Community members celebrate milestones and support others … bravo!
A love story three-quarters of a century in the making
Bob and Joan Beamer recently celebrated their 75th anniversary and at the age of 99 and 94, they still hold hands and enjoy each other’s company most of the time.
Bob Beamer was born and raised in Glendale, joined the Navy in 1939 and ended up on the USS Savannah after boot camp.
A year in, he became friendly with one of the officers who was engaged to Joan’s aunt, Vera. In 1942 Bob was getting off the ship to go to a training school in New York. The officer asked Bob to give Vera a message once he reached New York, which Bob promptly did. One day, Vera asked Bob if he would like to come to dinner. Off to Brooklyn he went and his fate was sealed during the first meeting with Joan. They were married on Feb. 4, 1945, and after different postings in Virginia and Florida, they ended up in San Pedro.
Eventually, they moved to West Covina and later to north Santa Ana. By that time, they had three kids.
Bob and Joan started traveling the world and because they were home so seldom, they sold their house and moved into Sunkist Gardens Mobile home park where they have resided for the last 42 years. They have two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. They are very proud of the family they have created and enjoy spending time with them when everyone is in town.
Mission Viejo community promotes inclusivity in religious institutions
The Jewish community of Mission Viejo took an important step in promoting the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the synagogue and throughout Jewish communal life with the ShabbaTTogether global program at the Chabad Jewish Center of Mission Viejo. ShabbaTTogether is a project of the Ruderman Chabad Inclusion Initiative.
Honoring February’s designation as “Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month,” the community came together for an inclusive Havdalah service and Melava Malka dinner. Families young and old joined Rabbi Zalman Marcus as he led the service and noted Judaism’s recognition of the inherent worth and contributions of every member of our society. A key focus was on creating a safe space to reduce the stigma often associated with discussing mental health and discussing strategies for increased mental wellness, as well as the challenges community members living with disabilities face, particularly in religious settings such as the synagogue or holiday programs.
For more information about Mission Viejo’s ShabbaTTogether, visit ChabadOfMV.com.
Carrillo students present donation to civil rights activist
Students at Carrillo Elementary School welcomed civil rights advocate Sylvia Mendez during a special assembly and presented her with more than $1,000 to help fund construction of the Mendez Freedom Trail and Monument, which will be located in Westminster.
With hundreds of students excitedly listening, Mendez spoke about her experience growing up in Westminster and being one of the first Mexican-American students to attend a nonsegregated school. She also expressed the importance of not giving up and accepting people who are different from us. Students had the opportunity to ask Mendez questions about her life experiences.
Mendez’s parents played an essential role in Orange County’s civil rights movement. The Mendez vs. Westminster case helped desegregate Orange County schools and pushed for equal education for all students.
Submitted by Abby Boyles, Garden Grove Unified School District
Spreading the love of reading
Marco Enriquez, a sophomore at Aliso Niguel High School, is sharing his love of reading with Anaheim students.
Last fall, he began collecting gently used reading books in his neighborhood for Lincoln Elementary School in Anaheim. He donated 200 books to the school library and for some teachers who needed newer, updated, fun classroom books.
Recently, he donated more than 200 books to the same school. This time, he partnered with Scholastic Books, which donated new books to his collection.
Enriquez plans on continuing to collect school-age books for Lincoln Elementary. He wants to help grow the school’s library with updated, gently used and new books.
The Bravo! section highlights achievements of our residents and groups. Send news of achievements for consideration to ocrbravo@gmail.com.
from https://ift.tt/3cgYVyj Orange County Register https://ift.tt/3cgYW5l
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