OCSD Community Services

Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputy Scott Yuen from Community Programs was interviewed by Mari Frank of KUCI 88.9FM Irvine.

Photo: Darrell Lum

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department continues its longstanding tradition of supporting Operation Santa Claus and Senior Santa & Friends – the county’s partnership programs that provide Christmas gifts to the county’s “neediest of the needy.”

This year, charitable donations down across the nation, but OCSD employees responded beyond expectations.  Sheriff’s Department employee donations alone brightened Christmas morning for more than 5,000 infants, toddlers, children, teens, and seniors.

Sheriff’s Department employees have led the way in donating to this countywide campaign for many years.  Their determination to share holiday joy has earned them gratitude and respect.  As always, the need is not just for children’s gifts.  This year, gifts were particularly needed for teens, seniors, and toddlers.

Photo: Darrell Lum 

The Holiday Party uses DUILA’s innovative strategy of drawing together local youth and adults in a combined force to prevent drug abuse. DUILA’s generous community partners and supporters underwrite the annual costs involved, including rental of a community center, food, gifts, decorations, music, entertainment, and the traditional visit and photo with Santa Claus. DUILA staff, Sheriff’s Department staff, and adult volunteers arrange and administrate the contracts, and handle business details such as scheduling and transportation. County social workers attend to observe their clients, and help keep everything operating smoothly.

However, starting with early-morning setup, and concluding with late-afternoon teardown and clean up, 140+ members of DUILA’s high school group, IMPACT, conduct the actual event. By volunteering their time to create, lead, and staff youth activities that promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle, IMPACT members help eliminate youth substance abuse and violence.

After helping unload truckloads of supplies and equipment, these dedicated young people transform a gymnasium into an effective holiday environment with original handmade wall murals, centerpieces, cut-paper decorations, a helium balloon arch, flowers, and several decorated Christmas trees. When the children and parents arrive, IMPACT youth switch gears, and begin serving food and conducting children’s activities, including games, face painting, coloring, making balloon animals, and overseeing the bounce house. Several work in Santa’s Visiting area, as photographers, gift assistants, and even taking a turn in the red suit.

While providing this important community service each year, IMPACT youth learn valuable lessons in teamwork and leadership. Their youthful advocacy effectively reaches the children attending the event, providing a tangible example of smart, attractive, active, and drug-free youth having a great time in Life. At the end of the event, these future leaders leave the event site well-satisfied with the important mission they have accomplished, and re-energized about continuing their personal commitment to preventing youth substance abuse and violence among their peers.

Photo: Darrell Lum

Community Programs help organize the 2009 DreamLift event.  It was a day to remember for approximately 80 children from Canada (some in wheelchairs, some on crutches; all with serious and in some cases life threatening illness) as they arrived for a special day at the Magic Kingdom. Employees of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department took personal time to be the host for this event.  Escorts for the day, over one hundred employees from throughout the Department met the children as their plane arrived at the airport.  Volunteers’ tickets were generously provided by the Orange County Sheriff’s Advisory Council.  Sheriff volunteers, along with the personel from the Sunshine Foundation, help escort these special needs Canadian children for a dream come true visit at Disneyland.

Photo: Darrell Lum

A community forum on November 12, 2009 brought lawmakers, parents, educators, law enforcement and healthcare professionals together to discuss solutions to the dangerous trend of teens abusing medicine to get high.

The meeting, sponsored by Drug Use Is Life Abuse (DUILA), Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) was at the Capistrano Unified School District Office in San Juan Capistrano. The goal was to raise awareness about the problems of prescription drug and over-the-counter cough medicine abuse among teens.

Recent studies have spotlighted medicine abuse, including the abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines, as an alarming trend among young people. When used correctly, these drugs are safe and effective. But when abused, these drugs can produce dangerous side effects, including death.

“Through collaborative efforts and united resources, CHPA and CADCA are helping us to educate our community about this dangerous trend,” said Marilyn MacDougall, Executive Director of DUILA. “From parents and educators to law enforcement officials, it is imperative that we come together to learn about medicine abuse so that we can raise awareness about its dangers among our teens.”