financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the 18th consecutive year.

To view the Citizens’ Report, click here or on the image below. For more information, click here.

Click the image above to view the Citizens’ Report.

The County of Orange is among several Continuums of Care
(CoC) in Southern California that have been approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to reschedule the 2022 Point In Time Count to the last 10 days of February due to the impacts of COVID-19.

The County of Orange and Orange County Continuum of Care will conduct the sheltered count the night of Monday, February 21, 2022, and the unsheltered count starting the morning of Tuesday, February 22 through Thursday, February 24. For more information about the 2022 Point In Time Count, including details on how to volunteer, please click here.

This week, the Orange County Board of Supervisors was pleased to present a Retirement Resolution to Dr. Jeffrey A. Nagel, Director of Behavioral Health Services for the County of Orange, highly commending him for his 31-year public service career with the County of Orange.

Dr. Nagel’s various responsibilities have ranged from direct services to leading Behavioral Health Services as a whole. Specific examples of his accomplishments include working alongside psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents, Chairing the HCA Compliance Committee, and engaging the community to develop and expand MHSA funded programs, and leading the charge to create a peer workforce.

Since Dr. Nagel was appointed as the Behavioral Health Services Director in 2018, he has demonstrated great leadership and emphasized the importance of resiliency, recovery and positive psychology.

More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he drafted a document about flattening the emotional curve of COVID-19 which helped BHS receive $27 Million in CARES Act funding. These funds have been put toward Suicide Prevention, Violence Prevention, Youth Resilience, Health Disparity, Online Resources, and Telehealth Capacity Development.

In his time with the County, Dr. Nagel has been a thoughtful and accomplished servant leader by sharing his passion for helping children and families and consistently demonstrating a kind and composed demeanor while executing his duties of service to the Orange County community. We wish him the best for a well-deserved lifetime of happiness, fishing and truffle making!

 Presenting a Retirement Resolution to Dr. Jeffrey A. Nagel.

In addition to serving you on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, I'm also proud to serve you on the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors.

As such, I'm pleased to report this past year, OCTA, Caltrans District 12 and the cities of Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills and Laguna Niguel have continued working together to deliver the I-5 Freeway Widening Project from SR-73 to El Toro Road, one of our region’s largest freeway improvement projects.

Approved by nearly 70% of Orange County voters, this $580 million project spans 6.5 miles and is being constructed in three segments. Today, the overall project is more than 1/3 finished, with Segment 1 from SR-73 to Oso Parkway and Segment 2 from Oso Parkway to Alicia Parkway each 50% complete.

For more information, including what's down the road ahead, please click here or on the image below.

Click the image above for more information.

As previously reported in my newsletter, Orange County residents can now enjoy more reliable and frequent trips on the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner®.

In late October, the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, which manages the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service, implemented one of the largest schedule adjustments for the Pacific Surfliner in years. It included further restoration of service across the corridor as well as sweeping adjustments to existing train schedules.

The improvements enhance the reliability and connectivity of trains that travel between San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Pacific Surfliner trains have been operating on a reduced schedule since March 2020 due to a pandemic-related drop in travel demand. The schedule change builds on the partial service restoration that was implemented in June 2021, and also moves towards pulsed schedules, which evenly distribute trains to provide maximum service coverage.

Changes include:

• One additional round-trip was added that travels the length of the corridor. 
• Most train departure and arrival times were shifted to evenly space them out across the day for more consistent frequencies. Many train numbers changed.
• The schedule is now consistent for both weekday and weekend travel.

Travelers now have predictable departure times between trains, and improved connections to other train services.

Passengers are encouraged to follow safety measures and any important public health orders in place during their trip and at their destination. Per federal law and Amtrak policy, face coverings must still be worn while onboard trains and in stations.

The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner passes through Orange County as part of its 351-mile coastal rail route from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. The LOSSAN Agency is managed by OCTA in an agreement with the state. For more information, click here. 

There’s a reason so many stories feature trains. There’s something magical about sitting together in the comfortable seats and watching the world go by on the way to a special destination.

Below are some of our favorite Metrolink trips for any time of year...

Everyone loves San Juan Capistrano, and for good reason. Within an easy walk from the station, there are one-of-a-kind restaurants and shops, and a petting zoo. The famous Mission San Juan Capistrano is a must-see and features amazing history.

San Juan Capistrano Train Station

Some of California’s best stretches of wide sandy beaches are within minutes of the Metrolink station in San Clemente. Bring your friends, your kids and a willingness to relax and explore. Take a side trip to beautiful Casa Romantica and view the coastline from a different perspective.

San Clemente Pier Station

Oceanside is an authentic beach town with quiet beaches, a quaint New England-style harbor, historic wooden pier, plenty of craft breweries and relaxing seaside dining. Take the day to chill out in this southern-most destination on the Metrolink line.

Metrolink Oceanside

Last but never least, Los Angeles is packed with fun places to visits like Chinatown, historic Olvera Street, museums and amazing restaurants.

L.A. Union Station

Discover more about these destinations and other Metrolink Daycations here. On weekends, adults ride throughout the Metrolink system for only $10 Saturday or Sunday and kids 17 and under ride free!

I'm pleased to report John Wayne Airport has released its Winter 2022 Newsletter, featuring interesting information on:

• The Places You Can Fly From JWA
• New Exhibit Showcases Oaxacan Artists
• John Wayne Airport Website Recognized
• Health and Safety a Top Priority
• More Merry Moments

For more information, click here.

Remembering the late, great Don Hansen.

This week, I was very saddened to adjourn our Board of Supervisors meeting in memory of my dear friend, Don Hansen of San Clemente, who passed away January 5 at the age of 87.

Don was highly respected across the state for his experience, wisdom and leadership in the fishing industry, and spent his life advocating for the public’s ability to experience the ocean.

Don founded Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching in 1971 in Dana Point Harbor, and before he retired, a fleet of 17 vessels had given countless people the unique opportunity of a day on the water.

Over the years, Don served as chairman of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council and as a commissioner for the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Presenting a well-deserved commendation to Don Hansen.

Most recently, he was vice president of the Sportfishing Association of California and in October, the Coastal Conservation Association of California awarded him its highest honor, the 2021 Anthony Hsieh Conservation Award, in recognition of his decades of work and dedication to improving California’s sportfishing industry and making angling accessible to everyone.

Don’s first love affair with the ocean began shortly after 1938, when his family moved to San Clemente. As a young boy, he worked on the pier, first helping fishermen haul in their takes with his red wooden wagon and later as a deckhand.

At 18, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard just before the Korean War. He served for four years, two of them stationed in Guam. When he got out of the service, he landed a job working for San Clemente Sportfishing. In 1966, he took over the company, taking out 10,000 people every season from the San Clemente Pier on four different boats.

At a groundbreaking ceremony with Don Hansen.

Don saw an opportunity and decided to start taking students out to study the ocean wildlife. When Dana Point Harbor opened in 1971, Don moved his operation there, starting with four boats.

Dana Point was soon recognized as the West Coast capital of whale watching, and as interest grew, Don founded the Dana Point Festival of Whales, which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, and this year the Festival will rightly be dedicated in his honor.

Don Hansen’s business was Dana Point Harbor’s first when it opened in 1971. And I remember his keen interest in its revitalization, which was finally approved in 2018 after nearly two decades of discussion.

Don Hansen with his daughter, Donna Kalez.

I really enjoyed chatting with Don about the harbor project and he would say, ‘Is the revitalization going to start sometime in my lifetime? When we hired the team (Dana Point Harbor Partners), Don was all smiles because he knew the harbor revitalization project would be a reality.

I will miss his smile and laugh, and him just being good-natured about things. He took things in stride and truly loved the sportfishing business his family had built and the positive impact it had on the city and community at large.

Don is survived by his children, David, Michael, Jeff, Donna, Jane, and Jenifer; and 15 grandchildren. May he Rest in Peace.

Don Hansen - Rest in Peace

Remembering Tristan (Tris) Krogius

I was also saddened to adjourn our Board meeting this week in memory of Tristan (Tris) Krogius of Dana Point, who passed away peacefully on December 30. He was 88.

Tris, father to former Congresswoman Mimi Walters, was born in Finland and emigrated to New York with his mother, a U.S. citizen, and his brother in 1939 as a refugee from the Russian invasion of Finland.  His father remained in Finland until after the end of WW2 when he joined his family in Brooklyn. 

Tris graduated from the Choate School and received a B.A. from the University of New Mexico in 1954, which he attended on an NROTC scholarship.  He then served on active duty as a Marine Corps officer from 1954-1960.  While a sophomore at UNM, he gave his Phi Delta Theta Fraternity pin to a young freshman, Barbara Brophy of New Rochelle, NY, and in 1952, at the height of the Korean War, the couple eloped the day before Tris had to report back to UNM.

Following Tris’s graduation and commissioning, their first child, Ferril, was born at Camp Pendleton on Tris’s birthday in 1956 with a son, Lars, following in 1957 in New Rochelle while Barbara was awaiting orders to join Tris in Morocco where the family had a wonderful extended tour during which a daughter, Karin, was born. 

On the family’s return to the U.S., Tris resigned from active duty and began his business career as a salesman in Los Angeles for Scott Paper Co.  He then progressed to president of Hunt-Wesson Foods of Canada, Ltd.  The family, by now having added Eric, Mimi and Becky moved to Ontario where they planned and began construction of their dream home in Monarch Bay Terrace in hope of returning to California. 

Two years later that came about with a new assignment as president of the H-W Frozen & Refrigerated Foods division in Fullerton in 1971.  They moved into their new home and have kept it for the past 50 years as their family homestead.

Tris was active in community affairs, was a past Board President and C.E.O. of South Coast Medical Center (now Providence Mission Hospital) and was a director of numerous other non-profit organizations. 

Tris Krogius (back center) with fellow members of Taxpayers for Responsible Planning.

Tris also served as legal and financial chair of Taxpayers for Responsible Planning which was a leading force in defeating the El Toro commercial airport plan.  

Tris is survived by his wife, Barbara, of 69 years, his six children:  Ferril, Tony, Karin, Eric, Mimi, and Becky; 19 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. May he Rest in Peace.

As part of my Fifth District Arts-Related Grant Program, I had the great pleasure last week of presenting ceremonial checks to major arts organizations in Laguna Beach that suffered significant financial distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. including a $100,000 check to the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts & Pageant of the Masters, which was forced to cancel it's entire 2020 summer season. This year the Festival of Arts celebrates its 90-year anniversary!  

Presenting a $100,000 check to David Perry, Board Chair of the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts.

I also was delighted to present a $50,000 ceremonial check to Laguna Playhouse, which was to celebrate its 100-year anniversary in 2020, when COVID-19 forced the theatre to cancel it's season, including its highly anticipated Centennial Gala.

L-R: Presenting a $50,000 check to Erin O'Flaherty and Ellen Richards of Laguna Playhouse, and Board Member Heidi Miller.

Lastly, I was pleased to present a $25,000 check to Laguna Arts Museum, where in 2018 I was honored to participate in its 100-year anniversary celebration and help cut the Centennial Cake. Congratulations to all the winners of my Fifth District Arts-Related Grant Program!

L-R: At Laguna Art Museum, presenting a $25,000 check to Executive Director Julie Perlin Lee and Board Chairman Joe Hanauer.

Last month, my office was pleased to once again participate as one of the judges for the 46th Annual Dana Point Harbor Boat Parade of Lights, featuring dozens of boats beautifully adorned in holiday regalia with a distinctive FIESTA theme, along with other local dignitaries on the “Judge Float.” 

L-R: On the Judge Float with Dana Point Mayor Joe Muller, Kelly Rinderknecht (GM, The Marina at Dana Point), my Community Relations Advisor Sergio Prince, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Frost, and Ralph Grippo (Principal, Bellwether Financial Group).

The judging consisted of various categories, including Best Overall, Fantastically Fiesta, Most Original, and Best Use of Lights / Music / Animation, which all came with a $1,000 cash prize for the winner and $500 for the runners-up. Other awards included the People’s Choice, selected by the public from the Dana Point Harbor’s Instagram, Holiday Spirit, Best Powerboat, Best Sailboat, Best Under 30’, the Mayor’s Cup, and The Spirit of OC Award, which was selected by my office.

STELLA - Winner of The Spirit of OC Award!

My award, The Spirit of OC Award, was bestowed to the vessel I considered as "the little boat who could," doing the most to compete with the larger boats. To that end, I was pleased to attend the Fiesta Boat Parade Awards Dinner last week to present The Spirit of OC Award to the boat "STELLA," owned by Wendy & Lee Gleich. 

At the Fiesta Boat Parade Award Dinner, announcing the winner of The Spirit of OC Award, "STELLA."

Congratulations to all of the award winners for 46th Annual Dana Point Harbor Fiesta Boat Parade of Lights, and a big thank you to all the boats that participated in this beloved annual event!

Presenting The Spirit of OC Award to Wendy & Lee Gleich, owners of STELLA. 

This week, I was pleased to present a certificate of recognition to Inka Mama's in San Clemente, where the Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of their new location in the Old Town Plaza. Inka Mama's is a favorite place amongst friends and family looking for a uniquely delicious dining experience in an authentic Peruvian atmosphere! Please join me in welcoming Inka Mama's to the Old Town Plaza in San Clemente!

Presenting a commendation to Inka Mama's at their new location in the Old Town Plaza in San Clemente.

My office was also pleased to present a certificate of recognition to Pokeworks in Ladera Ranch, where the Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony this week. Guests will surely appreciate Pokeworks' outstanding commitment to consistently serving delicious Hawaiian-inspired poke made with only the highest quality ingredients! Please join me in welcoming Pokeworks to Ladera Ranch!

My Community Relations Advisor, Sergio Prince, presenting a commendation at the ribbon cutting for Pokeworks in Ladera Ranch.

The OC Health Care Agency continues to release daily COVID-19 case counts in Orange County. As of today, HCA is reporting 430,675 positive cumulative cases and 5,921 deaths to date, as well as 1,154 currently hospitalized with 171 in ICU.

My Board colleagues and I approved the launch of the OC Health Care Agency’s (HCA) 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.

The program provides an opportunity for community members to nominate collaboratives, volunteers and other organizations (especially smaller groups in hard-to-reach communities) for an opportunity to earn a coordination fee of $20 for every individual who receives either their first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (with a preferred minimum of 50 individuals registered per event). The program’s $4.5 million in funding is made available from the State of California’s Government Operations Agency.

Through the Vaccine Equity Engagement Program, HCA will oversee the criteria for organizations to host clinics, provide them with public health messaging resources to help them promote their events and communicate the importance of the vaccine to their community members, and collaborate with them on innovative ideas to increase engagement with residents such as donation and gift matching opportunities.

Interested organizations will be able to sign up to participate in this program and host vaccine clinics in partnership with HCA through the Mobile Vaccine Service feature on the Othena platform. Additionally, the Othena platform now offers a new feature for any eligible individual who has scheduled a vaccination appointment to request free roundtrip rides to their appointment. They can now log in to Othena.com or the smartphone app to request a ride to their appointment (residents are encouraged to request rides 3 to 5 days in advance and rides are subject to availability).

To sign up for the Vaccine Engagement Program and host a community clinic, interested organizations can click here.

Individuals looking to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment or complete their second dose can do so by visiting Othena.com or calling the OC COVID-19 Hotline at (714) 834-2000. For additional information on free or discounted rides to vaccination appointments, please visit the Lyft or Uber websites. For more information and resources on the COVID-19 vaccine in Orange County, click here.

The Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) launched a feature on the Othena platform, which streamlines the process for any interested individuals, groups, employers and businesses to request an onsite, mobile COVID-19 vaccination service.

To begin the application process, individuals can visit the Mobile Vaccine Service section of the Othena website or smartphone app and provide the following intake details:

• Name of the organization or group 
• Primary point of contact 
• Estimated number of patients at event (at least 50 preferred)
• Ability to register patients ahead of time
• Ability to supply a climate-controlled location 
• Preferred day(s) of the week

Once the application has been submitted, HCA will assign a dedicated Community Liaison to work directly with the primary point of contact to engage in a collaborative planning process. 

Additionally, the Mobile Vaccine Service feature enables community members who are homebound and meet specific criteria (or their caretakers) to schedule at-home vaccinations. To learn more, please visit Othena.com, call the OC COVID-19 Hotline at (714) 834-2000, or see the flyer below.

Click the image above to enlarge.

Orange County parents and legal guardians of minors ages 12 to 15 can now schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment or walk-in to County of Orange Point-of-Dispensing (POD) sites offering Pfizer. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the Pfizer vaccine’s Emergency Use Authorization to allow administration for 12 to 15-year-olds, following clinical trials that proved it safe for this age group with only non-serious side effects like fatigue and headache.

Subsequently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine safety review panel and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommended that the vaccine is safe and highly effective in protecting this age group against COVID-19. 

Individuals who would like to receive the Pfizer vaccine for themselves or their children ages 12 and older can do so through:

• A Primary Care provider or Pediatrician with whom your children or family is already familiar
• Pharmacies
• Visiting myturn.ca.gov
• Visiting othena.com - If further assistance is needed with selecting a site, scheduling, or arranging for transportation to and from the site, community members can call HCA’s OC COVID-19 Hotline at (714) 834-2000
• Walking-in to a County POD site that is administering the Pfizer vaccine

For more information, click here.

As previously reported, everyone ages 16 and over in Orange County is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Parental consent is required for youth under 18; however, they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to receive the vaccine. If you have not already done so, be sure to get register with Othena ahead of time to ensure your place in the virtual waiting queue.  

People within the eligible groups are strongly encouraged to register now with Othena to receive a vaccination from the County. Once registered, they will be placed in the virtual waiting room with other individuals who are already eligible within the State’s guidelines. Appointments are dependent on vaccine supply. As the County receives more vaccines, more appointments will open in Othena. 

For more information on COVID-19 vaccine resources in Orange County, including this weekend's POD schedule, click here. 

Please be aware that there are more channels of distribution other than the County where people can get a vaccine. For more information on where you can find appointments through other medical providers and local pharmacies, visit vaccinefinder.org.   

Testing continues to be a main priority of our COVID-19 efforts. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, or if your employer is requiring testing as a part of their business reopening plan, the County offers FREE testing to all of our residents. 

There are many options for testing, including our County Super Sites, testing kiosks located at various locations throughout the County (including Laguna Woods, Laguna Niguel, and Mission Viejo in the 5th District), and even at home tests that can be delivered to you and mailed to the lab for processing.

While many of you are at home working or self-isolating and spending more time on the internet, thieves are taking advantage of this situation and coming up with new and innovative ways to separate you from your money. Now is a good time to educate yourself on the various ploys used by scammers for COVID-19.

If you lost a loved one to COVID-19, you may be eligible for a government program that pays for funeral expenses. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will pay up to $9,000 for funeral expenses for loved ones who died of COVID-19. Survivors can apply for benefits by contacting FEMA, toll-free, at 844-684-6333. To find out if you qualify, read FEMA’s Funeral Assistance FAQs.

Unfortunately, FEMA reports that scammers are contacting people and pretending to offer to register them for assistance. To avoid those scams, here are some tips:

• FEMA will not contact you until you call or apply for assistance.
• The government won’t ask you to pay anything to get this benefit. 
• Don’t give your own or your deceased loved one’s personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.

If you think you got a scam call, hang up and report it to the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

A recorded webinar on financial protection of older adults during the COVID pandemic was recently held and is available for on-demand viewing. The webinar included a panel discussion of experts from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Health and Human Services (HHS).

If you are behind on your mortgage, beware of mortgage relief scams. There is free foreclosure help. If anyone tries to charge you in advance for help or guarantees they can stop your foreclosure, they’re not legitimate. The CFPB has information on how you can avoid foreclosure and tips for working with your mortgage servicer. For more information on COVID housing protections and important deadlines, click here.

Challenges COVID-19 has brought include a higher risk of identity theft. In 2020, the FTC received about 1.4 million reports of identity theft, double the number from 2019. Repeatedly, identity thieves targeted government funds earmarked to help people hard hit financially by the pandemic. 

During the pandemic, we’re doing more online – working, connecting with family and friends, shopping, and banking. If something goes wrong with your device, you want to fix it right away. Scammers are preying on this, offering phony tech support services. Here’s what you should know about tech support scams.

Be on the lookout for fake calls, texts, and emails, as scammers are pretending to be Social Security Agency employees. They may threaten you and demand immediate payment to avoid arrest or other legal action. Do not be fooled!

Additionally, a large-scale coronavirus scam has erupted, as impostors are filing claims for unemployment benefits using names of people who have not filed claims. Victims learn about the fraud when they get a notice from their state unemployment benefits office or employer about their supposed application for benefits.

Sadly, people exploiting older adults are often family members or other trusted people who are handling the financial affairs of an incapacitated parent, relative or friend. As such, caregivers and assisted living and nursing facilities can also work together to help protect elderly residents from financial exploitation, both during the pandemic and after life returns to a new normal.

Lastly, if you’re having trouble paying your rent during the coronavirus pandemic, there are relief options and protections available for many renters. Additionally, through the California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program, both income-eligible renters who experienced pandemic related financial hardships, or landlords who experienced income loss due to unpaid rent, are eligible for financial assistance.

As the spread and far reaching impacts of COVID-19 continue to dominate the world news, we have all witnessed and experienced the parallel spread of worry, anxiety, and uncertainty. The way to overcome this natural tendency is to build our mental resilience, the ability to refocus, clear our minds, and discard negative thoughts.

Here's what you can do...

1) Remember that knowledge is power. Understanding the factors that affect a person’s immune response to COVID-19 will matter as much as, or more than, understanding the virus. There is great information available on the Orange County Health Care Agency's What You Feel is Real webpage.

2) Don’t accept everything you read or hear. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information and frequent updates on the COVID-19’s spread, severity, risk assessment, etc., on the CDC's website.

3) Get your emotional support system in place:

• Maintain familiar routines in daily life as much as possible; take care of your basic needs and employ helpful coping strategies; rest during work or between shifts, eat healthy food and engage in physical activity.
• Stay connected with friends and family, even virtually connected, and maintain your social networks.
• Have the emails and phone numbers of close friends and family handy.

4) Take control, incorporate preventative measures:

• See the CDC’s list of preventative measures.
• The constant stream of news reports can cause anyone to feel anxious or distressed. Instead, seek updates and practical guidelines at intervals during the day.
• Be supportive to others. Assisting others in their time of need can benefit the person receiving support as well as the helper.

If you or a loved one are feeling anxiety, worry or fear related to the social disruption caused by COVID-19, you can also reach out to these resources for support:

• Call (855) OC-LINKS or visit the OC Links website Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM to talk or chat with a trained clinical navigator.
• The NAMI Warmline is also here to provide non-crisis support for anyone struggling with mental health concerns Monday through Friday from from 9 AM to 3 AM, and Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 3 AM. Call (877) 910-WARM or visit www.namioc.org.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Download the NAMI HelpLine Coronavirus Information and Resources Guide
• American Psychological Association (APA) ‘Building Your Resilience’

South OC Cars and Coffee is the world’s largest weekly car show, held every Saturday from 9 AM to 11 AM at Outlets at San Clemente, 101 W Avenida Vista Hermosa, attracting a mix of 1500-3500 plus hyper-cars, supercars, exotics, vintage, classic, muscle and sports cars, hot rods, rat rods, pickups, 4x4s and motorcycles. No registration is required. Spectators are welcome and meet every Saturday, rain or shine! For more information, click here or on the image below.

Click the image above for more information.

As previously reported, I'm pleased to have relaunched the Nutrition Gap Program. Food insecurity continues to be a major challenge for many residents, as people struggle to get back on their feet and keep food on the table. The goal is to satisfy the continued demand for nutritious food and bridge the gap between hunger and the next meal.

The $2 million dollar program is being funded by the America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and is available to residents living in my district. Priority will be given to those experiencing food insecurity due to age/disability, economic status, lack of familial or community support, lack of access to available resources, and those who have military service.

Enrollment is now open and, to make it as easy as possible for people to enroll in the program, we have three options by which they can enroll.

• Online by visiting: https://fdngp.211oc.org/
• Call 2-1-1
• Text their Zip Code to 898211

Program Details:

• Coordinated through the Office on Aging in partnership with 2-1-1 Orange County.
• Provides twice-weekly deliveries, via DoorDash, of restaurant-quality meals directly to participant’s homes.
• Each Monday, participants receive three fresh lunches and three fresh dinners.
• Each Thursday, they receive three fresh lunches, three fresh dinners, one frozen lunch, and one frozen dinner.

Restaurants participating in the program include:

• Ruby’s Diner
• Bella Collina
• Villa Roma
• Bamboo Bistro

For those of you who may have missed any of my previous Fifth District Dispatch newsletters, featuring up-to-date COVID-19 facts and other information pertinent to South County, click here. 

Thank you so much for your outstanding and continuing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Orange County, as we're all in this together!