OCDA adopts 149 kids from the Monte Vista Elementary School for the holiday

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release: December 13, 2013

OCDA ADOPTS 149 CHILDREN FROM 42 FAMILIES IN 15TH ANNUAL ADOPT-A-FAMILY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

SANTA ANA – Children from 42 families will celebrate the holidays this weekend at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) 15th Annual Adopt-A-Family event. The event will be held tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Monte Vista Elementary School in Santa Ana.

OCDA staff, affiliates, friends, and family have adopted 149 children from 42 families, who were identified as needing assistance during this holiday season by school principals from Diamond Elementary School, Monte Vista Elementary School, and staff from the Santa Ana Corbin Family Center. Each child will receive donated gifts and toys and their families will be provided with grocery gift certificates for a holiday dinner.

All of the adopted families are invited to attend a holiday celebration that will include arts and crafts activities, baked goods, a photo opportunity with Santa Claus, and distribution of the gifts to the children. Staff and volunteers will be available to answer questions and discuss the criminal justice system and disseminate bilingual resource booklets.

Diamond and Monte Vista Elementary participate in the Orange County Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership (OC GRIP), which aims to prevent juveniles from being victims of or participants in gang crimes by identifying at-risk youth, increasing school attendance, and decreasing gang activity. OC GRIP is composed of eight law enforcement partners including the Buena Park Police Department, Garden Grove Police Department, OCDA, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange Police Department, Orange County Probation Department, Santa Ana Police Department, Santa Ana Unified School District Police Department and is active in the Cities of Buena Park, Garden Grove, Mission Viejo, Orange, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Stanton, and unincorporated North Orange County, which includes over 300 community partners.

###

Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney 401 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701

Contacts:

Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718

Farrah Emami Spokesperson Office: 714-347-8405 Cell: 714-323-4486

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

See Full Bio