Foothills Sentry Page 8 FEBRUARY 2026 Assistance League supports student success Students in the Orange Unified School District (OUSD) come to school each day with the promise of learning and growth. Ensuring that promise is fulfilled requires more than classroom instruction alone—it takes sustained community partnership, shared commitment, and targeted support to help students overcome challenges and reach their full potential. For many years, Assistance League of Orange has served as a trusted partner to OUSD, working collaboratively with educators, families and district leadership to support students through practical, school-based programs. Through a volunteer-driven model, the organization focuses on meeting students’ academic and personal needs with care, consistency and respect. At the elementary level, the HALOS (Helping A Little One Succeed) program provides tutoring and mentoring that strengthens foundational skills and builds confidence. Operation 101 ensures every OUSD school receives essential classroom supplies —pencils, binders, notebook paper—so students are prepared to learn from the very first day of school. Operation School Bell® supports identified students with school uniforms, hygiene kits, backpacks, supplies and age appropriate books, helping remove barriers to classroom participation. Assistance League of Orange’s support extends through high school and into post secondary opportunities. Scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors within OUSD boundaries. Through Links to Learning, teachers receive curriculum enrichment grants that enhance classroom instruction districtwide. Assistance League also partners with the Orange Unified Public Schools Foundation (OUPSF), supporting initiatives and events that advance public education. Central to these efforts is volunteer engagement. Individuals from the community contribute their time and talents in a variety of roles, creating meaningful connections while making a measurable difference in students’ lives. Through continued collaboration and service, Assistance League of Orange remains committed to strengthening educational opportunity and supporting the long-term success of OUSD students. For information about volunteering with Assistance League of Orange, see alorange.org. OC Dems present best-selling author Jeff Pearlman, New York Times best-selling author of 11 books and The Truth OC, the spicy Substack that covers Orange County politics, will speak at the Feb. 25 meeting of the Central Orange County Democratic Club. Snacks and shmooze at 6:30 p.m., the general meeting is at 7 p.m. RSVP (CentralOCDems@ gmail.com) is required to attend. Central OC Dems includes Tustin, Tustin Hills, Orange, Villa Park and surrounding communities, however, Democrats from throughout Orange County are welcome to join. Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month in Tustin. Visit CentralOCDems.com for more information. Historic home relocated and restored By Guy Ball One of the oldest homes in Tustin was physically uprooted and moved in 1990 by a family who wanted to save this classic 1870s house from demolition. For the next decade or so, the building was lovingly restored by a Tustin couple and their children. The history of the W. W. Martin-Thompson House will be shared by the owners who saved the historic home at the Night at the Museum meeting, Feb. 20. They will talk about the home's background, starting from the bare lot purchased from Columbus Tustin in 1874, to moving the house from First Street to Sixth Street 100 years later. The move was only part of the work. The owners will also describe the tremendous amount of renovation over the years to bring back the building's original features (but including modern amenities of HVAC and utilities). This Night at the Museum meeting will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Tustin Area Museum, 345 El Camino Real in Downtown Tustin. Tickets are $20 per person, $15 each for members. Due to the limited seating area, tickets are expected to sell out quickly. For more information and tickets visit TustinHistory.com or call the museum, (714) 731-5701. OC introduces clerk-recorder on wheels Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen announced the launch of "Clerk-Recorder on Wheels," Jan. 9, a mobile van designed to bring essential clerkrecorder services directly to communities throughout the county. "We’re excited to be the first county clerk-recorder’s office in California to offer mobile services," said Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen. "It reflects our commitment to accessibility, innovation and public service by bringing essential services directly to the community. During our pilot testing phase, the mobile unit has already traveled more than 260 miles. It is also ready to provide critical records to residents across Orange County’s 34 cities.” The Clerk-Recorder on Wheels will offer vital records (birth, death and marriage certificates), passport services and passport photos, marriage licenses and marriage ceremonies, fictitious business name registrations and official copies of property records. The mobile van may travel to community events, schools, senior centers, and scenic locations suitable for wedding ceremonies within Orange County cities. For more information, visit OCRecorder.com or call (714) 834-2500. Orange Elks give back to community partners The Orange Elks #1475 recently donated money, gift cards and fundraised for the Orange Police Department, the Jasper Ray Foundation and the Orange City Fire Department. The Elks donated $500 to the Orange Police Department for its annual December “Shop with a Cop” program. Approximately 60 youngsters from Youth Centers of Orange received a “Shop with a Cop” T-shirt, a stocking, a Santa hat, dinner and a $100 gift card for shopping with a policeman in Walmart. The lodge held a Sunday Fun Day and raised over $3,000 for the Jasper Ray Foundation. The foundation is named for a toddler who did not reach his second birthday due to a preventable drowning accident. Drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children one to four years old. More children in this age group die by drowning than by traffic accidents. The donation will go to the Youth Center of Orange for swim lessons at its sumThe Orange Elks presented a $5,000 check to the Orange Fire Department for its Peer Support Program. mer swim camp. Another lodge Sunday Fun Day raised $5,000, donated to the Orange City Fire Department for its Peer Support Program. The Orange Emblem Club welcomed Doris MacDonald, President of the Supreme Emblem Club of the United States of America, at right, and her Marshal Marie Harvey to the Elks Lodge Jan. 11. The Supreme President visits as many Emblem Clubs across the USA as she can during her term of office. The Orange Emblem Club honored her with a luncheon. Crescendo features space writer/editor/commentator The Crescendo Guild of Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents “The Week in Space” by Rod Pyle, at its Thursday, March 19 Celebrity Series program. Pyle is editor-in-chief of Ad Astra magazine. He is a space historian who has worked with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Johnson Space Center. He has authored 10 books on the history and technology of space exploration and science, and produced documentary programming on spaceflight for the History Channel and Discovery Communications. He has spent a decade at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Pyle has been named one of the 100 most influential men working on space projects. The program begins a 10 a.m. at the Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St. Tickets are $45; Bowers’ members may buy a ticket for $35. Parking at the museum is $7. For information about tickets, contact Barbara Hagan at (714) 272-1134 or e-mail crescendoticketsbowers@gmail.com. The Guilds of Segerstrom, including the Crescendo Guild, raise funds to support the Center’s community engagement and arts education programs. Rod Pyle Members of the Assisteens Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Orange pack school supplies. The W.W. Martin-Thompson house Photo by Guy Ball
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA1MjUy