A True Warrior
Local mom Vanessa Warrior helps children with developmental delays improve their gross motor skills while offering hope to families…
Inspiring OC Community Leaders
Highlighted as the ones who lift people up and strive to create a better community- they are our local heroes.
Editor's Picks
Teddy Bear Hugs
This Tesoro High teen with scoliosis gives support and teddy bears to others like her…
Dad on a Mission
A local dad turns tragedy into teaching and helps other dads become the best they can be…
Recent Articles
Business in Detail
An Orange County nonprofit teaches children how to become entrepreneurial leaders through the work of auto detailing. You might look at a dirty car and see a mess that needs to be taken care of. Kevin Jones sees a blank canvas. An opportunity to bring back its shine through auto detailing. “When people come out, and you see a smile on their face, it puts a smile on my face as well,” he says. He looks at today’s youth similarly: as a blank canvas he can fill with practical knowledge to help them advance in life and avoid falling into...
Difference Maker
Matthew Kenslow, a Costa Mesa man with autism spectrum disorder raises awareness and inspires children as a teacher, volunteer, social media star and juggler.
Planting Change
A Huntington Beach student leads a beautification project to bring some vibrancy back to her high school. Pauline Blumenkrantz finds power…
A True Warrior
Local mom Vanessa Warrior helps children with developmental delays improve their gross motor skills while offering hope to families…
Rescue Therapy
(Photo courtesy of FarmHouse Rescue) Danielle Judd during storytime at the chicken coop on the farm. Children can tune in to live cameras through the farm's Smile Club program. A local mom founds a nonprofit that saves animals and brings healing to others after her own near-death experience. Danielle Judd is the first to tell you: She. Is. Exhausted. Not that you’d ever guess hearing about her days of juggling three kids ages 6, 7 and 18, 10s of volunteers and 60-plus farm animals in her front and backyard while still finding time for her husband and side projects. But,...
Nature Explorer
Fran Howard (far left) leading a family hike.(Photo courtesy of Irvine Ranch Conservancy) An Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteer works to keep kids engaged with nature through local family hikes. The wild mysteries are everywhere. The young nature detectives are on the case. Armed with a magnifying glass and photos, they’re out to find and identify Orange County’s native plants and creatures. Guiding their adventures and curating their interest in the outdoors is Fran Howard, a volunteer with Irvine Ranch Conservancy who has been leading local family hikes for more than a decade. IRC manages about 30,000 acres of land, most...
Trash Talk
(Photo Courtesy of Adelaide Price Elementary) A group of Anaheim elementary students are learning the value of garbage — and composting. Thursday mornings are busy — even before school starts at Adelaide Price Elementary. The Recycling Club line up in their green shirts, standing with a pair of large yellow trashcans and a banner that reads: Recycle Thursday! Help heal the Earth. The message gets through. A steady flow of people and cars move by, dropping off plastic bottles and aluminum cans as the group chants: “Who recycles? We recycle! What do we recycle? Bottles and cans. Bottles and cans.”...
Soul Food
(Photo Courtesy of Bracken's Kitchen) Local chef Bill Bracken took hardship and transformed it as a way to feed those in need in Orange County. It all started in 2011 when the recession was at its worst. Chef Bill Bracken lost his long-lived career cooking for the Four Seasons Hotel and found himself starting over again like many others throughout the country. “I watched a lot of really good people lose their jobs, and I believe God was calling me to do something about it,” says Bracken. That’s when Bracken’s Kitchen was born. Calling themselves a “for impact company,” Bracken’s...
Teddy Bear Hugs
This Tesoro High teen with scoliosis gives support and teddy bears to others like her…
Dreaming Large in the Front Yard
(Photo Courtesy of Ralph Palumbo) An Aliso Viejo family embodies community spirit and fun with their annual Halloween display. The Stanleys’ front yard became national news in 2021. Probably because it was the only one with the pirate ship from Pirates of the Caribbean in it. Quite a way to celebrate Halloween, but it was also the kind of thing they’d been doing for years. Aliso Viejo’s Mike Stanley has always loved Halloween. He loves “the imagery, the artwork,” and that “everyone has the fun communal spirit” of the holiday. And it led him into making Halloween more than a...
Bee Heroes
The Queen Bees from left to right: Lynntram Nguyen, Ashley Nguyen, Katie Nguyen, Lilian Doan A group of Westminster High School teens have developed an innovative product to help save the bees. The buzz about honey bees is not good. Declining bee populations are costing the U.S. economy billions, and creating another stress factor for the environment. But a group of high school students in a forward-looking science program used a combination of cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned heart to try and solve a crisis. They call themselves the Queen Bees. Westminster High School’s Lynntram Nguyen, Katie Nguyen, Ashley Nguyen and...
Sharing Strength
(Photo Courtesy of Kyle Desean Johnson) Meymuna Hussein-Cattan creates a space for refugees through her Santa Ana-based organization, The Tiyya Foundation. For many years Meymuna Hussein-Cattan felt invisible, with no place to tell her story. And what a story it is. Survival. Starting over in a new world. Paving the way for her family — all thousands of miles from her birthplace. “There’s no way to talk about it. You either hide it or you only speak out if you need help,” said Hussein-Cattan, who was born in an Ethiopian refugee camp in Somalia and came to the U.S. in...
Giving Back Big
Local teen honored for her extreme dedication to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Natalia Leon wasn’t sure she had enough to offer young kids who could benefit from extra guidance. After all, the Santa Ana resident was 15 at the time and still growing up herself. Fast-forward three years and not only has she been a successful mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire, her efforts and dedication earned her the title of High School Big Sister of the Year and a college scholarship. “Both of her Littles were greatly impacted by Natalia’s...
Dad on a Mission
A local dad turns tragedy into teaching and helps other dads become the best they can be…
Tutor Help
Katherine Dang is a local college student helping kids experiencing homelessness through education…
Service Through Sight
(Dr. Ashish Mehta operating in Bidada, Kutch, Gujarat in January 2020/Photo Courtesy of Asha Mehta) An Orange County pediatric ophthalmologist helps children here and abroad by supporting their vision in every way he can. Dr. Ashish Mehta will take a crying, uncooperative child over an adult patient any day. “I like the innocence of a child. I like the ability that I can impact someone’s life not just for the next 10, 15, 20 years, but that I can potentially impact it for the next 75, 80, 90 years,” says the pediatric ophthalmologist, who is a father himself of two...
Building Hope
A former breast cancer patient turns diagnosis into dignity while helping other women. Allie Bertocchini sat in her Coto de Caza home, uncomfortably waiting for the news. That October day in 2019 was not a good one. But it was a turning point. And a chance to actually make things better. “I kind of thought it was going to be cancer,” Bertocchini says, “and I was terrified.” Her instinct was right. She was told she had breast cancer. But it didn’t seem to fit with her life, or what she thought it was. She was raising three sons, was their...
The Wish Granter
(Gloria Jetter Crockett with wish kid Vivian, and Mike Hamilton from Brother. Vivian’s wish was to donate school supplies and a new sound system to her classmates at New Hope Elementary School. Vivian was surprised with a MacBook Pro from Make-A-Wish OCIE and Brother/ Photo Courtesy of Make-A-Wish Orange County & Inland Empire) Make-A-Wish OCIE President Gloria Jetter Crockett fulfills her own passion for giving by granting wishes to critically ill children. Gloria Jetter Crockett found her dream job in making others’ dreams come true. “It’s so fulfilling to know that you’ve helped a child feel joy,” said the Santa...
A Sweet Life
Mom, social worker and entrepreneur Kimberly Luu taps her social network to help others…
Popsicle Therapy
A local teen has discovered a way to help ease his stress, and that of others his age — popsicles. Austin Parker is melting away stress and anxiety one popsicle at a time, and others are eating it up. The 17-year-old Trabuco Canyon resident got into popsicle making in spring 2020, around the time COVID-19 lockdowns started. Like many of his peers, the Santa Margarita Catholic High School student found himself stressed and anxious about virtual learning, isolation and all the unknowns of the pandemic world. Not a great combination for someone who admits to getting easily stressed in general. ...
Local Hero : Paddle Passion
(Photo Courtesy of Myles McBride) This entrepreneurial Tustin teen gives back through his love of pickleball. Like many boys his age, Myles McBride is into sports. The latest? Pickleball, which he was first introduced to about five years ago and started playing regularly last year when courts opened up near his Tustin home. The relatively new but growing sport combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, and can be played as doubles or singles. “It’s really fun. It’s fast-paced, and it’s a great way to meet a bunch of people and to make friends,” said McBride, who is a freshman...
Local Hero : A Pirate’s Tale
(Photo by Jacob Larson) A local teen gives back to his community in a very unique way come the Halloween season … and it involves pirates. People will drive an hour just to tour Jacob Larson’s front yard. Every October, its glowing green mist and maritime horror story lights up the T intersection of their street in Orange. Visitors love it. Neighbors have embraced it. Jacob has grown up with it. Together, Jacob and his dad, Dave, share a unique passion: They’re home haunters. Every fall, just as the school year is getting underway, Jacob is also helping his dad...
Rhythm Service
Learn how Orange County Music & Dance has served both children and veterans with the healing powers of music throughout the pandemic…
To the Rescue!
(Photo by A Future Superhero And Friends) Local juvenile correctional officer spends his free time bringing superheroes to life to put smiles on faces of all ages. Not all heroes wear capes. Some, like Yuri Williams, wear a Deadpool costume. Williams is the founder of A Future Superhero And Friends, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that allows him to visit the elderly, veterans, the homeless and ill children dressed as Deadpool, SpiderMan, The Mandalorian and even a Stormtrooper. The Orange County Deputy Juvenile Correctional officer was inspired to start A Future Superhero And Friends after going through one of the most challenging...
Optimism Crusaders
Irvine mom battling cancer is on a mission to pay-it-forward while moving forward with her 10-year-old daughter by her side…
Dr. Dad
(Dr. Monty Pal and family) City of Hope’s Dr. Monty Pal shares his love of science with the community and passion for music with his kids. According to Dr. Monty Pal, one of the greatest things about being a father is sharing your interests with your children. “I really love that the passions I have are being handed down to the kiddos,” says the oncologist. And Pal has some pretty exciting passions to hand down. He lives in Brea with his 8-year-old son, Aarav, 6-year-old daughter, Aria, and his wife, Reena, where the family shares in his love of teaching...
The Two Masketeers
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 fraction of what their charity was able to collect to feed hungry families in Orange County. Besides the abundance of spaghetti, rigatoni, penne and bowtie pasta, The Give Back Group, made up of Luo, Engelbrecht and other Sage Hill students, managed to collect an impressive...
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 is passionate about comfort food with a twist, he is also passionate about paying it forward. “It is Toast’s mission to serve delicious quality dishes while also giving back to the community,” says Park. Toast not only donates 10 percent of proceeds to varied organizations,...
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 cultivate the best character from kids. “I struggled to conceive my ‘miracle babies’ so I went all-in trying to be a perfect parent,” says LaBriola. Living in Coto de Caza with her 11-year-old twins, Jack and Scarlett, LaBriola says she planned amazing adventures for her...
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 perfect combination of the two things I love most,” says Zebrowski. And combining her two favorite things has earned her recognition from Youth Service America as an Everyday Young Hero Award recipient. “The first video I created for ENC was a video that played at...
From One Hero to Another
Local pastor, diagnosed with brain cancer, completes Ironman for his daughter, Hero…
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 project and then seeing the result.” She is also motivated by the fact that with each beautifully crocheted, bohemian-style bralette or halter top she makes, she is making a difference. The Anaheim resident sells the tops on her Instagram account (@gracys.crochet.tops) with a portion of...
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 during a pandemic. You may applaud if you like. As a nurse at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital, she’s worked in various departments, so she understands the value of preparedness. But there are only so many things you can plan for. “Nothing was normal with our...
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 problems. The solution was simple if someone was just willing to get people together. Dana and Jumana Mussa, and Nahar Said were working on their Girl Scout Silver Award and had an idea. The three teens were members of Troop 3408, an all-age Girl Scout...
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. A grade earlier, Nathan had learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He learned about King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech and learned about King’s huge impact on making the country a better place. It had a lasting impact on Nathan as well. “My...
Helping Health Care Workers With Self-Care
[caption id="attachment_36337" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Troop member Zaleeya Dhalla[/caption] 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 group of 11- and 12-year-old girls but for one exception. “Our troop has two moms who are nurses in the community, which we believe makes us unique,” says troop leader Zeena Dhalla. The distinction gave troop members...
Supporting the Frontline
[caption id="attachment_36047" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Kyle Vallone wearing one of his face shields / Courtesy of Kyle Vallone[/caption] A Tesoro High School student turns 3D printing into a lifesaving resource for frontline workers. The effects of the pandemic took hold quickly. But as the disease sickened and killed people, shut down businesses and closed schools, the frontline workers stayed on. Even with parts of his junior year in high school thrown into limbo, Kyle Vallone was worried about them. He just wanted to help, so Vallone partnered with his school district’s career technical education director and Lake Forest-based company MatterHackers and...
From Survivor to Philanthropist
An Aliso Viejo second-grader and leukemia survivor helps make a wish list for other kids fighting cancer. Bodhi Boul arrived for her first day of second grade at Oak Grove Elementary a little late. Actually, by about a month. When she arrived, the principal was waiting for her. Along with the school dog. Also, a big sign welcoming her back. Bodhi was thrilled to see it all, because she’d just beaten leukemia. It had been a long year, and getting back to being a normal kid was great, but Bodhi hadn’t forgotten the kids still in the hospital. The kids...
Aaron Cassaro, CEO of The All-American Boys Chorus
All-American Boys Chorus’ CEO continues giving the gift of song through the organization that gave so much to him. The All-American Boys Chorus is a lot like a song. One of those songs that has a light, catchy melody, but the lyrics carry a sly message. Below all the catchy harmonies, the objective of the chorus is as much about making leaders as it is about making singers. You figure that out pretty quickly talking to those who’ve been a part of it for a few years. And it’s a quality carried from chorus members right up to the boss....
Viren Mehta is Helping Revive and Reinvigorate Civics in America
An Oxford Academy teen is working to save the planet — and civics — with the help of a new fellowship. A common complaint heard lately is that schools aren’t teaching — and kids aren’t learning —civics anymore. Viren Mehta is spending this school year proving it is very much alive and, could have a bright future. Mehta, a student at Cypress’ Oxford Academy, is one of just 12 students from around the country to win the inaugural Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship, a year-long program exploring not only how to make civics more inclusive and relevant to Americans, but...
Daniel Barrett, Giving the Gift of Giving
[caption id="attachment_34213" align="aligncenter" width="338"] Photo courtesy of Kids Give to Kids[/caption] Anaheim-resident Daniel Barrett is creating a way kids can give to kids in need. Daniel Barrett (pictured above) remembers his rough childhood all too well. Fortunately, he learned a few things from it and he insists it doesn’t have to be that way for every kid. While he’s not trying to change the world, he is trying to change one thing for kids: the power of giving. His charity, Kids Give to Kids, is based on those life lessons as well as his time as a Toys for Tots...
Sergeant Major Megan, Young Marine of the Year
Megan Lynch just wanted to do whatever her big brother was doing. But unlike most 9-year-olds, she joined her brother in the Young Marines. She’s followed. She’s led. She’s learned and given back. She’s also National Young Marine of the Year. Now 17 years old and a sergeant major in the Southeast County Young Marines, Lynch has been with the organization almost half her busy life and is grateful for every bit of it. “Each drill taught me something new,” says Lynch, of Fountain Valley. “Which I then wanted to spend more time learning, outside of drill.” She discovered a...
Luke Hatfield, Winner of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Mission Award
Newport Harbor High School student Luke Hatfield recently received Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Mission Award for his work with the organization. When Luke Hatfield got involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Student of the Year program, it was for his dad. “I didn’t even really know what I was getting into, but it was seven weeks of reaching out to people and asking for donations and setting up events to raise money and awareness. And I loved it. I had so much fun,” says the Newport Harbor High School student. Then he was approached a few months later...
Conor Quill and Miracles for Kids
Teenager Conor Quill began volunteering with Orange County-based Miracles for Kids in first grade, and he shows no signs of stopping. Christmas. Back to School. These are all times of excitement for families with young children. But they can also be times of stress, especially for families with young children who are battling serious illness. Which is why Miracles for Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of critically ill children and their families, implemented their Baskets of Miracles program. “We deliver baskets to the house of the children and their families,” explains Conor Quill, Miracles for Kids...
Grace Edwards, Teaching Seizure First Aid
This beauty pageant competitor is on a mission to educate the world about seizure first aid. When Miss California High School America, Grace Edwards, was just 7 years old she already had a couple beauty pageants under her belt. The La Palma Christian School student also had a pretty comprehensive knowledge of seizure first aid thanks to her epileptic younger cousin, Logan Verne. When Verne had a grand mal seizure at a local amusement park, young Edwards was disheartened by the reaction of the park-goers and staff. “Nobody knew what to do,” Edwards said. “The employees, the people around us,...
Elias Toscano Supporting Kids of All Needs with Music
Teaching growth, freedom and dignity with music, local musician Elias Toscano helps support kids of all needs. Music is in Elias Toscano’s blood. It’s like the rhythmic beat of a heart. From a young age, he understood the value of it in his own life and it’s a gift he likes to pass on. The long-time professional jazz drummer, producer and music teacher says music is of elemental importance to kids’ lives. “It’s a limbic, reptilian-brain thing. There was music in heaven before God created mankind.” Musically his goal is to “imprint” on kids rather than teach them, because “the...
Kristen Nguyen’s Human Trafficking Awareness
Kristen Nguyen wants the community to know human trafficking happens even in Orange County. Kristen Nguyen was a sophomore at San Juan Hills High School when she met her first human trafficking victim. During a 30-minute talk by Sharon Harrison, founder of Rescue One Foundation, Harrison revealed herself to be a former victim. Though Nguyen, co-president of the school’s International Justice Club, had helped organize the lunchtime event, the tale really struck the teen. And it sparked a big idea. “She pointed out this happens everywhere,” Nguyen says. “She told me a story that was powerful about being a girl...
Thomas Curran’s Walk Across the Country for Pediatric Cancer
Local chef Thomas Curran plans to walk across the country in the name of pediatric cancer research. Thomas Curran would never describe himself as an outdoorsy guy. “I love being in nature but I’m not an avid camper or hiker,” he says. Which is why it might be surprising that he will spend most of his 50th year on this earth walking across the United States with his rescue dog, Wink, while raising money for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. “Do my friends and family think it’s crazy? Of course they do—it is crazy!” he says, laughing. “But anyone who...
Dancing Doctor Tony Adkins
Physician’s Assistant Tony Adkins puts smiles on his young patients’ faces by busting out some dance moves. Tony Adkins never intended to go viral. More than a year ago Adkins, a physician’s assistant at CHOC Children’s, was trying to find a way to help boost the spirit of a young patient who had survived childhood leukemia but was now having to go through a series of neurological treatments and surgeries that left him and his family emotionally drained. “When I was a little kid, I used music and dance as a way of escaping. So I decided one day to...
Ryan Hickman, Recycling Entrepreneur
Nine-year-old Ryan Hickman is an entrepreneur with a passion for the environment. Ryan Hickman’s career as a recycling prodigy began with a crunch. A bunch of them, actually. It was the crunching sound of aluminum cans and plastic bottles being compacted at the re-Planet facility near his San Juan Capistrano home that caught his attention. “I don’t remember that much about going, but I liked putting my hand through the holes. And I liked the sound of the crunching,” Ryan says as he enthusiastically makes crunching sounds. He was hooked. Ryan was three years old at the time, still small...
Cris August: Ghost Hunter, People Helper
By day Cris August helps LGBTQ teens. By night he’s a paranormal detective. The theme that flows through Cris August’s life, whether in the darkness of a haunted house or a well-lit office, is about education. In daylight, he’s trying to educate potential employers on the virtues of hiring developmentally disabled adults, or he’s mentoring LGBTQ teens. At night, he uses a variety of special equip-ment and good old-fashioned logic to educate people about paranormal activity. August is the founder and director of OC Ghosts and Legends Tours & Events, an organization that hosts tours of sites long-deemed haunted, like...
Abused Dog, Patriot, is Now Therapist for Children
Patriot was three months old when Kevin Marlin (pictured with Patriot) first met the then-small Siberian husky puppy through a local rescue. “He was just a scrawny little guy,” said Marlin, who is executive director for Huntington Beach-based Orange County SPCA (OCSPCA) and its therapy dog program manager. The dog showed many signs of abuse—the most obvious being lacerations around his muzzle as if someone had wrapped the puppy’s mouth with some type of wiring. But Patriot’s story was just beginning. He was treated with antibiotics for infections and had surgery on his lower lips to seal up areas that...
Tim Reda, Surfing Inspiration
The tides may have changed for this Orange County professional longboarder and surfing instructor, but he continues to encourage himself and others to surf the waves. A man does not have to have children of his own flesh and blood to be considered a noble father figure, and Tim Reda is living proof. As a longtime surfing instructor, the 34-year-old professional surfer has trained, mentored, and motivated countless children throughout the Orange County community to face their fears and ride the waves of life – both literally and figuratively. Tim instructs at the Newport Beach Endless Sun Surf School, alongside...
Sharleen Loh
Charity STEMs from passion For the past five years, Sharleen Loh has worked tirelessly to make a remarkable impact on the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education for thousands of economically disadvantaged students throughout Southern California. Through her award-winning non-profit organization STEMup4Youth, Loh and her team of 140 high school volunteers, has created and developed over 100 hands-on activities for low-income children to learn and engage in the modern world of science and technology. Oh, and did we mention she’s only 17 years old? Motivated by her strong passion for science, Loh was barely a seventh grader when she...
Homelessness in OC
Although the common perception of Orange County centers around fabulous beaches, highly competitive schools, luxury cars and homes, idyllic parks and family recreation opportunities, there is another side to this often privileged environment. When we received a reader question about how to talk to your kids about homeless families and those less fortunate in our county, we thought it could serve as a starter to a larger conversation, while highlighting some local heroes in the process. Just Another Melodic Monday Lois Abrams lives her life by the words of Winston Churchill, “We make a living by what we get, but...
Michelle Wulfestieg
Her journey from stroke patient to hospice director happened “for a reason.” When Michelle Wulfestieg of Newport Beach suffered a catastrophic stroke at 25, she wasn’t surprised. She had been told a decade previously she might not see past young adulthood. Since the age of 11, the young woman faced strokes caused by an inoperable tumor clenched tightly to her brain. Although the intensity of that first stroke left the right side of her body paralyzed, Michelle was able to resume a normal life, finishing high school and attending college at Chapman University. One course required her to visit a...
Meet Monroe and Doting Dad, Jeff Lewis
Bravo TV's "Flipping Out" star, Jeff Lewis and partner Gage Edward have taken on their most ambitious, and challenging, project to date -- Fatherhood. Meet Monroe, the beautiful little girl who has stolen the hearts of her dads and soon, America. We chat with Jeff about how life has changed since Monroe's arrival, how he finds balance between business and baby, and about his own idyllic childhood growing up in OC. Jeff Lewis returns to his living room office from a quick jaunt to the nursery, Baby Monroe’s calls echoing out behind him. Addressing his team, a tightknit work family...
OC Yoga Mom & Son, Sahel Anvarinejad and Tabay Atkins
Dangling from the threads of an unraveling rope, Sahel Anvarinejad tried eating the right foods and taking on what mild exercise she could manage in order to help her endure the debilitating effects of chemotherapy for her non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. With no hair, appetite, or zest for life, this mother of one fought hard. On a recommendation from a friend, Sahel turned to yoga in order to boost her energy, healing, and hope. She could never guess this trial would lead to a future of helping others in her position, a lesson her child, too, would inherit. Six-year-old Tabay, Sahel’s son,...
Judiel Ennis
Saving Two Lives with One Swab “You’re a match!” Seeing the email in her inbox, Judiel Ennis wondered how she had landed on an online dating junkmail list. Happily married, the Foothills Ranch mom ignored the email. When a persistent unknown number began showing up on her phone days later, she noted the lack of a voicemail and decided the calls were a mistake as well. No alarms went off, time passed, and Judiel went on with life. Two years before the email and anonymous phone calls began, Judiel wandered past a room at her workplace where DKMS (a bone...
Jessica and Alejandra
Creating a Cycle of Good One day in 2010, Jessica Romley (pictured on left) sat sipping coffee with a friend, listening to a story that would change her path forever. Her friend shared her enthusiasm about being part of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County, and of the sweet girl she helped through their mentoring program. Remembering her own childhood mentors, coupled with the positive example of a solid work ethic and successful marriage bestowed on her by her parents, Jessica thought, “I can do that for someone else.” Jessica completed the necessary paperwork in order to become...
Anika Ortiz
Turning the Blues of Grief, Pink Anika Ortiz never imagined that she would be opening her own pop-up fashion boutique at the age of 11. Or that she would be a public speaker and vocal advocate against domestic violence at the age of 13. The surprise comes not only from the fact that she is incredibly young to have accomplished so much, but that as a child Anika often hid behind her mother’s knees because she was astonishingly shy. Her ability to command a crowd and her poise among adults and peers is surprising to those who have known her...
“I Will Make this World My World.”
Diagnosed with Sickle Cell at birth, Alyssa Simmons is on a crusade of compassion for sick children. A typical Saturday night for most teen girls might bounce between boys, bantering on social media, and blasting beats through their earbuds. However, Alyssa Simmons, Laguna Hills High School freshman, is not your typical teenager. Her weekends are spent selecting the next hospital to visit in order to lift the spirits of children suffering through illness and pain. Afterall, Alyssa can relate. At birth, Alyssa was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease, a chronic blood disorder which is extremely painful and incurable. She has...
Max Page
San Clemente Joy Maker Here come the holidays, and the glittering, vibrant cheer they bring. But the holidays are not just about families feeling joyful and exchanging gifts. They’re about sharing and caring for others, who are less fortunate, too. Because while many lucky children and their relatives think of the holidays as a warm, happy time, countless others all around are instead struggling to cope with illness, hospitalization, loneliness, poverty, homelessness, hunger or other serious difficulties. The generationOn Joy Maker Challenge (joymaker.generationon.org) is an effort aimed at engaging youth in volunteer service. To empower kids to feel twice as...
Alexandria Marshall
There are times when one’s goals align with a well-plotted life journey. And there are times when that path changes directions and life hand delivers something different. A visit to Camp Footprints, a place for children with disabilities and their families, put a young OC teen on the path to giving. Alex has always loved having a big sister. From an early age she knew that her big sister was unlike other big sisters. Courtney, who was born with Down syndrome, grew up watching her little sister sing, dance, and perform. Whether Alex was a lost lamb in a skit...
Mark Tenney: A Boy with a Bike
Woodbridge High School senior, Mark Tenney, had no idea that eavesdropping while washing the dinner dishes would change his life forever. One evening, Mark’s parents invited family friend, Tim Ballard, to dinner. As in most dinner conversations with people you don’t see often, “Tell us what you have been up to, Tim?” was the springboard to a story, one which tugged violently on the Irvine teen’s heartstrings. Mark, the third of four boys, listened to Ballard’s stories of rescue missions devoted solely to snatching kids out of sex trafficking rings and returning them to safety. Mark knew in an instant...
Scott Walker
Helps Parents Parent in a world of sexting and cyberbullying Protecting his most valuable treasure, his family, is a commitment Irvine’s Scott Walker takes seriously. When he saw signs of withdrawal and despair in his teen, the OC tech professional created and installed cell software to check deleted text messages. “I knew something was wrong and I couldn’t get a solution,” Walker said. He discovered his child, like so many others, was the target of digital bullying. After several attempts to find a program to help him retrieve deleted messages or to block messages failed, he created his own software...
Aaron and Evan Steed, Meatheads that Will Move You
By popular belief, the term “meathead” conjures up visions of an excessively muscular guy, who cannot spell “protein shakes”…but consumes them regularly. Aaron and Evan Steed, Founders/CEO of Meathead Movers (Santa Ana), have a new take on the term. Their moving company hires competent student athletes who are concerned with providing great customer service at a rapid pace to move families all over California. But their story has even more muscle behind it. While in high school, Aaron and his brother Evan needed a job that was both flexible and also fit with their sport schedules. They began letting their...
Jessie’s Joy Jars
‘Her hope was to muster a fragment of joy in the hearts of children’ In March of 2011, Erik Rees and his family suffered a devastating blow when his 11-year-old daughter Jessie was told her skewed vision was the result of two inoperable brain tumors (DIPG). As Jessie and her parents drove away from Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Jessie looked at the panes of glass nestled in the cement wall of the hospital and asked her dad, “How can we help them?” Jessie knew behind each one of the windows on the oncology floor was a kid fighting cancer....
Nicole Steinert
Raising Awareness, Funds, and Spirits When a young mother discovers a lump on the skull of her three-month-old baby boy, anxiety and fear run amuck. Nicole and her husband Todd feared the worst and searched for answers to their child’s noticeable bump. Four years and countless doctor visits later revealed an official, yet devastating diagnosis that changed their lives forever. When Nicole and her husband Todd married in 1999, they knew that a family was going to be in their future. Luke was born first. He epitomized all things boy and often ran the young couple ragged with his constant...
Izzy Paskowitz
Riding Waves with Autistic Children How do you turn hopelessness into triumph? For Izzy and Danielle Paskowitz it happened by chance on a surfboard in the middle of the ocean. Now, by sharing, thousands have been given a special gift. When his first son Isaiah was born, Israel “Izzy” Paskowitz had the dream of any professional athlete, that his son would follow his career path and become a professional surfer. After all, Paskowitz is a member of the “First Family of Surfing.” (As one of eight brothers and a surfing sister, his childhood was spent traveling fulltime around the United...
Dragon Kim
“Life is gone, but don’t cry, for you were just visiting.” —Dragon Kim, 2000-2015 The drive from Orange County to Yosemite this past August was meant to be a culmination of a summer filled with camps, college classes, and athletic events for Dragon Kim and his family. This vacation was supposed to mirror the other five Yosemite trips which consisted of morning hikes, sleeping in tents, grilling over an open fire and eating sticky s’mores at evening’s end. Dragon and his friend Justin Lee went to sleep in a tent under a massive star-splashed sky, and fell asleep discussing their...
Brady Gardner
Brady Gardner, 13, of Huntington Beach goes to bat for kids with challenges. When Brady Gardner, 13, of Huntington Beach steps up to the plate, he’s already batting a thousand in the eyes of the players and parents affiliated with the Little League Challenger Division. The league is designed to help kids with challenges enjoy a classic sports team experience, and it couldn’t happen without Brady and his friends. “It’s fun helping others who don’t get a chance to do what everyone else can. I used to play Little League — this gives them the opportunity to do the same....