Other cats stop by and eat our cats food, and sometimes stray dogs.
We have caught a few opossums.
This is the first time we come up close and personal with a Raccoon.
Maybe the SA Zoo would want this wild animal?
Category Archives: homeless
Olive Crest Safe Families program results in a happy ending at Saddleback Church
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
Why do so many solitary men lurk at Santa Ana’s Santiago Park?
In a city with a terrible lack of park space, Santiago Park is a veritable oasis. The park is located in north Santa Ana, within easy walking distance of the MainPlace Mall. The new CityPlace shopping center is located right across the street.
I like to walk my dog there, along the trail on the north side of the park. I was doing that just yesterday, in the morning, when we came across two men who were loitering on either side of the trail. As I passed them I turned around and took a picture of them with my Blackberry phone. Then I called the Santa Ana Police Department.
You can see the picture of the two men above. I could not discern what they were up to. They were just lurking there. Below, in the riverbed, another guy was loitering on a bike. And it got worse. Continue reading
City of Santa Ana seeks resident input regarding use of federal grant funds
The City of Santa Ana is currently in the process of developing a new Consolidated Plan for the use of federal grant funds for the fiscal years 2010/11-2014/15.
The Consolidated Plan will be used to establish goals and spending priorities based upon the priority needs of Santa Ana’s low- to moderate- income residents for the following four U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME); Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG); and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA.)
The City of Santa Ana is looking for input from local residents “to gain a better perspective on the critical needs in the community,” according to an email sent out by Scott Kuttner, a District Manager in the City’s Community Development Agency.
Kuttner states that ” By participating in the Federal Funding Needs Survey, you will help shape the creation of this important planning document. The survey will be available on-line until January 15, 2010.”
Click here to take the City of Santa Ana’s survey. Continue reading
Fire at Santa Ana soup kitchen damages donated food and holiday gifts
The volunteers at Santa Ana’s Southwest Community Center are in mourning today, after “A late-night fire damaged their Santa Ana soup kitchen and destroyed $50,000 in food and holiday gifts that were to be distributed to needy families this weekend,” according to the L.A. Times.
The Times also reported that “the center serves breakfast and lunch every day to more than 200 people and dinner on Saturday,” according to their executive director, Connie Jones.
Here is more information about this important community resource, from their website: Continue reading