(Photo Courtesy of Unlimited Possibilities) Local mom Vanessa Warrior helps children with developmental delays improve their gross motor skills while offering hope to families. Vanessa Warrior fights for children to have the best life possible regardless of their circumstances. “I get to play with kids who have developmental delays,” says...
(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...
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...
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...
Best Amusement Park/Family Fun Center Boomers! Irvine Boomers maintains its top spot in the ranking, which is no surprise considering the variety of activities offered at the park. From miniature golf, Go Karts, rides, Lazer Tag and climbing walls to batting cages and arcade games, just about anyone can find...
Best Faith-Based School Covenant Christian School — Orange Covenant Christian School, which has been serving Orange County since 1985, makes the readers’ choice ranking again. The school offers education for children in kindergarten through middle school as well as academic coaching and enrichment programs, all done in a nurturing, secure...
Best After-School Program Lyceum Village The nonprofit helps parents of children in kindergarten through eighth grade, and the parents continue appreciating their efforts. Lyceum Village staff picks up kids from school and helps them with homework. The kids can also participate in a variety of extracurricular classes, such as music,...
Best Cosmetic Surgeon Terry Dubrow, MD You might recognize Dr. Terry Dubrow from his multiple TV shows, including “Real Housewives of Orange County,” “Botched” and “Botched by Nature,” or his books — but long before Hollywood fame, he was already known for his cosmetic and reconstructive surgery skills. As passionate...
Best Girls Softball League Mission Viejo Girls Softball The USA-affiliated Junior Olympic fast-pitch softball league wins the top spot again. The nonprofit’s program centers around good sportsmanship, loyalty, honesty and courage — qualities young girls ages 5 to 15 from cities around South Orange County get to learn as they...
(Photo Courtesy of The Mommy Center) Best Mommy & Me The Mommy Center The Mommy Center is a no-judgment zone for all things motherhood. It’s where moms can go to socialize, find support and make new friends for themselves and their little ones. The Mommy Center also offers a variety...
(Photo Courtesy of Ruby's Diner) Best “Kids Eat Free” Restaurant Ruby’s Diner Ruby’s Diner wins for the 18th time. The retro restaurant started out as a small shack on Balboa Pier in Newport Beach and is now serving up burgers, fries and shakes throughout America. The menu includes kids’ classics...
(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 Julia Bendis) Moms across the county share their stories of how and why they give. Julia Bendis City: Rancho Santa Margarita Family: Husband and two sons ages 17 and 22 How do you give back? “Since Day 1 of the war in Ukraine I got on the...
(Photo Courtesy of Katherine Dang) Katherine Dang is a local college student helping kids experiencing homelessness through education. It’s a small commitment with a big impact. Once a week for an hour, Irvine resident Katherine Dang hops on a Zoom call with a fifth-grader to help her with schoolwork. During...
(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...
(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...
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...
(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...
We bring you the best of the best in Orange County food, fun for families, education and a host of services you won’t want to miss — selected by our readers. By Magda Hernandez, Jessica Peralta and Shawn Price Editor's Choice Awards Winners 2021 Featured in the October Issue...
Best Faith-Based K-12 School The Hebrew Academy Orange County The private school has been providing education for Orange County students for more than 50 years. Children from preschool through 12th grade engage in general and Judaic studies in a challenging but nurturing environment. The curriculum includes STEAM, project-based learning, cutting-edge...
(Photo Courtesy of Boomers) Best Amusement Park/Family Fun Center Boomers! Irvine On a mission to unleash fun, Boomers has been the readers’ favorite for more than a decade. The locations in Irvine and Fountain Valley offer miniature golf, Go Karts, rides, Lazer Tag, climbing walls, batting cages and arcade games,...
Best Cosmetic Surgeon Terry Dubrow, M.D. Dr. Terry Dubrow was known in Southern California for his cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery long before TV cameras made him famous nationwide. You might recognize him from shows such as “The Swan,” ”Botched” and “Real Housewives of Orange County.” Dr. Dubrow’s passion is...
(Photo Courtesy of Gymboree Play & Music) Best Mommy & Me Gymboree Play & Music Gymboree Play & Music is out to build confident learners in a safe, fun atmosphere. The 45-minute classes cater to babies through preschoolers with opportunities to explore, play and learn new physical and social skills....
(Photo Courtesy of Lyceum Village) Best After-School Program Lyceum Village Lyceum Village is offering help for parents of kids in kindergarten through eighth grade with their individualized academic management plans. The kids not only do their homework, but can take part in exciting extracurricular activities, including music, sports, fitness and...
(Photo Courtesy of Mission Viejo Girls Softball) Best Girls Softball League Mission Viejo Girls Softball Mission Viejo Girls Softball is a USA-affiliated Junior Olympic fast-pitch softball league. It’s one of Orange County’s premier recreational leagues that puts instilling good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty and courage at the center of their program....