(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...
Brooke Walker delivers a donation of Higgy Bears to CHOC.(Photo Courtesy of the Walker Family) This Tesoro High teen with scoliosis gives support and teddy bears to others like her On the outside, Brooke Walker always seemed like a happy, successful teenager — earning As in school, involved in extracurricular...
Students ready to board the Crystal Cove Conservancy Science Cruise out of Davey’s Locker. (Photo courtesy of Davey’s Locker Sportfishing) The Marine Protected Area Science Cruise offers underserved students hands-on science field trips. For some, it’s a chance to get out of class and do something different. For others, it’s...
(Photo Courtesy of Goodwill of Orange County) In a costume quandary? Pop some cash at the thrift shop down the road. Most people probably didn’t know there was an official day for it, but National Costume Swap Day is the second Saturday of October. Something many parents have already become...
(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...
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...
(Photo Courtesy of Ismael Paramo/Unsplash) With summer break coming up, it’s a good time to think about activities to teach children how to give back locally. Sometimes it can be uncomfortable for us to talk to our kids about giving back, because then we have to go into deeper conversations...
A summer trip to Israel brings inspiration for building real-world relationships as we begin the back-to-school season. Our recent trip to Israel and Jordan was filled with landmark sites. I could show you gorgeous photos of the Ottoman-constructed Old City of Jerusalem, the astonishing building façade carved into a cliff...
Playfoam Playfoam Pals Fantasy Friends has a surprise in every container. In each of these fun, colorful and squishy Playfoam pods, there lies a Fantasy Friend who is waiting for your child to be their best friend. Not only that, but the Playfoam that hides the Fantasy Friend can be...
Family volunteer vacations balance doing good with having fun. For your next family trip, how about doing some good while also having fun. Sound intriguing? It’s called a “family volunteer vacation,” and thousands of people across the country are doing it every year. The trips can last for a few...
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...
No request is too extreme for the Make a Wish Foundation of OC and IE, which celebrates 35 years of wishes granted Disneyland style. Thousands of children have not had to wish upon stars to see their dreams come true thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and Inland...
When teacher Heather Lopez decided to cut 12 inches of her hair to donate to Locks of Love, a company that creates wigs for children suffering the effects of chemo, she decided to take her act of generosity one step further. After connecting with her principal at Fairmont School in...
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,...
From recycling to redefining green-clean, protecting the environment is more than a passion for these eco-heroes. Bo Glover Forefront on Bo’s mind as he jumped into his VW Bug and headed west to California was making sure the car would survive the nearly 3,000-mile trek from Pennsylvania to Newport Beach...
Taylor Mayes is the spunky Make-a-Wish child who graced our cover last April. We met Taylor and her family as we joined forces with businesses and organizations across Orange County, and Ellen K of 103.5 KOST FM, to help make Taylor’s wish of becoming a singer and living the popstar...
There are two things I hate sharing; desserts and garage sale profits. For obvious reasons, my dessert sharing takes number one rating because I choose my desserts carefully. Fancy cupcakes partnered with ice cream is one in particular which I highly pursue. Since I am attracted to elaborate forms of...
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...
Years ago, I struggled through an airport with my toddler and a heap of coats and carry-ons to catch a 6 a.m. flight. After making my way through the security line, I landed by the gate with my laptop still hanging out of my briefcase and my sock-footed son trying...