OC Residents are invited to attend The Stories that Connect Us, a free community event of celebration and awareness, presented by the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) and Orange County Resettlement Agencies. 

OIRA and Orange County Resettlement Agencies will host the event from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 29 at the Anaheim Central Library, 500 W. Broadway, Anaheim, CA 92805.

“For OIRA’s first official community event, I want to welcome and celebrate the rich talent, culture and experiences that our refugee and immigrant neighbors knit into the fabric of our Orange County community,” said OIRA Director Jose Serrano. 

Festivities will kick off with an art walk featuring work from Colombian American artist Andres Felipe Rivera, Venezuelan American artist Jhonaikel Vielma Belandria, Syrian Emmy award-winning video journalist Samer Alchikh Kouider and other featured artists. A Dabke performance by Western High School’s Arabic class will follow. Noorzad Productions, an Afghan family-owned event and party planning business, will cater the event with light appetizers featuring flavors from Afghanistan. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with artists and artwork, as well as the opportunity to share their own talent during Open Mic and Poetry Reading hour. 

The event aims to bring together people from various cultures and backgrounds to celebrate the unique characteristics, stories and contributions of refugee and immigrant residents in Orange County. All are welcome. 

For questions, please email OIRA at OIRA@ssa.ocgov.com.

A previous version listed an incorrect phone number for the Brea location.

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) is opening a second County Community Service Center (CCSC) in Brea on Monday, June 10. 

CCSC Brea is a one-stop shop for Orange County residents where their needs will be assessed to best match them to services and resources available from SSA, its co-located partners, other government agencies and community-based organizations.

With SSA, clients can apply for benefit programs that provide money for groceries, no- or low-cost health insurance, and cash aid. The OC Health Care Agency and CalOptima Health will help patients take control of their health care decisions. Additionally, job seekers and businesses can visit OC Workforce Solutions on the third floor to access employment resources. 

Community resource specialists will assist clients with vital records such as birth and marriage certificates, DMV appointments to get ID cards or driver’s licenses, and navigation of city and County services, among other comprehensive supports. Referrals to housing, childcare and educational services will also be offered.

The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs plans to place a social worker at CCSC Brea to connect clients to the services and resources they are eligible for. 

“The opening of this location is yet another milestone in the expansion of County services into our community,” said SSA Director An Tran. “The success of CCSC Brea comes from working with our co-located County and community-based partners. OC Health Care Agency, CalOptima Health, OC Workforce Solutions, the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, and SSA are bringing together our collective resources in one place.”

CCSC Brea joins CCSC Westminster, which serves an average of 1,600 clients each month. 

Staff at both locations can assist customers in multiple languages, including Spanish and Vietnamese. 

CCSC Brea, at 675 Placentia Ave., will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To contact CCSC Brea, call 714-834-7500 or email CCSCBrea@ssa.ocgov.com. 

CCSC Westminster, at 15496 Magnolia St., is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To contact CCSC Westminster, call (714) 372-3454 or email CCSCWest@ssa.ocgov.com. 

THIS IS A PLACEHOLDER

THIS IS A PLACEHOLDER EVENT

THIS IS A PLACEHOLDER EVENT

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