New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Churches and Religion

Special Movie Night at Church of the Foothills: “Common Threads: Stories from the NAMES Quilt”

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Editor Posted in Churches and Religion, Entertainment, LGBTQ, Movies, Santa Ana Leave a comment

via The Insider

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Special Movie Night at Church of the Foothills: “Common Threads: Stories from the NAMES Quilt”

Santa Ana, California (August 1, 2010) – The Church of the Foothills is very pleased to announce a special FREE screening of the Academy Award winning documentary “Common Threads: Stories from the NAMES Quilt.”

The screening will take place on Thursday August 19, from 7PM-9PM, in the Church of the Foothills Fellowship Hall.

Rob Epstein’s searing Oscar-winning documentary profiles six people who died of AIDS, helping to put a human face to an illness that, when this movie first aired, was cloaked in fear and mystery. Using the AIDS Memorial Quilt as his starting point, Epstein, with the help of narrator Dustin Hoffman’s dignity and gravitas, humanizes the disease and illustrates its carnage, showing how it devastates families and communities.

On Tuesday September 14th, Church of the Foothills will screen the Oscar nominated documentary “Food, Inc.”

Church of the Foothills is located at 19211 Dodge Avenue at Newport Santa Ana, CA 92705. For more information, please call 714.544.1319.

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ABOUT CHURCH OF THE FOOTHILLS

Church of the Foothills (ChOTF) has been “Open and Affirming” of the LGBT community for many years, and offers monthly LGBT fellowships, with a variety of exciting events planned. Additionally, Church of the Foothills was profiled in the Orange County Register for performing one of the first legal same-gender church weddings in Orange County and provides ceremony
services for committed couples.

For more information on Church of the Foothills, please contact them via phone 714.544.1319 or online at www.chotf.org.
Church of the Foothills is located at 19211 Dodge Avenue at Newport, Santa Ana, CA 92705. Phone: 714.544.1319.

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Contact:

Kergan Edwards-Stout
Phone: 714.552.2348
Email: proud2bedad@yahoo.com or chotfona@gmail.com

The Lighthouse Community Center hosts the Grand Opening of a Sports Field and Community Garden

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Editor Posted in Cambodians, Charities, Churches and Religion, Civic Affairs, David Benavides, immigration, Latinos, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento, Working Families, Youth Activities Leave a comment

By Sophin Zoe Pruong-McCreery
July 31, 2010

Santa Ana, CA—Judging from the huge smile on Nubia’s face, one could not imagine that this 6 year-old girl once lacked a safe, nearby place to play outside of school grounds. Her family resides in the Cornerstone Village, a Santa Ana neighborhood historically known for crime, poverty and dense population. It is home to immigrants from Mexico, Central America, and Cambodia. Today, her wish of a new park came true.

Over 300 people gathered for the Grand Opening of the Lighthouse Community Center (L.C.C.) Sports Field and Community Garden at the northeast corner of Standard & McFadden Avenue on Saturday, July 31, 2010 from 10:00am-12:00pm. Lighthouse Community Center is an outreach of Mariners Church, Irvine, CA.

The new pocket park came to fruition because of the tremendous support and cooperation from city officials, non-profit agencies, and the private sector. This monumental project was the result of months of planning and close collaboration with Councilman Vincent Sarmiento, the City of Santa Ana, Carver Construction, The Grain Project, the private property owner and the local residents of Cornerstone Village.

Although L.C.C. has been offering the Minnie Street area with English classes, after school tutoring, youth groups, and parenting workshops for over 15 years, there was an important element missing: open space. The outdoor area will enable L.C.C. to expand their program to include outdoor activities in this under-served area.

According to the national Trust for Public Land, the City of Santa Ana has very limited open space, with less than an acre of park land for every thousand residents. Now the community can enjoy a beautiful, green sports field with over 9000 square feet of synthetic turf. The lawn is low-maintenance and does not require water so it is considered as an environmentally-friendly material. Presently, the new field is only a temporary solution to the problem; the land is leased to L.C.C. for only 2 years.

Click here to read the rest of this post.

Santa Ana’s Church of the Foothills announces a new transgender support group

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Editor Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, LGBTQ, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Church of the Foothills Announces a New Transgender Support Group in Orange County

Santa Ana, California (August 1, 2010) – The Church of the Foothills is very pleased to announce the formation of a new Transgender Support Group in Orange County. The first meeting of the TG Rainbow met with great success, and 17 attendees. Open to those in transition, friends, and family, this inclusive transgender support group will meet on the third Friday of the month, from 7:30 – 9:00 PM. The group is set to meet next on Friday August 20th at 7:30PM.

While they meet at Church of the Foothills, this group is not affiliated with any religion. All are welcome. Future groups meet at 7:30PM on September 17th, October 15th, November 19th, and December 17th.

For more information about the group click here or contact Michelle Evans at mach25@sbcglobal.net or 949-770- 0702.

Church of the Foothills is located at 19211 Dodge Avenue at Newport Santa Ana, CA 92705. For more information, please call 714.544.1319. The Transgender Support Group will meet at Church of the Foothills, in the Senior High Room.

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ABOUT CHURCH OF THE FOOTHILLS

Santa Ana’s Church of the Foothills welcomes Southern Poverty Law Center speaker

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Editor Posted in Churches and Religion, Civil Rights, immigration, Latinos, LGBTQ, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The Southern Poverty Law Center exposes those who advocate hate, such as Lupe Moreno

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Church of the Foothills Welcomes an Attorney from the Southern Poverty Law Center

Santa Ana, California (July 31, 2010) – The Church of the Foothills is very pleased to welcome a guest speaker from the Southern Poverty Law Center as part of their ongoing Peace & Justice Speakers Series. The Southern Poverty Law Center is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. James McElroy, an attorney who has tried cases on behalf of SPLC, will be speaking on Sunday August 8th, at 11AM.

Founded as a small civil rights law firm in 1971, the SPLC is now internationally known for tracking and exposing the activities of hate groups. The SPLC was founded to ensure that the promises of the civil rights movement became a reality for all. Since their founding, they’ve won numerous landmark legal victories on behalf of the exploited, the powerless and the forgotten.

Lawsuits from the Southern Poverty Law Center have toppled institutional racism in the South, bankrupted some of the nation’s most violent white supremacist groups and won justice for exploited workers, abused prison inmates, disabled children and other victims of discrimination.

Speaker Jim McElroy has been in private practice in San Diego for over 30 years specializing in Civil Rights cases and general civil litigation. Additionally, Mr. McElroy is on the Board of Directors of the Southern Poverty Law Center and was its past Chair. He serves on the Board of the non-profit Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana.

Mr. McElroy served on Lt. Gov. McCarthy’s Hate Crimes Commission and testified before legislative committees regarding the passage of hate crimes statutes. He worked with the Southern Poverty Law Center and Morris Dees in trials that resulted in a 12.5 million dollar judgment against Tom Metzger and the White Aryan Resistance, 6.2 million dollar judgment against Aryan Nations in Idaho and 2.5 million dollar judgement against the Imperial Klans of America.

Mr. McElroy was awarded San Diego County Bar Association’s Service to the Legal Profession Award, the Outstanding Attorney of the Year Award, the National Civil Rights Award from the Anti-Defamation League, the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood for Distinguished Service in Protecting Women’s Rights and the Womancare Health Center Award for Advocating the Legal Rights of Women.

Then, on Sunday August 29th, Jenna Wadsworth McCarty will be speaking on behalf of Phoenix Infinite. Phoenix Infinite’s Mission is making sustainable living an achievable reality for all.

Future Speakers in the Peace & Justice Series include such groups as the OC Food Bank, OC Shanti, and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).

Church of the Foothills is located at 19211 Dodge Avenue at Newport

Santa Ana, CA 92705. For more information, please call 714.544.1319.

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ABOUT CHURCH OF THE FOOTHILLS

A dynamic and progressive church affiliated with both the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ, ChOTF offers a variety of opportunities for mission, service and fellowship, with Sunday worship beginning at 9:00 AM. For more information on Church of the Foothills, please contact them via phone 714.544.1319 or online at www.chotf.org.

Church of the Foothills is located at 19211 Dodge Avenue at Newport

Santa Ana, CA 92705. Phone: 714.544.1319.

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Contact: Kergan Edwards-Stout

Phone: 714.552.2348

Email: proud2bedad@yahoo.com or chotfona@gmail.com

Lighthouse Community Center Sports Field Grand Opening

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Editor Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, Entertainment, Santa Ana, Sports, Working Families, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Lighthouse Community Center Sports Field Grand Opening

Join us for this special event as we celebrate the grand opening of our new Lighthouse Community Center Sports Field.

Enjoy food, music, games and more! Ceremony starts at 10:30 am.

Saturday, July 31, 2010, from 10:00am – 12:00pm, at the Northeast corner of Standard & McFadden, in Santa Ana.

For more information and to RSVP, contact: Allyson McGee, 949.769.8194 or amcgee@marinerschurch.org

Click here for more info.

Check out the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana Health Education and Action Fair this Sunday

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Editor Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, Entertainment, Health and Medical, Santa Ana, Working Families, Youth Activities Leave a comment

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana is hold its its Annual Health Fair this Sunday, June 27, from 12 noon to 2:30 pm.

This year’s fair features Chronic Disease Prevention through nutrition & exercise.

Information on other available Community Resources for children, families & older adults will also be available.

There will be plenty of activities for the kids; blood pressure, glucose and bone scan screening available for adults; FREE admission; games & prizes for all.

Please join us!

Click here for additional information.

600 N. Main St. SA

Immaculate Heart of Mary to host Parish Fiesta from June 18-20

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Editor Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, Entertainment, Santa Ana, Working Families, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church “IHM Parish Fiesta”

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church is celebrating its 50th Anniversay at the IHM Parish Fiesta the afternoon and eveinings of June 18-19-20.

Rides, games, raffle, food and entertainment await the community as people meet and enjoy three wonderful days of celebration.

Located at the corner of McFadden & Center St across from Jerome Park.

Info: (714)751-5335. Come enjoy three days of rides games, entertaiment great food and great prizes. Tickets will be $1.00 each, for every ten tickets you buy you get one free.

THE DAYS ARE June 18, 19, 20, 2010 discount tickets for the rides are available this weekend.

Santa Ana cemeteries host Memorial Day events

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Editor Posted in Arts and Culture, Churches and Religion, Civic Affairs, Santa Ana, Veterans 3 Comments

UPDATE: Click here for 2011 Memorial Day event information.

Click here to see pictures and videos from this year’s Memorial Day events at Santa Ana Cemetery and Fairhaven.

You ever wonder how Memorial Day came to be? And what it stands for?

At the end of the Civil War, communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. These observances coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Confederate dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.

According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed by formerly enslaved black people at the Washington Race Course (today the location of Hampton Park) in Charleston, South Carolina.

The race course had been used as a temporary Confederate prison camp for captured Union soldiers in 1865, as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who died there. Immediately after the cessation of hostilities, formerly enslaved people exhumed the bodies from the mass grave and reinterred them properly with individual graves. They built a fence around the graveyard with an entry arch and declared it a Union graveyard. The work was completed in only ten days. On May 1, 1865, the Charleston newspaper reported that a crowd of up to ten thousand, mainly black residents, including 2800 children, proceeded to the location for included sermons, singing, and a picnic on the grounds, thereby creating the first Decoration Day.

Here in Santa Ana, there are annual Memorial Day events at the Fairhaven Cemetery and the Santa Ana Cemetery. Here are the details: Continue reading→

Justice Reform Committee meeting will feature top candidates for O.C. Sheriff

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Editor Posted in Churches and Religion, Civil Rights, Crime, Elections, Orange County, Politics, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Anaheim Deputy Chief of Police Craig Hunter

Meet Orange County Sheriff candidates Craig Hunter, who is the Deputy Chief at the Anaheim Police Department, and Bill Hunt, who is a private investigator, at this Saturday’s ‘Justice Reform Committee’ meeting. Here are the details:

Guest Speaker(s): Sheriff Candidates Craig Hunter and Bill Hunt, Sheriff Sandra Hutchens will be unable to attend.

Date: Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Time: 1 PM

Location: New Spirit Baptist Church, located at 701 S. Sullivan Street, in Santa Ana. Continue reading→

OCCCO’S 25 Year Celebration & Community Beacon Awards

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Editor Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, immigration, Latinos, Santa Ana, Working Families Leave a comment

Shine a Light – OCCCO’S 25 Year Celebration & Community Beacon Awards

May 15, 2010, 5-8 pm, at the Delhi Center, Santa Ana

We want you to invite you to be a proud supporter of grassroots community organizing in Orange County by joining our 25 year celebration and Community Beacon Awards Dinner. We graciously appreciate our sponsors:

Wells Fargo Community Development, Beacon Sponsor
St. Joseph Health System, Beacon Sponsor
St. Joseph Health System, We Care Committee, Torch Sponsor
Justice Partners of Orange County, Candle Sponsor
Maya Dunne, Maya Dunne and Associates, Candle Sponsor
Orange County Community Housing Corporation, Candle Sponsor Continue reading→

Celebrate Easter in Santa Ana

Posted on April 4, 2010 by Editor Posted in Churches and Religion, Santa Ana Leave a comment

First Baptist Church of Santa Ana, 1010 W. 17th St., Santa Ana. 9 am – Traditional Service. 10 am – FREE BREAKFAST. 10:15 am – Easter Egg Hunt and Story. 11 a.m. – Contemporary Service.” Spanish service at 11:30 a.m.; Korean service at 12:30 p.m. (714) 547-2557. www.fbcsa.us.

Trinity United Presbyterian Church, 13922 Prospect Ave., Santa Ana. 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. Sermon: “The Easter Story is Not Over,” by Pastor Dennis Tarr. (714) 544-7850 or www.trinityconnection.org.

St. Joseph. 7 N. Minter Street, Santa Ana. Sunday, April 4 7:00am (Spanish), 9:00 and 11:00am (English), 1:00 and 7:00pm (Spanish). http://www.stjosephsa.org/

First Presbyterian. 600 N. Main St., Santa Ana. Pancake Breakfast, 8:30 a.m. Breakfast will be held in McFarland Hall cooked by our very own FPCSA men! A suggested donation of $3 is appreciated. Please contact Bob Schneider if you would like to participate in the preparation. Sunday Worship, 10:00 a.m. Celebrate the risen Christ! New members will be presented during this combined service. Youth will be playing a special Easter song and communion will be available. http://www.fpcsa.org/ Continue reading→

An introduction to Santa Ana’s private and charter schools

Posted on March 21, 2010 by Editor Posted in Churches and Religion, Education, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 7 Comments

A reader asked us to compile a list of Santa Ana’s private schools. But let’s start with Santa Ana’s charter schools, which are publicly funded but are run independently.

The Santa Ana Unified School District’s website does include a list of the local charter schools, which include:

Albor Charter School – This is a K-12 school that appears to offer instruction in a bilingual format. They don’t have a website and it is almost impossible to find out much about them online. I did find news articles that indicated that a former director allegedly misappropriated millions of public dollars back in 2007. Phone: 714-560-1568.
The Orange County Educational Arts Academy – K-8. They offer English only and Two-way Language Immersion (Spanish/English).
The Edward B. Cole Academy – K-5. They don’t have a website. I did find a letter they submitted to the City of Santa Ana where they indicated that they serve poor families with English fluency issues. Continue reading→

Olive Crest Safe Families program results in a happy ending at Saddleback Church

Posted on March 2, 2010 by Editor Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, homeless, Housing, Orange County, Santa Ana, Women, Working Families 1 Comment

A BRAND-NEW “BLIND SIDE” STORY TAKES PLACE IN THE O.C., AS OLIVE CREST’S SAFE FAMILIES PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER
A FAMILY IN NEED WITH A FAMILY WHO CARES

The Sheffield Family of East Orange, Members of Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, Take in 17-Year-Old “Kyle” During a Time of Temporary Crisis

SANTA ANA – It sounds like a re-creation of “The Blind Side,” the Oscar-nominated Sandra Bullock film about a wealthy Memphis family that takes in a homeless teen (and outstanding athlete) from the wrong side of town. But in this case, the story is unfolding right in Orange County, California—and the teen’s mom is not a drug addict, as in the film, but a devoted single parent who wants the best for her son, even if for the moment she can’t provide it herself.

In the West Coast “Blind Side” story, Chrissy and Peter Sheffield of East Orange fill the roles played by Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw in the film. Before this all began, the Sheffields already had a full life and a full house. They own and run Platinum Container, Inc. in La Habra. They’re busy raising three kids: 18-year-old Tony, who attends Santiago Community College; 11-year-old Mia; and six-year-old Nate. They attend Saddleback Church, and take to heart pastor Rick Warren’s mandate: “You want to see it, then be it.”

So when the Sheffields learned about the Safe Families program coordinated by Olive Crest of Santa Ana, they knew they wanted to “see it” at Saddleback Church—and that they would “be it” by becoming a Safe Family and opening their home to a family in crisis. Continue reading→

Templo Calvario Bidders’ Conference coming up on Jan. 20 in Santa Ana

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Editor Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, Housing, Latinos, Redevelopment, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Templo Calvario 2

Santa Ana’s Templo Calvario is inviting community stakeholders to join them to learn about applying for an exciting capacity building opportunity, funded by the Compassion Capital Fund (CCF), at the 2010 Bidders’ Conference.

Learn about the training, coaching, mentoring and sub-award funding available for capacity building. Grow in four (4) areas of capacity – Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Program Development, and Community Engagement Walk through the application process to participate in.

Learn about the training, coaching, mentoring and sub-award funding available for capacity building.
Grow in four (4) areas of capacity – Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Program Development, and Community Engagement.
Walk through the application process to participate in the Templo Calvario Community Development Corporation Desarollo LEARN project Continue reading→

Free concert featuring Cosmologic, at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah

Posted on January 8, 2010 by Editor Posted in Arts and Culture, Churches and Religion, Entertainment, Music, Santa Ana Leave a comment

In a rare OC (free) concert appearance, Cosmologic (Jason Robinson (sax), Michael Dessen (t.bone), Scott Walton (bass), Nathan Hubbard (drums)) will play at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah on January 17, 2010 (Sunday) at 6:30pm.

Cosmologic is one of the best music groups to come out of the West Coast in the last decade. They traverse the broad terrain of creative jazz and improvised music, integrating high-energy playing, intense introspection, rich grooves, open textures, and collective alchemy.

While profoundly dedicated to improvisation, Cosmologic also performs complex pieces that are composed by an individual member and then transformed through extensive group work. With nearly a decade of experience together, Cosmologic continues to extend their repertoire of original music, in an ongoing search for new ideas. Continue reading→