Category Archives: Michele Martinez

Councilman Vincent Sarmiento, Sophin Zoe Pruong-McCreery of Census Partnership, & Councilwoman Michelle Martinez of Santa Ana, CA participate on Build Day

Santa Ana, CA – “Today, we transformed Bishop Manor,” said Sophin Zoe Pruong-McCreery, a Census employee and volunteer for Kaboom Playground Build Day. “What an amazing day!”

A vacant dirt lot was transformed into a colorful and vibrant Community playground. What was once an area littered with cigarette butts, overgrown weeds and painted over graffiti walls is now a place where children can play and adults can supervise them under the awning of a shaded wooden structure and flower bed.

Over 300 volunteers pitched in to build the modern yellow and green playground and swing set. Many participants worked on painting games such as Twister, Hopscotch, and Tic-Tac-Toe on once bare cement sidewalks. Additionally, workers completed a multi-colored map of the United States.

Bishop Manor is a densely populated complex located in Southeast Santa Ana. It is home to an estimated 4000 low-income residents of Cambodian, Cham, Vietnamese and Latino origins. These residents subsist on income below the federal poverty line. It is a dangerous neighborhood where one would not walk around after dark.

Click here to read the rest of this post.