Health

An image of a backpack in front of boxes

Hundreds of students to receive free backpacks, school supplies

Staff reports
On a warm Monday morning, a Feed the Children truck rolled into the Orange County Department of Education’s main campus and workers began unloading 22 pallets with boxes full of donated supplies for students experiencing homelessness. In total, over 1,900 items were dropped off, including backpacks filled with school supplies, non-perishable food, hygiene essentials and children’s books. [...]

Orange County teens to stage ‘Reality Party’ to spotlight the dangers of underage drinking

Ian Hanigan
Local prevention organizations are joining forces to raise awareness about the dangers of underage drinking by staging a “Reality Party for Parents” in Lake Forest this Saturday. Teen actors from the Santiago de Compostela Church Youth Ministry’s Friday Night Live chapter plan to portray typical party scenes exposing the perils of underage alcohol consumption, as well as the culture of binge-drinking. Participants will also voice concerns about adults who host drinking parties for minors. [...]

Human Trafficking Summit at OCDE draws nearly 200 educators and school-based professionals

Ian Hanigan
OCDE, in partnership with the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force and Vanguard University, hosted a Human Trafficking Summit for nearly 200 educators and school-based professionals on Jan. 29 at the department’s headquarters in Costa Mesa. The summit’s objective was to teach those working at the frontlines of education about human trafficking, how to identify it and how to report suspicious activities. Experts say that could be the difference in saving a life. [...]