Around Town: Rescue Mission seeks school supplies for homeless children
Residents of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Irvine are being asked to donate school supplies to children at the Orange County Rescue Mission’s Village of Hope in Tustin, a transitional living facility for the homeless.
Children at the Village of Hope attend various schools within the Tustin Unified School District.
“Currently, there are 79 children living at the Village of Hope, and approximately 42 of those children are school-age,” Jim Palmer, president of the Orange County Rescue Mission, said in a statement. “Preparing these young children for school and providing basic school supplies helps to lay the foundation for future development and growth.”
The Rescue Mission is seeking college- or wide-ruled paper, boxed markers, colored pencils, highlighters, index cards, packs of Kleenex and disinfectant wipes.
Donations can be dropped off at the Village of Hope, at 1 Hope Drive in Tustin. The donation warehouse is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
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Concordia opens institute for leadership and counseling programs
Concordia University Irvine announced Monday the opening of the Townsend Institute for Leadership & Counseling, led by Newport Beach-based psychologist, author and speaker John Townsend.
The institute will be a part of the School of Professional Studies at Concordia. It was previously located at Huntington University in Indiana.
According to a news release, Concordia University Irvine is the only university to offer the Townsend Institute for leadership and counseling programs.
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Costa Mesa Planning Commission to hold special meeting
Members of the Costa Mesa Planning Commission will hold a special meeting Monday.
The commission will vote on whether to recommend that the City Council approve code amendments to reflect changes adopted as part of the recent update to the city’s general plan — namely a new land-use designation that would apply to the site of the Fairview Developmental Center — and the creation of a residential incentive overlay covering some properties along Harbor and Newport boulevards, particularly motels.
The meeting will start at 6 p.m. in City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.
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Code enforcement officer honored for cleanup efforts
Costa Mesa CEO Tom Hatch presented code enforcement officer Mike Brumbaugh with the CEO Leadership Award on Thursday at a monthly employee meeting.
Since 2012, Brumbaugh has been a part of the city’s Community Improvement Division. He has helped clean up the multifamily properties in the city’s Mission/Mendoza and Coolidge/Fillmore neighborhoods and recently helped a veteran find housing after 15 years of homelessness, according to a news release.
“[Brumbaugh] organized community cleanup days that restored pride to the neighborhoods and drew accolades from many who call that neighborhood home,” Hatch said in a statement.