The Elephant of Santa Ana

Peterson just completed his first portrait of the year for his organization Faces of Santa Ana. Jonathan Pope, a man in his mid-30’s, suffering from intense acid-reflux and currently living in a Santa Ana shelter, was Peterson’s first subject. The painting has a realistic quality to it, featuring…

Navigating Spaces as a Black Trans Woman

Violence and discrimination against transgender individuals has only increased in recent years. Having experienced numerous losses among friends, Miliana Singh tells stories of the cycle that trans women in her community faced, often falling into sex work and sacrificing healthcare for black-market procedures.…

Struggling to Find Solace

Undocumented workers are people who do not have the required legal documentation to work in the country they are in. Without legal documentation, they can be deported because of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Undocumented workers in the U.S. are faced with challenges on a daily…

A Conversation With Jessica Romley, COO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County

Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County is a nonprofit organization that matches mentors with youth facing adversity in the hopes of providing a supportive individual to the youths’ lives. This mentor program strives to provide a guiding mentor in order to keep youth on a positive path despite…

An End to Homeless Debt: Pro Bono Ticket Clinics Challenge Quality-of-Life Penalties

With an increasing trend in criminalizing homelessness, many individuals are forced to hide from authorities to avoid misdemeanors. Most cities have laws that prohibit the possession of a shopping cart or sleeping on the sidewalk, as well as life-sustaining activities such as pitching a tent, sitting and eating…

What Is the Real Cost of a Strawberry?

We top our açaí bowls with strawberries and slather our corn cobs with butter, but rarely consider the real cost of getting those foods to our plates. Most Americans do not think twice about where their food comes from. As a nation, we are more disconnected from our…

A Conversation With Anita Tam: The PTA Mom Turned Wonder Woman

Anita Tam, 53, is an Asian-American mother of 2 who immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong as a young adult. Based in the San Gabriel Valley, Anita has spent over a decade participating in a multitude of community outreach and volunteer programs. She is currently a…

How the Housing First Model Offers an Unorthodox Solution to Homelessness

Up until recently, the most prominent approach to solving homelessness appealed to the “conventional” wisdom, suggesting that society should aim to alleviate common problems surrounding homelessness like trauma and addiction in hopes to facilitate a homeless individual's ability to to find a stable home. …

United to End Homelessness: An Interview with Sue Parks

United to End Homelessness is an initiative whose mission is to reduce homelessness in Orange County to functional zero by 2024. By collaborating with other organizations, government agencies, and public institutions like UC Irvine, United Way is dedicated to helping the community and its constituents. After speaking with…

Photo-essay: Women Marching Into a Promising New Year

Pictured are images of the 2019 Los Angeles Women's March from January 19th, a demonstration that attracted thousands of attendees with their signs and flags voicing concerns with issues against women. The march carried themes of empowerment and asserting the demands of women all over California and the…
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