OC teens and founders of The Give Back Group find inspiration and community in donating face masks and food in a time of great need. Three hundred pounds of pasta may seem like a lot, even by COVID-hoarding standards. But for Sage Hill High School sophomores Ingrid Luo and Eleni Engelbrecht, it was just a […]
Serving the Community
Chef John Park pays it forward with donations to charities and jobs to veterans, addicts and the homeless. Toast Kitchen + Bakery is a new-age diner known for culinary creations like Orange Fried Chicken with Black Sesame Waffle and Taro Blueberry Pie. The Costa Mesa eatery opened in 2018 and while Toast’s Chef John Park […]
Cool to Be Kind
Local mom creates book systems teaching kids that success is built on character. Being a mother doesn’t come with a handbook. So Danielle LaBriola, mother of two, decided to write her own book. A series of them, actually. Her book series, Crafting Character, is a five-trait system of books with accompanying interactive plushies that help […]
Young Hero of Today
A 16-year-old Irvine resident endeavors to help save the planet through her video work at the Environmental Nature Center. Emma Zebrowski is passionate about two things: filmmaking and the environment. So when the 16-year-old Irvine resident heard about a video internship with the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, she was delighted. “It was the […]
From One Hero to Another
Local pastor, diagnosed with brain cancer, completes Ironman for his daughter, Hero. On a warm Friday morning in October, 39-year-old Jay Hewitt is at the starting line for the Ironman Triathlon. Organized by the World Triathlon Competition, Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run. Races are held […]
Young Entrepreneur Moving the Needle for Change
A 17-year-old Anaheim resident and crocheter balances her desire for change with her passion for entrepreneurship. Sometimes, when Graciela Grande is crocheting, her hands get tired and start to hurt. She doesn’t mind. “I like the results,” says Grande. “I like the fulfillment you feel when [you] can see the effort you put into the […]
Mom Power— Giving Birth to Premature Twins During the Pandemic
Local nurse becomes a patient and a mother in the midst of COVID-19. Becoming a working mom is hard enough. Being a nurse is hard enough. Life during the pandemic has been hard enough. Melissa Leite pulled off something like the modern mom hat trick, giving birth to twins at the hospital she works in […]
Building Community
OC Girl Scouts help create dialogue between local police departments and the Muslim community. Trust is a big issue. And there just wasn’t enough of it toward local police in the Anaheim and Cypress communities three Girl Scouts lived in. One side not knowing much about the other leads to miscommunication. Misconceptions. That leads to […]
11-year-old Sells Candy to Raise Money for Black Lives Matter
In the midst of unrest and uncertainty, there’s also hope and inspiration. Nathan Contreras got a powerful lesson about racism in third grade. And it wasn’t from a book. One day, when he tried to defend a couple of kids new to his school and new to the country, another kid tried to strangle him. […]
Helping Health Care Workers With Self-Care
A Ladera Ranch Girl Scout troop made kits for frontline workers with wellness in mind. Making the world a better place is a challenge on a normal day. How do you make it better during a global pandemic? Troop 3743 has an answer. The Ladera Ranch Girl Scout troop would be an otherwise pretty normal […]
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