On Wednesday, I was honored to join Supervisor Foley at the Swearing in Ceremony for Daniel Hernandez, our new Chief Probation Office. Supervisor Foley made excellent remarks about Daniel’s leadership abilities and dedication. There is nobody better for this important role and we are so excited to work with Chief Hernandez and our partners in the criminal justice system to continue making progress to promote public safety and reduce recidivism.  

I also had the opportunity to meet with several groups of concerned neighbors in Newport Beach about strategies to address the proliferation of unregulated—and potentially unscrupulous operators—of unlicensed group homes. It’s critical—both for the safety of those in recovery and the surrounding community—that group homes abide by common-sense regulations and don’t put profits ahead of patients. This is certainly a complex issue, and there are no easy solutions, but Supervisor Foley is committed to building on the example set in Costa Mesa and expanding this regulatory scheme across the county. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any input or concerns. 

I met with Covenant House this morning to learn about their efforts to address youth homelessness in Orange County. Ending youth homelessness in Orange County is a priority for Supervisor Foley and we look forward to finding solutions to deliver more housing for Transitional Age Youth, with a special focus on those exiting the foster care system.   

Right after my meeting on youth homelessness, I joined the OC Senior Advisory Council for a special meeting on housing. Stephanie Palmer, presented about the innovative work of HomeShare OC to connect housing insecure college students to seniors with extra room. Through this program, youth and seniors are matched together. HomeShare OC provides support throughout the entire process. The student pays reduced rent in exchange for doing chores. This exciting intergenerational model helps address youth homelessness AND provides income and connection to seniors. You can learn about the program here: Carrie Buck — Gen2Gen Innovation Fellow 

Read more about OC’s best-kept secret by clicking here: https://www.pacificcitizen.org/remembering-a-home-and-the-legacy-of-its-japanese-pioneers/ 

This week I met with Ayn Craciun and Lexi Hernandez from the Climate Action Campaign, a grassroots advocacy group fighting for climate action in San Diego and Orange Counties. Ayn and Lexi are advancing building electrification in Irvine and throughout Orange County, with a focus on giving more low-income households access to the benefits of clean energy.  

At Monday’s meeting of the Orange County Transportation Authority Board, Supervisor Foley and her colleagues celebrated the OCTA Community College Program, which gives Orange County community college students access to free or low-cost rides on the OC Bus system. It was great to recognize the 10 community colleges participating in this program, and to hear from their Presidents about how the program has made a difference for students. Shoutout to OCTA, Orange County’s community colleges, and our fabulous community college students for making this program possible! 

I wanted to share more about the people who work at the Veterans Legal Institute – at the VLI, we are family. And like families we rely on each other. VLI is led by a veteran of the California State Guard, former Major Antoinette Balta, and nearly every staff member, pro bono attorney, and member of its enormous cadre of rank-and-file volunteers are either veterans themselves or from military connected families.  

Pictured below is Private First Class Atchley-Martin, USMC. PFC Atchley-Martin is the daughter of SSGT Atchley-Martin and VLI attorney Caitlin Emmons. The young Marine attended Wednesday's reception with her mom and did nothing but coo and look adorable for a crowd that refers to her as "the official VLI Baby." Dad is currently deployed to Okinawa for 6 months and only narrowly made the birth; meaning the intrepid Caitlin is faced with single mom life. That's what I wanted to point about VLI and the broader community they support.  

Not only was Caitlin my attorney when I had to apply for a corrected discharge document, but she has volunteered and continues to volunteer outside of her VLI practice. That's the way everyone is at VLI. They do whatever is necessary to help other veterans and their families because they all know how hard it can be to serve and readjust to civilian life. And if there is one other thing to take away, it's how important peer-to-peer, veteran-to-veteran networks like VLI are in helping service-members thrive upon their re-entering the civilian world. Supervisor Foley knows this because so many of her immediate family members have served not only in uniform but in combat. She knows that heroes find it very hard to ask for help, even when they desperately need it; so fellow veterans and veteran-led institutions like VLI are the best support for them. So if you appreciate the sacrifice made by Eloise and her family to serve our country, I hope you'll support the Supervisor in her effort to support these critical, peer-to-peer veterans' institutions.  

As of August 11, 2022, there are 52 confirmed or probable cases of monkeypox in Orange County, and over 1986 individuals have been vaccinated. Although monkeypox vaccines are limited in availability, the County is working to secure more doses. To register for the vaccine, eligible individuals can visit Othena.com.  

To prevent the spread of monkeypox and keep yourself and others safe, folks should: 

• Talk to your sexual partner/s about any recent illness and being aware of new or unexplained sores or rashes on your body or your partner's body, including on the genitals and anus 
• Avoid close contact, including skin to skin hugging, kissing, cuddling and sexual activity with people with symptoms like sores or rashes 
• Avoid sharing materials (e.g., utensils, cups, clothing, towels, bedding) with someone who has symptoms 
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer 
• Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) (like a mask, gown and gloves) when caring for others with symptoms 
• Avoid contact with infected animals 

To learn more about monkeypox and vaccinations, visit www.ochealthinfo.com/monkeypox.