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HomeMy WebLinkAbout00 - Public Comments - Non-AgendaReplace the Memorial Bench to the Same Location at Buena Vista & Edgewater YqPAG CoMMOkS The donated memorial bench that had been located in the public space at the corner of Buena Vista Blvd. and Edgewater Ave. has been stolen after 13 years at that location. In early August, the city staff was ready to replace the bench in its original location. However, the City manager, Dave Kiff, has placed a hold on this action. He is possibly considering another location for the replacement bench such as Marina Park. We, the undersigned, enjoy having the bench in our neighborhood and would like to keep the replacement bench at its same location. _ 0/'13IJ� Print Name Address email Si2nature G'► 6{ � / J �J Z tv. . 8 s ► w�3� `� z ti n ,-- n- s cnS ►� .3 2� _ X� A - q,. -c 3 NAS 7L -We \k51ck'-�S1 i" ca � '1A "Q, AV,�e,�� J . -,-✓� 09/01/2016 Replace the Memorial Bench to the Same Location at Buena Vista & Edgewater The donated memorial bench that had been located in the public space at the corner of Buena Vista Blvd. and Edgewater Ave. has been stolen after 13 years at that location. In early August, the city staff was ready to replace the bench in its original location. However, the City manager, Dave Kiff, has placed a hold on this action. He is possibly considering another location for the replacement bench such as Marina Park. We, the undersigned, enjoy having the bench in our neighborhood and would like to keep the replacement bench at its same location. 09/01/2016 V 0 Signature ra 0161KINMI NO, us 11 ElVA JIM .. Wi LIMA EN 09/01/2016 V 0 i Replace the Memorial Bench to the Same Location at Buena Vista & Edgewater The donated memorial bench that had been located in the public space at the corner of Buena Vista Blvd. and Edgewater Ave. has been stolen after 13 years at that location. In early August, the city staff was ready to replace the bench in its original location. However, the City manager, Dave Kiff, has placed a hold on this action. He is possibly considering another location for the replacement bench such as Marina Park. We, the undersigned, enjoy having the bench in our neighborhood and would like to keep the replacement bench at its same location. Print Name Address email Signature 2- _ t 11) . I 09/01/2016 J, It w x Replace the Memorial Bench to the Same Location at Buena Vista & Edgewater The donated memorial bench that had been located in the public space at the corner of Buena Vista Blvd. and Edgewater Ave. has been stolen after 13 years at that location. In early August, the city staff was ready to replace the bench in its original location. However, the City manager, Dave Kiff, has placed a hold on this action. He is possibly considering another location for the replacement bench such as Marina Park. We, the undersigned, enjoy having the bench in our neighborhood and would like to keep the replacement bench at its same location. Print Name Address email Si2nature "')AWo C / CYC Cz . � t4 lf A, Fr a -ek (a A d o V — / v g ` Y' 7� Y .T-51a��d At o r ft r�- a -s-& a sGccto 64" f1i evr4o��-"L'z AOU On .cow YZI ,ERRy L b&) ::36 N 0 �` L a X k YOUV WO 09/01/2016 ( � / Replace the Memorial Bench to the Same Location at Buena Vista & Edgewater The donated memorial bench that had been located in the public space at the corner of Buena Vista Blvd. and Edgewater Ave. has been stolen after 13 years at that location. In early August, the city staff was ready to replace the bench in its original location. However, the City manager, Dave Kiff, has placed a hold on this action. He is possibly considering another location for the replacement bench such as Marina Park. We, the undersigned, enjoy having the bench in our neighborhood and would like to keep the replacement bench at its same location. Print Name Address email Signature 15 "O 6) f✓r-:F�I� fie' . / fiL . 1,f /V ICON 09/01/2016 s sel Replace the Memorial Bench to the Same Location at Buena Vista & Edgewater The donated memorial bench that had been located in the public space at the corner of Buena Vista Blvd. and Edgewater Ave. has been stolen after 13 years at that location. In early August, the city staff was ready to replace the bench in its original location. However, the City manager, Dave Kiff, has placed a hold on this action. He is possibly considering another location for the replacement bench such as Marina Park. We, the undersigned, enjoy having the bench in our neighborhood and would like to keep the replacement bench at its same location. Print Name Address email Signature I U , Gadd �rlAn Z5 A,:� G r �1 /� 3 r 1. `t� 1q i 09/01/2016 Replace the Memorial Bench to the Same Location at Buena Vista & Edgewater The donated memorial bench that had been located in the public space at the corner of Buena Vista Blvd. and Edgewater Ave. has been stolen after 13 years at that location. In early August, the city staff was ready to replace the bench in its original location. However, the City manager, Dave Kiff, has placed a hold on this action. He is possibly considering another location for the replacement bench such as Marina Park. We, the undersigned, enjoy having the bench in our neighborhood and would like to keep the replacement bench at its same location. Print Name Address email ature alei L4'), ' C' 0L.i, e Ck^e ✓'6 3� ., 09/01/2016 • J• 3 Replace the Memorial Bench to the Same Location at Buena Vista & Edgewater The donated memorial bench that had been located in the public space at the corner of Buena Vista Blvd. and Edgewater Ave. has been stolen after 13 years at that location. In early August, the city staff was ready to replace the bench in its original location. However, the City manager, Dave Kiff, has placed a hold on this action. He is possibly considering another location for the replacement bench such as Marina Park. We, the undersigned, enjoy having the bench in our neighborhood and would like to keep the replacement bench at its same location. Print Name Address email Signature 4yS m YIlG! CJI ✓ ! r r 09/01/2016 f I'm speaking on behalf of my wife and her family regarding the replacement of a memorial bench. I know the mayor and city manager are well aware of this issue. But I just want to bring you all up to speed with some background information and recent developments. My wife's sister, Cora Van Loon, who was a resident of Island Avenue lost her battle with cancer in 2001. In 2003, her family paid for a memorial bench placed on a waterfront public space around the corner from her house. This space, at Buena Vista and Edgewater was very special to Cora where she enjoyed the view, meditated, and did her yoga. Last November, the nearest resident to the bench brought a request to the Parks, Beach, and Recreation Commission to move the bench to a different location. The request was unanimously denied for a number of reasons. Six months later the bench was stolen. Park Maintenance Supervisor, Paul Ramirez, has been working diligently with my wife to replace the bench although we were told we had to pay for a new memorial plaque, which we did. The replacement bench was ready to be re -installed over a month ago when my wife received a call from City Manager, Dave Kiff. He wanted to discuss the possibility of installing the bench at another location such as Marina Park. The resident whose request to move the bench had already been denied, and a clearly defined appeal process was not followed, now seems to be influencing Mr. Kiff to try again through informal means. Now, although this should not have been necessary, over Labor Day weekend, my wife and I decided to walk the surrounding neighborhood with a petition to see how the neighbors felt. Although, knocking on doors was something I was dreading, it actually turned out to be an extremely heartwarming experience. The response was positively overwhelming. This is a close-knit neighborhood who are passionate about keeping the bench right where it is. We met people who knew Cora and welcomed us with open arms. Many people were wondering what had happened to the bench and were shocked when told it was stolen. One young woman who at first didn't answer her door, then ran out to catch us and sign the petition because her boyfriend had proposed to her on that bench. There were many other wonderful stories and when we were done we had received 62 signatures in favor of keeping the bench right where it has been for the past 13 years. This does not include our own family and friends who enjoy the bench and a visit with Cora, but just the immediate neighbors, which I believe is most significant. There was only one gentleman on Buena Vista who did not want to sign because he didn't think that area should be a public space. Even the neighbors to either side of the complaining resident were happy to sign. So we are all asking you to do the right thing and return the bench to its rightful place without further delay. Thank you. i g g 131 @3 OC Hu man R Building community by fostering respect, resolving conflict and pursuing equality Annual Report 2014-15 Weare OC Human Relations 2014-2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Leticia Mata, President Assistant Vice -President, Orange County's Credit Union Jim McQueen, Vice President Attorney, McQueen & Ashman LLP Sean Thomas, Treasurer President, TLIS Frank Marmolejo, Secretary Historian Rusty Kennedy, CEO OC Human Relations Gurpreet Singh Ahuja, M.D. Surgeon, Children's Hospital Orange County Julio Badin General Manager, Park Operations & Guest Relations, Disneyland Park Adam Birozy Attorney At Law Becky Esparza Community Leader Lin Fujitsubo Development Consultant, Community Enhancement Services Judy lannaccone Director, Public Affairs & Publications, Rancho Santiago Community College District Kenneth K. Inouye Partner, Inouye, Shively & Klatt, LLP Christian Lopez Student Minzah Malik Manager, Community Benefit, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Fran Rahimi Principal, Restructure Group Susan Reese Business Owner, Susan Reese Design Rev. Karen Stoyanoff Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church Carol Turpen Senior Manager Communications, Ingram Micro Bill Wood Retired, PacifiCare Health System V A Message from Our President At OC Human Relations we are united by the belief that ALL people should live free from discrimination and violence. For more than four decades people like you have worked with us to create safe, respectful and inclusive schools, workplaces and communities in Orange County. We are grateful to you for your support. The vision we share is clear: only by working together can we create an Orange County that promotes respect, empowers diverse communities, resolves conflict respectfully and advocates equal justice. Can you picture it? This year, while engaging our staff, nonprofit Board, and members of the OC Human Relations Commission in our annual strategic planning, we reflected on three traits that we feel best define the value we have to offer to you and our community: We're passionate about making Orange County a better place for ALL people to live, work, go to school and do business. Our unique team aims to foster respect and mutual understanding, address bias and prejudice, resolve conflict, empower voices that are not heard and develop diverse leaders. That's a heavy load! This often difficult charge results in priceless outcomes we see in schools, neighborhoods, courtrooms and classrooms each day. We've built incredible, long-standing, trusted partnerships in Orange County. We're in the business of building bridges of respect between diverse people, especially in times of conflict. Since being established in 1971, relationships have been key in our success to bring people together to solve many of the hot topic human relations issues each era has presented. We want to keep building these relationships, especially with you. We have the expertise to foster respect and understanding between institutions, systems and people that are divided by bias or division. Whether working with students, educators, parents, grassroots leaders, disputing residents, volunteers, the police or public officials, we are skilled at addressing prejudice, discrimination and conflict through time -tested collaborative and inclusive processes. We're a resource to help guide, support, train and empower leaders of all ages from schools, neighborhoods, businesses, government, law enforcement, educational institutions and community groups. Thank you for caring about Orange County. We sure do! Please continue to utilize our expertise. Partner with us. Share our passion. Sincerely, Leticia Mata Board President, 2014-2016 LA HAB A FULLERTON BUENA PARK PALMAR CYPRESS STANTON ALAMITOS GARDEN GROVE SEAL BEACH TMINSTER - HUNTINBEACH (�j • FOUNTAIN VALLEY COSTA ' `\ BREA MESA Dispute Resolution O NEWPORT MISSION PLACENTIA ti WOODS YORBA LINDA Walk In My Shoes Symposium • Parent Leadership Institute l ORestorative Justice LAGUNA BRIDGES Safe and Respectful Schools Program %MEN' Civil Rights Exhibit LAGUNN JUAN ANAHEIM f VILLA PARK AN AN ORANGE TMINSTER - HUNTINBEACH (�j • FOUNTAIN VALLEY COSTA ' `\ MESA Dispute Resolution O NEWPORT MISSION Police f Community Relations BEACH Community Building WOODS Youth Leadership Camp and Internship Walk In My Shoes Symposium • Parent Leadership Institute Skills for Success ORestorative Justice LAGUNA BRIDGES Safe and Respectful Schools Program %MEN' Civil Rights Exhibit LAGUNN ANA r--TUSTIN LAKE FOREST &Wh64A'q" OC Human Relations At OC Human Relations we believe that all people should live free from discrimination and violence. We have a mission to foster mutual understanding among residents and eliminate prejudice, intolerance and discrimination in order to make Orange County a better place for ALL people to live, work, go to school and do business. During 2014-15, we impacted the lives of over 50,000 students, families, educators and residents across Orange County. 3 MISSION VIEJO LAGUNA %MEN' NIGUEL LAGUNN JUAN BEAISTRANO AN AN During 2014-15, we impacted the lives of over 50,000 students, families, educators and residents across Orange County. 3 BRIDGES Safe & Respectful Schools A Year in the Life of BRIDGES Schools: Loara High School In 2014-15 the Loara BRIDGES Program launched an anti -violence campaign to build empathy, provide resources, and offer alternatives to violence. Activities included the Not in Our School anti - bullying campaign which reached more than 21000 students through movie screenings, classroom presentations, an "upstander" pledge wall, art contest, lunch time activities and a homegrown play by Loara Thespians seen by more than 1,000 students. In addition, students led the You are Not Alone depression awareness campaign to support Suicide Prevention by showing PSA's produced by the Loara Thespians in all classes, creating a "Send Silence Packing" backpack exhibition that students visited during lunch, and distributing yellow ribbons and life- line cards for all students. In addition, students will participate in Peer Mediation and Community Circles to equip students in peer mediation skills to resolve conflict, with the aim of violence prevention. Students will be trained by OC Human Relations to mediate peer- to-peer conflict and community building circles on campus. Garden Grove High School The BRIDGES Safe & Respectful Schools team at Garden Grove High School unified their campus during the 2014-15 school year around civil rights history, school safety and issues of respect. This group focused on civil rights history by hosting OC Human Relations' Civil Rights History Exhibit on campus. Students also visited the Mexican American History Museum, hosted a forum around the Mendez v. Westminster case that desegregated Orange County schools, and participated in a local Cesar Chavez Day march. Students also focused on Safe and Respectful Classroom activities, including student -led trainings for 120 teachers on Creating Safe Classrooms, the recognition of 30 teachers who create safe classrooms, a collaboration with the Gay Straight Alliance to host the National Day of Silence, plus "Love Doesn't Have to Hurt" training for 150 students, three all -day human relations retreats that integrated English Language Learners, and a Unity Fest with live music, cultural performances, a resource fair, food, and college and career information for over 300 students and parents. '1 learned how to communicate, to make new friends and 1 learned to respect others so others can respect me." Josue, BRIDGES Skills for Success Student Newport Harbor High School Newport Harbor High School BRIDGES students focused their school year on teacher appreciation and engagement, peer mediation and breaking down cultural divides on campus. Activities included teacher engagement and appreciation. Students recruited teachers and parents to advise BRIDGES efforts and engaged adults through a kick-off event, trainings and presentations on school data. These allies integrated and promoted BRIDGES activities in their classrooms and campus organizations. In addition, two teachers, one counselor and one administrator were recognized for creating safe classrooms and spaces and combating bullying at an after-school reception in their honor. To show the power of positivity, students distributed over 500 compliments across campus during BRIDGES Compliment Day. Peer Mediation was also a focus, as a cohort of 30+ students were trained in peer mediation and continued the school's commitment to offering mediation as an alternative to discipline. For more than 15 years, this effort has been supported by the administration and has been useful in peer-to-peer conflicts. Finally, students looked at Bridging Cultural Divides. During the spring, BRIDGES students began to raise questions about why the social interaction at lunch seemed to be largely segregated by race/ethnicity. They are currently planning a campaign to encourage students to "break down the walls" that divide them by inviting all students to eat lunch together. 0 � OC Human,R�elatior Our Partner 22,543 Students Schools 504 Anaheim Community Parents Day School Fountain Valley High School Garden Grove High School Huntington Beach High School Loara High School Magnolia High School Newport Harbor High School Savanna High School Servite High School South Jr. High Spring View Middle School Sycamore Jr. High Valley High School Westminster High School 194 Administrators 1,277 Teachers 304 School Staff 155 Community Members We Create Safe, Inclusive and Respectful Schools This year, with your support, our BRIDGES Safe & Respectful Schools Program team: • Engaged 24,977 Students, Educators, Families and Community Members in over 600 intergenerational school Task Force meetings, retreats, trainings, programs, circles, presentations and school -wide events at 14 local BRIDGES schools. • United 650 diverse Orange County students and educators from 26 Orange Countyjunior and high schools, including two private schools, at our annual Walk In My Shoes Youth Conference. • Facilitated 109 Staff development sessions, parent presentations and classroom presentations. • Led 102 Restorative Justice Community Circles with students, educators and families in school settings. • Graduated 56 Spanish -Speaking Parents from our 7 -week Parent Leadership Institute at three local schools: Loara High, Savanna High and Bernice Ayer Middle Schools. • Supported 37 Academically Challenged Students in our Skills for Success Program at one school. • Trained 20 Youth Leaders from ten cities at our annual BRIDGES Summer Leadership Camp from ten cities. • Facilitated 20 Day -Long BRIDGES retreats. • Mentored 19 High School BRIDGES Youth Leaders in our BRIDGES year-long OC Youth Organizers (OCYO) Internship Program, from nine schools. • Coordinated 8 School -Based mediation trainings. 5 Community Building Community Building Initiative in Anaheim • Target Neighborhood: "ABC neighborhood" (Alameda, Brownwood, and Catalina streets) in Anaheim, an under -resourced neighborhood where we have begun groundwork for a long-term capacity building and leadership development project. • Funding Source: St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund • Partnerships: Established new partnerships during our first phase of development, including: City of Anaheim -Community Services Division, Anaheim Police Department and the Anaheim Union High School District. We have all heard the saying "it takes a village." We want our children to grow up in a safe and healthy environment, free of violence. But how do we really accomplish that in a neighborhood riddled with problems of violence, drugs, gang activity, lack of safe outdoor spaces for children to play, and high crime rates? OC Human Relations is working to build neighborhood leaders in a community in Anaheim that is facing When Hate Comes to Town these challenges head-on. Together, we are working to develop grassroots leaders to collaboratively and strategically plan and map out a detailed blueprint, which will be implemented over three years. During this timeframe, results will be carefully measured and tracked in order to guarantee positive changes are occurring and improvement measures are working. Even though this community improvement project is in its early phases, positive outcomes are already starting to emerge and volunteer residents are seeing that when a community is empowered, their assets come alive and the transformation begins. Thanks to funding from the St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund, we have been engaging community residents and partners to lay out the foundation of this community building initiative. Over the next three years, OC Human Relations is excited to see how this community grows. Some key areas our project aims to target are low-level crimes, youth engagement, safety, green space, parental involvement, and community appearance. Though it will take time to collect data and see our vision unfold, unexpected outcomes are already starting to surprise us! So far, our Community Building team has successfully: • Hired and trained one new employee to join the OC Human Relations staff and to lead the initiative • Facilitated 30 Core Team Meetings with engaged residents • Led 5 Community Forums for residents • Collected feedback from 240 households via door-to-door community input survey distribution • Engaged the core team of neighborhood residents in over 600 hours of volun- teer service • Graduated one neighborhood leader from our Basic Mediation Certification Training What happens when an Orange County school is targeted by hate? How do we respond when our students feel targeted and confused? The answer is: with great love and great force. Last April the City of Anaheim and Anaheim High School were notified that a nationally recognized hate group planned to hold a protest on the public property adjacent to the school, with the intent of spewing anti -gay slurs and sentiments. OC Human Relations was called on as a resource to support the school community with information, strategy development and people power. Our BRIDGES team was on campus in the days leading up to the protest and the day of the incident to provide safe spaces for students and staff to come together. On the day of the protest our staff, Board members and Commissioners joined local education leaders, law enforcement, residents, alumni, students and supportive organizations from across the county to take a stand against hate. In its finality, the protest went unnoticed in comparison to our counter message of support and acceptance for all people. 11 Y6 2,, s Rusty n � 9 Human RelaoEG san as Ana. CA 97 )OS'n9 a Oear Rusty, ashe Anahe. [he OC Nun,an� n Hi ' Rerapo s`nPPloso-,ctaPa enacura9eme t r boars c eam�n9 me wes , rot yP. 'n of �„stees a Yo��r r 9rearr rba pbA of ss! ndflS 3P�toan Y aPPren ro tla Churc m `� ` sincar! m ensu to lrvP, `, sfer,mu, Pr,or to an n P otes tl suPPer 1 r thank You, as a wPrka°`scr: `af-n+ _ aaunn tour Haa0 10 20"" PT'?'rhen9 You� oru bus�ss� � L°�� no n oan`C �nevCenf �ahe APr�I Zp eceve ?owre��p inn tlents, n an Refarrons. r9anr;yr�o^ f(,Y[ommuY PLr info dctfone C untY d jef >"nafe Q� e S'nce ry sranns for antl eve our t?eAnahelm Hl e�a/ca r�udce, rYthrnq you nn rrrc[ srn9e e vna o!"A[G e PA= "' Y✓t4 We com n OC Mrchaaf e n sncarn a' nrats„aa �`�-.. tenses[ AAnneO,ma'e Raf Trustees Ka na L a AnC�erkreJo, P,-esitlent Brran G'ry I �Yr`Sm:th Ar labb ear, nrembenssrstant clerk r• Member =lnahefn�pniun It is a proud day in Orange County when we come together to express Hi ghs,,,ep,O,SUPER t .Sot V. CmscV7"S pI.FI(:g to our youth and community that hate will never prevail when good people get involved and take a stand together. ' YI999.,J.io2 6 Sze,/! tleo of the event at facebook,cornfochumanrejations ALLPEOPIL ARF Fri F _--- Community Empowerment. One Woman's Story A key community volunteer is a mother named Debbie, who despite struggling financially and personally, has made it a top priority to be an integral part of the neighborhood organizing project in Anaheim. In fact, the project has empowered Debbie so much that she has been motivated to go back to school to attain an administrative certificate and has completed the required hours of training to perform mediation sessions in order to help her community further. It is our hope that as this community project unfolds, we will see other residents follow Debbie's lead to rise up, engage deeply and take their community back! ANNUAL AWARDS 44 GALA CELEBRATED JUSTICE, DIVERSITY AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT Our 2015 AWARDS Dinner and Fundraiser, sponsored by SoCalGas, celebrated local unsung heroes in our diverse OC communities, schools and businesses who engage in human relations issues in powerful and moving ways. AWARDS 44 continues on page 12 We Build Community This year, with your support, our Community Building team: • Worked with more than 1,500 people through advocacy and support at community meetings, public forums, city council meetings and Board of Supervisor meetings to address homelessness issues in Orange Co u nty. • Delivered 28 presentations to brief Elected Officials and Police Chiefs on local hate crime trends and concerns. • Documented 40 Hate Crimes in our annual Hate Crime Report. • Responded to 12 Victims of Hate Crime in Orange County. • Delivered 5 Police Academy Trainings to 192 police recruits in Orange County. • Gathered 1,000 People at 11 showings of our traveling OC Civil Rights History exhibit in Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove and Orange. • Hosted 3 Listening Sessions to learn about the issues related to discrimination faced by the Jewish Community, the Transgender community and the Chinese American community. • Facilitated 30 Core Team Meetings and 5 Community Forums for residents from a targeted, under -resourced Anaheim neighborhood to begin groundwork for a long-term capacity building and leadership development project. • Engaged 400 Parents and Residents in 17 presentations about hate crimes and immigration. • Attended 12 Diverse, Collaborative Community Events, including marches, rallies and vigils for peace, equality and justice. i; < N Dispute Resolution Program Fostering Police/Community Relationships OC Human Relations has a long history of partnering with law enforcement and the community to promote community -oriented policing strategies. Our award-winning Police/ Community Reconciliation Program offers residents assistance with understanding and navigating the OC Sheriff's complaint process. It also gives community members and police an opportunity to effectively and peacefully resolve complaints with the help of a neutral mediator. Most recently, as relationships between law enforcement agencies and residents have been stretched to their limits, we have been leading local efforts to address tension and challenges between the community and the police. Over the past few months, we have facilitated a series of community circles to engage residents and officers in dialogue to improve relationships and learn from each other how we can work more effectively at keeping our families, friends and neighbors safe and free from violence and discrimination. This year, through our development of multiple on-going Police/Community Dialogues, we have been engaging diverse community groups such as the Transgender population, Latino neighborhood leaders, African American youth, and other groups with police officers. In these dialogues, we bring law enforcement and community members together to build understanding and trust, as well as dispel stereotypes that add to tension and could possibly escalate to confrontation or violence. We believe in the power of relationships to create change and will continue to work to create effective ways to bring these groups together in the interest of the safety and well-being of our communities. 2014-2015 Family Mediation Program Grows For the 5th year in a row, the OC Human Relations Family Mediation Program grew to better -provide high quality mediation services to low income and/or self -represented litigants in family court cases. Staff and volunteers mediated 36% more cases than in the previous year, opening 445 new cases and performed an additional 69 mediation sessions on existing cases. In over two-thirds of these cases, parties were empowered to create their own agreements rather than relying on a judge to make critical personal decisions for them. The efforts of the OC Human Relations volunteers are greatly appreciated by the judges who refer cases to the program as noted in the comments of one judge, "They are miracle workers and the parties seem to feel really good about accomplishing something together. I am so glad we have this "tool" at our disposal." Another focus of the Family Mediation Program has been to expand its comprehensive training program and reach out to professionals who engage with divorcing families, such as private mediators, attorneys, psychologists and divorce financial analysts. When these professionals incorporate mediation skills into their practice or consider referring parties to mediation, even more families in need are impacted in a positive way. "1 believe that mediation can be a powerful process for change it has the potential to transform difficult situations into improved outcomes for families. The Divorce Mediation Training is compre- hensive and was a great opportunity to add to my skill set." Training Participant, Licensed Clinical Social Worker "Working with OC Human Relations' mediation program is a special honor. 1 get to work with a variety of clients on all sorts of challenging matters and in most cases, facilitate a settlement that solves some immediate problems and often resolves some longer-term issues. It's a pleasure to work with my fellow mediatorspeople who bring expertise and wisdom from their careers and who foster a collaborative atmosphere." —Ross Conner, Volunteer Mediator 8 See volunteer profiles at ochumanrelations.org/volunteer Volunteer Mediator Profile: Sean Thomas, OC Human Relations Board Treasurer Sean Thomas not only serves as treasurer for OC Human Relations' Board of Directors, but he also devotes much of his time to volunteering, mediating, fundraising and participating in events for the organization. As a boy living in both Puerto Rico and Central New York with his Puerto Rican mother and Irish and Polish father, he learned from a very young age that even though we may have different words and ethnicities "we can live together in peace." When Sean and his partner of 43 years, Dan, moved to their home in Brea, they were warned: "[their] kind were not welcome in the neighborhood." Residents even started a petition in an attempt to force Sean and Dan out of the neighborhood. However, the couple stood their ground. Sean has spent his whole life standing up for the oppressed. He has been a voice, a I eader, a helper and a tireless fighter for human I IgIlLb. OC Superior Court Partnership OC Human Relations mediates conflict in the community, as well as in courts. Our team coordinates services and support at three local courts: Central Justice Center and North Justice Center (civil and small claims courts) and Lamoreaux Justice Center (family court). In an expression of our valued partnership, the OC Superior Court, judges and administrators honored our entire Dispute Resolution Program staff and volunteer mediators at their spring DRPA Civil Mediation Volunteer Appreciation Reception. Orange County Mediation Conference As co-sponsor of the annual OC Mediation Conference, we brought together 150 mediators at the UCI University Club. The program featured OC Board resolutions celebrating Mediation Week, shared by the Orange County Community Investment Division, presentations by an UCI Ombudsman, and OC Superior Court updates by commissioners and judges. We Bring People Together To Mediate Conflict This year, with your support, our Dispute Resolution Program team: • Handled 30 Police Complaints brought to the Commission for help and reconciliation. • Investigated 8 Conflicts referred by law enforcement for resolution. • Delivered 61 Presentations to the public and police about the Police/ Community Reconciliation program. • Helped 4,551 People in conflict with mediation services. • Conducted 2,106 Mediations, and resolved 66% successfully. • Provided 499 Family Mediations. • Certified 146 People who attended eight Basic Mediation Certification Trainings and two Basic Divorce Mediation Trainings (more than doubling last year's attendance). • Elevated 1,126 Mediators and their skill level via 29 Advanced Mediation Workshops. • Brought together 150 Local Mediators at our annual OC Mediation Conference. • Educated -16,071 Residents at 502 Dispute Resolution Program Presentations and 119 people in 17 Educational Workshops. • Utilized 78 Volunteer Mediators in our Dispute Resolution Program, representing Chapman University, CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Fullerton Pepperdine Law School, Trinity Law School, UCI, University of San Diego, Wellesley College, and Westwood College. • Engaged Volunteers in 10,200 Hours of Service via courtroom and office walk-in mediation support. "This was the most meaningful and relevant internship 1 have ever had. l learned a lot from the staff, fellow interns, and volunteer mediators." —Dispute Resolution Program Intern 9 OC Human Relations Commission Today, the County of Orange utilizes our nonprofit, OC Human Relations, as contracted staff support to the Commis- sion. Naturally, our nonprofit programs directly relate to the Commission's public charge, as the Commission is the root of our nonprofit's existence. Advocating for a Multi - Service Homeless Shelter and Permanent Supportive Housing The Commission led the City of Fullerton's Task Force on the Mentally III and Homeless, created in the aftermath of the death of Kelly Thomas in 2011. From that focused study on how we can do a better job protecting the vulnerable members of our community, emerged two top recommendations consistent with the OC Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. First: create multi -service homeless shelters around the county to consolidate the system of care for the homeless; and second: promote Permanent Supportive Housing developments to serve mentally ill people experiencing homelessness. This year the Commission collaborated with faith communities, non-profit providers, housing advocates, public agencies, business leaders, and local leaders to support several multi- service homeless shelters, bringing this critical need very close to becoming a reality with the first such shelter in Anaheim. Additionally, the Commission successfully advocated the development of A Community of Friends Permanent Supportive housing project in Fullerton which will integrate housing units to support people with mental illness. Facilitating Police/Community Dialogues A critical need to facilitate dialogue between police and diverse youth and adults was identified by the Commission as a priority response to growing tension, hostility and fear across the nation and in Orange County. The Commission worked to help ease animosity and suggest a path forward when residents concerned about police abuse of Latino and other diverse communities responded with anger. Police/Community dialogues with Latinos in English and Spanish, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community were the initial elements of this strategy. Leading Listening Sessions with Diverse Communities To gain insight into Orange County's diverse communities, the Commission conducted Listening Sessions, going out to venues where people gather and engaging them in conversation. This year the Commission learned two challenges facing the Transgender community: issues related to feeling respected on the streets and feeling safe when interacting with law enforcement. Another Listening Session at Congregation Shir Ha Ma'alot gave insight into concerns about the international Jewish community as well as concerns here in Orange County. The session at the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center was a lesson in the different historical experiences and current issues of the Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and Mainland Chinese Americans. Handling Police Complaints and Reconciliation Seven years ago the Board of Supervisors asked the Commission to take responsibility for handling police complaints by adding a Police/ Community Reconciliation process to the tools available to residents. In 2014- 15 our staff fulfilled the Commission's charge by handling 38 police/community cases with face-to-face reconciliation sessions, assistance in navigation of complaints, and mediation. Documenting Hate Crime: 2014 Since 1991, the Commission has supported hate crime victims, educated the public and police on hate crime issues, and published an annual report on reported hate crime and the targets of that bigotry. A ten-year downward trend continued in 2014 when 40 hate crimes were reported, about half of those reported ten years ago. Race/ethnicity continues to be the most frequent motivation, followed by perceived sexual orientation and then religion. Overall Hate Crime Numbers Fell While the New Trend of Violence Against People Remained in 2014 15 10 ■ 8 6 5;.. ■ 3 0 49 40 2013 2014 Hate Crime Targets: African American LGBT Jewish Arab/Middle Eastern (including Muslim) i Latino Asian/Pacific Islander Christian 1! Buddhist 10 View annual hate crjn-ie reports a1 o.chumanrej.at ons,org/ala°fecrirne • One-third of reported hate crimes in 2014 were violent crimes, up from historical local trends. • Continuing a 20+ year trend, African Americans remain the most frequently targeted group in Orange County. While making up close to 2% of the county's population, African Americans were targeted in 28% of reported hate crimes. • The number of reported hate crimes targeting the gay and lesbian community and those perceived to be gay or lesbian rose slightly from 7 in 2013 to 8 in 2014. • There were 6 hate crimes targeting the Jewish community, up one from 5 in 2013. The Human Face of Hate • In August a lesbian couple was shopping at a local store. A man approached them and asked if they were lesbians. When they confirmed, he assaulted both of them, leaving the women in need of emergency room treatment. When the police 20,14Hate Crim and interviewed • _ , witnesses, they. originally classified the crime as a robbery. After the OC Human Relations Commission and The Center OC contacted law enforcement, police authorities determined that the crime would be charged as a hate crime and presented to the District Attorney for prosecution. While a senior Vietnamese American woman traveled on her daily trip to a convalescent hospital where her husband lived on life support, she was targeted by a man upon getting off her bus. The man shouted racial slurs at her, kicked her in the chest and knocked her to the ground. When people from the bus came to her aid, the perpetrator fled and was not caught. OC Human Relations was contacted for support. A Commissioner and our CEO visited the woman to provide emotional support and resources. O�LjFOg��� We Stand Behind the Orange County Human Relations Commission For decades, a critical element of our nonprofit work has been to support the efforts of Orange County's Human Relations Commission. In 1971, when the OC Human Relations Commission was created by the Board of Supervisors, in collaboration with the League of Cities, we were assigned the responsibility to build mutual understanding among Orange County residents and eliminate prejudice, intolerance and discrimination. OC HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION Kenneth Inouye, Chair Becky Esparza, Vice -Chair Nadia Saad Bettendorf Bekele Demiss[e Timothy Kowa[ Chief Dave Maggard Bang Van Pham Rev. David Rader Rabbi Richard Steinberg CarolTurpen C. William Wood Doug Wooley 11 { �Human Relations ,- 1 i• L `•Yj j .9 Celebrating Justice, Diversity and the Human Spirit OC Human Relations annual Awards celebration brings together over 500 local, diverse community and business leaders to celebrate unsung heroes who have made exemplary contributions to human relations in schools, cities, businesses and police departments in Orange County. Supporters of this event send an important message to the community that they are committed to creating and Orange County where ALL people are valued and respected. Sponsored by SoCalGas A Sempra Energy utiiity 12 earn more at ochumanrelationsawards,org 2015 Awards Honorees: Community Policing Officer Jenny Lindsey, Irvine Police Department Diverse Community Leaders Farrah N. Khan The Bravo Family Nicholas Academic Centers Distinguished School Savanna High School Distinguished Businesses, Embracing Diversity and Inclusion Program Support Complete Audit The private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) OC Human Relations Council's independent audit was conducted by the firm Paul Shishima & Company, CPAs. The auditors issued an unqualified opinion for the year ending June 30, 2015 concluding that OC Human Relations' finances were in compliance with standard accounting principles. OC Human Relations' Fiscal Year 2014-15 total cash expenses were $1,545,321 and income was $1,482,400. In-kind contributions were valued at $84,893. The audit repor Assets of $1,822,881 with Liabilities of $465,669, Equity of $1,357,212, for year Total Liabilities and Equity of $1,822,881 Staffing Full time permanent staff increased to 10 U 11b year, augmented by 10,200 hours from volunteers who serve as mediators, Board members, Commissioners, Community Partners, and interns, as well as individuals who donated their professional services. oC Human Relations Where the Money Comes From • Generous donations from individuals, businesses and foundations totaling about $661,368 were facilitated by the investment of time, energy and resources by our Staff, Community Partners, and nonprofit Board of Directors. • California Court filing fees funded a $300,000 Dispute Resolution Program grant. • The County of Orange provided $252,000 for our nonprofit staff to support the public OC Human Relations Commission. • Fees for services brought in $166,230 of income. • 20 cities paid $93,089 in dues. • Interest accounted for $9,635 of income. • These funds supported the nonprofit charitable programming expenses of $1,482,400 in FY 2014-15. Our Staff Jim Armendaris Sara N. Babadi-Sharif Seema Bhakta Alfonso Clarke Nabil Dajani Alison Edwards Peko Gomis Don Han Barbara Hunt Jennifer Jones Rusty Kennedy Norma Lopez Adriana Cortes Luna Edgar Medina Melisa Montano -Ochoa Melissa Morgan Joyce Sanchez Kathy Shimizu Kristian Vallee Sheri Wingate 13 ThankYou for Caring About Orange Cc It's Good for the Community, It's Good for Business. Our community partners are successful business and community leaders who support and promote respect and understanding in Orange County's increasingly diverse communities.The philosophy we share: greater community harmony creates an environment conducive to building an equipped and viable workforce for our future, making Orange County a better place to live, work and do business. Thank You for Caring About Orange County We are grateful to these incredible supporters whose investments are making a difference in our community. Community Partners Advisory Board Jack Toan, President Vice -President, Wells Fargo Neena Master, Vice -President Director of Community Relations, SoCalGas, A Sempra Energy Utility Ralph Bauer Retired Mayor, Huntington Beach Rhonda Bolton Corporate Diversity, Kia Motors America Kay Carpenter Retired, ConAgra Carol Chaney School and Community Relations, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union Donnie Crevier CEO, Crevier Classic Cars Lynn Daucher Former Director, California Department of Aging Gary Dunn Executive Vice President, Banc of California Rossina Gallegos Director, Union Bank George Gibbs Manager, Community Affairs, UPS Dr. Jerry Hunter Retired Chancellor, North Orange County Community College District Kenneth K. Inouye Partner, Inouye, Shively & Klatt, LLP Jim Lehmann Consultant, Partners Advantage Dr. Greg McQuater Retired Executive, Taco Bell Corp. James McQueen Partner, McQueen & Ashman LLP Susan Reese Business Owner, Susan Reese Design Keith Swayne Founder, Keith and Judy Swayne Family Foundation Bill Witte President, Related California 14 Learn more at ochumanrelations.org/communitypartners. Champions $25,000 and above Crevier Family Fund Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Kia Motors America Orange County Community Foundation SoCalGas, A Sempra Energy Utility St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund Weingart Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation Sponsors $10,000-$24,999 Annenberg Foundation Banc of California Disneyland Resort Keith Swayne Keith and Judy Swayne Family Foundation Related California Sisters of St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation Steinmetz Family Foundation Supporters $51000-$9,999 Anita Varela & Rusty Kennedy Chevron Products Company Clearinghouse CDFI Edison International Employees Community Fund of Boeing Francisco Marmolejo Gurpreet Singh Ahuja, MD Susan & John Reese Tarsadia Foundation Union Bank University of California, Irvine UPS William Gillespie Foundation Advocates $2,500-$4,999 Ana C. Orellana California State University, Fullerton The California Endowment California Sikh Council City of Anaheim Gregory McQuater Henry T. Nicholas III Ingram Micro James & Simone Kozel Kay M. Carpenter Ken Inouye Leticia Mata McQueen & Ashman LLP North Orange County Community College District Orange County Department of Education Orange County's Credit Union The PIMCO Foundation Ralph & Charlene Bauer The Resnick Family Foundation Satinder Vir Singh SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union U.S. Bank Community Partners $1,000-$2,499 Adam Birozy Amy & Craig Nickoloff Bang Van Pham Bichlien Nguyen Bill Wood Church of Jesus Christ of LDS Foundation Clem C. Glass Foundation Congregation Shir Ha -Ma'alot Frederick C. Balzer Jeff Lyall Jeffrey & Margaret Sotzing Jerome Hunter Judith A. lannaccone Julio Badin Karen Stoyanoff Lilia & Adrian Tanakeyowma Lin Fujitsubo Lynn M. Daucher Margaret & Bartley Harloe Margaret M. Gates Nicholas Academic Centers Pacific Western Bank Parking Concepts Peter G. Welsh Rebecca Esparza Rosa Diaz Sean Thomas & Thomas Long St. Jude Medical Center Vivian Perez Friends $250-$999 Alan Sorkin Alison & Chris Edwards Brian Mann Dolly S. Kaplan Douglas Bystry Evelyn Miller Fran Rahimi Gregory Chatterton Imran Qureshi Jim Lehmann Julianne Holt Kellogg Supply Inc. Kristine Long Lisa Bartlett Mai V. An Maria K. Khani Marie Otto Nabil Dajani Neena Master Nguoi Viet News, Inc. Nydia F. Hernandez Ora Ben -Barak Patricia Mai & Son Thu Bui Pepperdine University Riley & Rebecca Newman Rita A. Lehmann Sharon Preston Southern California Mediation Association T & T Gas & Auto Service Thomas D. Long To Quang Pham, MD Tustin Police Department Victoria Stephenson Vinh N. Hoang Vivian Clecak Walt Disney Company Foundation Please contact us if there is an oversight in listing your contribution. Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of our donor list for the period covering this annual report: July 1, 2014 -lune 20, 2015. For a full list of Donors, including $120 level Annual Members, visit ochumanrelations.org/partners. INVEST IN GOOD. Contact Melissa Morgan, Director of Partnerships at 714-480-6582 or melissa@ochumanrelations.org to learn how your partnership can change lives. oc AC40.6kHuman Relations We need partners like you. Join us in building respect and cooperation within our schools, neighborhoods, institutions and workplaces. We're looking for Orange County leaders who share our vision of the future. Together, we can make Orange County a better place to live, work, go to school and do business. OC BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Todd Spitzer, Chair, Third District Lisa Bartlett, Vice -Chair, Fifth District Andrew Do, First District Michelle Steel, Second District Shawn Nelson, Fourth District Frank Kim, County Executive Officer Steve Franks, OC Community Resources Director CITY PARTNERS Aliso Viejo Anaheim Brea Buena Park Cypress Dana Point Fullerton Garden Grove Huntington Beach Irvine Laguna Beach Laguna Niguel La Habra Lake Forest La Palma Los Alamitos Mission Viejo Newport Beach San Clemente Santa Ana Tustin ljwl�i.o,chu ai-irelatjuns.org/ akeadi 'erence. 15 Make a Difference in Orange County. STAND WITH US. Since 1971 we have worked hard to address issues of prejudice and discrimination in Orange County. We provide quality programs and services in schools, communities and courtrooms to build safe and strong schools, empower active and engaged residents, find innovative ways to resolve conflict and take a stand against hate and discrimination. Utilize our expertise. Partner with us. Share our passion. OC Human Relations ,tci> .46 Building community by fostering respect, resolving conflict and pursuing equality 1300 S. Grand Avenue, Bldg. B, Santa Ana, CA 92705 — (714) 480-6570 OC Human Relations is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that can thrive with the help of supporters like you! Tax ID #33-0438086 Join our a -list by textirlg EQUALITYMATTERS to 22828 or vjz3 r ochumanrelations,orc 0001�"