202 Free Glasses!
This week was the second annual December Health Fair! This collaborative event is coordinated by Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, hosted by the Shea Center, and Unidos South OC brings the people! It was so nice to see familiar faces from the community. A few moments stand out:
I helped Arnold respond to an email from the new affordable housing manager.
I caught up with Jessica*, a former coworker in a restaurant. She shared her medical struggles with tears in her eyes, and I encouraged her to apply for CalFresh and shared 211 resources with her while I stood in line with her.
Then Rafael came by the Unidos table to proudly share that he’d gotten his citizenship thanks to the Citizenship Forum and Fair that we planned in October 2023. That moment made my heart so full!
I also made Christmas Store appointments for a couple of moms who came straight from work.
On top of it all, I managed to get a free eye exam and free glasses!
The Jamboree staff even thanked us, saying many people already knew about the interest list for their new affordable housing apartments because Unidos had already shared with them. That made me smile.
Days like this remind me why we do what we do—it’s all about showing up for the people who trust us.
-Miriam Zuñiga
Adult Programming Director
At the 2024 December Health Fair:
202 people received an eye exam and a free pair of glasses
200 individuals were served by the Social Services Administration (renewals and applications for Medi-Cal/Cal-Fresh)
120 Hams and 300 Produce boxes were distributed
2000 toys were given to children in attendance
(And John Chapman drove the Unidos van in circles for four straight hours to shuttle our neighbors to and from the event!)
*Names have been changed for privacy.
