This summer, select Orange County Public Libraries are offering Lunch at the Library to provide children and teens 18 and under with free summer meals. No registration is required. Meals are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), part of the Get Connected initiative, provides a monthly discount of up to $30 off home internet service and a one-time discount of up to $100 for a computer or a tablet to qualifying families of pre-kindergarten to adult students. For households on qualifying tribal lands, families could qualify for a discount of up to $75 per month. Approximately 400,000 Orange County households qualify for free or discounted high-speed internet service, though only about 35% of eligible households have enrolled. Households enrolled in programs like Lifeline, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, Federal Pell Grant and free school lunches qualify for ACP.

Nominations for the Hospital Association of Southern California’s (HASC) 2023 My SoCal Hospital Heroes Awards are now open. The awards highlight the outstanding work of hospital staff across medical, clinical, administration, operations and volunteer areas who have positively impacted patients or colleagues. Submit your nomination by Friday, July 28. For questions about the nomination or awards process, contact HASC Program Director, Event Planning and Marketing Devani Hubbard at 213-528-0715 or dhubbbard@hasc.org.

First 5 OC recently launched updated versions of Kid Builders, fun and easy free activities that parents can do with their young children. The activities are tailored developmentally by each year for ages 0–5 across six areas — body, mind, words, relationships, health and safety — that are crucial for children to be healthy and ready to succeed in school and in life. 

Community members are invited to join The Healthy Living Interactive Workshop Peer Leader training which will provide individuals with skills to help others improve their health. The training will be virtual and will take place every Tuesday and Thursday for eight consecutive weeks. For questions about the training, contact Frank Hernandez at 714-480-6451 or via email Frank.Hernandez@occr.ocgov.com. 

As of Saturday, May 27, service along Metrolink’s Orange County Line and Inland Empire-Orange County Line was fully restored. Following the April 27 track closure, the City of San Clemente and Metrolink performed emergency work to stabilize the slope and clear the right of way. For Metrolink service updates, click here.