Latest Headlines on OCRegister.com
[x] Close
Inside the OC Register ~ Just another FreedomBlogging.com weblog

‘Gift of Giving’ explains people and purposes behind OC nonprofit agencies

November 18th, 2009, 2:52 pm by Eric Morgan, Communications Manager
giftofgivingcover

2009 Gift of Giving cover

Job losses and the economic recession have had a devastating effect on families and children in Orange County. Growing numbers of people find themselves in need of basic necessities – food, shelter, clothing and other critical services. What is being done to lift up our neighbors in need? And what can we do to help?

The Orange County Register’s annual Gift of Giving section provides some inspiring stories to that end, as explained by local nonprofit agencies making a lasting impact on people’s lives. The section includes descriptions of families in need, volunteer opportunities during the holidays, and explains how you can join other volunteers and donors to make a difference in our community.

A 20-page print edition published in the Register today, with an introductory message from Register Publisher Terry Horne. The online edition invites you to share your own stories on how you give, and includes some impressive illustrations submitted by readers as part of a recent “design the Gift of Giving cover” contest.

While its Nov. 18 publication date coincides with the upcoming holiday season, the Gift of Giving section is also published on National Philanthropy Day. Copies of the section were distributed at the 24th Annual National Philanthropic Day Awards Luncheon, held earlier today at the Anaheim Marriott. The event was hosted by the Orange County Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and was presented by The Orange County Register.

About 100 communities throughout the country celebrate this day by honoring the individuals, businesses and groups that enhance their communities through philanthropy. And you thought it was just an ordinary Wednesday!

Thanks to all of the participating charities, sponsors and readers who contributed to raising awareness for critical needs in our community through the Gift of Giving section!

Posted in: Community Involvement • OCRegister.com • Partnerships • People • Special sections • • | Post a Comment »

Ever give a holiday gift that changes someone’s life?

November 13th, 2009, 10:57 am by Eric Morgan, Communications Manager

I heard a colleague talking about her Christmas shopping list at lunch today. My wife recently asked for ideas on what we should get for our nieces and nephew. My mother-in-law asked about gift ideas for me the other day. Aside from a few gift cards, nothing jumps out as a “must-have” when it comes to gift giving or receiving.

soc-logoAsk that same question to the eight children’s charities selected as beneficiaries for The Orange County Register’s 2009 Season of Caring campaign, and they’ll be quick to answer: Provide after school tutoring for more kids. Connect parents of children with disabilities to specially trained teenagers who have an interest in working with disabled children. Cover costs for pediatric equipment at a Laguna Beach clinic that provides urgent-care services for kids, but completely lost its government funding this year. Those are gifts that will make a lasting impression.

As the Register begins telling personal stories of children (and the nonprofit agencies that serve them) this Sunday, I encourage you to give them a read and contribute to the campaign. The stories will run in the Register’s Local section from Nov. 15 to Jan. 3 on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, alongside an invitation to donate to the campaign.

Whether it’s $5 or $500, you can help support some very tangible “dreams” in the community and make them a reality. With economic conditions what they are, there’s an even bigger need to lend a hand to children who need our support.

Eight charities were selected to receive funds from the 2009 campaign, and were announced by our partner, Costa Mesa-based Festival of Children Foundation, last month.  100 percent of the funds raised will go directly to the eight charities.

Related stories:

Posted in: Community Involvement • | Post a Comment »

Community rallies around fire safety and emergency preparedness

November 11th, 2009, 4:51 pm by Eric Morgan, Communications Manager

It’s not too far fetched to say the generous support of a few local organizations may very well save lives during the holiday season.

A special thanks goes out to PrideMark-Everest Insurance Services and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, who presented a $15,678 check yesterday to the Orange County Fire Authority as a grant to promote fire safety and prevention.

Orange County Fire Authority is directing this contribution to Register In Education (RIE), which provides local teachers with learning tools and copies of the Register to utilize as living textbooks.

firesafetyThe Register published its fifth annual Fire Safety guide (pictured at left, and downloadable here) on Oct. 7 during National Fire Prevention Week. The 12-page section is one of RIE’s primary educational tools, and is distributed to local schoolchildren in addition to running in the paper. It includes important information on how to protect homes from fires, safety tips, and preparing for earthquakes and emergencies.

The section has cool drawings, a maze, word search and connect-the-dots elements so kids can learn and have fun at the same time.

This local grant to Orange County Fire Authority, and other financial contributions from sponsors like the National Fire Sprinkler Association, makes it possible for the Register to produce this section.

A heartfelt thanks to these organizations for supporting our local firefighters and keeping our community safe!

ff

Thanks to the folks at PrideMark-Everest Insurance Services and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company for their support of fire safety, prevention and education

Posted in: Community Involvement • | 2 Comments »

With today’s redesign, OCRegister.com turns over a new leaf

November 9th, 2009, 4:25 pm by Eric Morgan, Communications Manager

treesGrowing up in the Chicago area, I always enjoyed seeing the leaves change color and eventually coat our backyard. A few months later, the leaves would be replaced by snow.

The change of seasons isn’t as dramatic in Orange County, and I’m ok with that. While picturesque, I’ve done my fair share of raking and shoveling snow.

As a kid, I’d occasionally turn a chore into an adventure by raking a big pile of leaves together and diving in headfirst with a Nerf football in tow, thinking I was Walter Payton breaking through a stingy defensive line.

We experienced our own distinct “change of season” at Orange County Register Communications today, with the official launch of our new OCRegister.com site.

Today’s launch was a massive undertaking, and hundreds of associates have worked tirelessly during the past several months to make it happen. It was akin to raking 200,000 piles of leaves together (as in 200,000 Web pages from our old site, and transitioning them into a new design and publishing platform). And now the fun part begins: we’re encouraging our community to jump in.

Much like a good snow shoveling, we’ve also tried to clear the path to useful content with a cleaner-looking design, one that helps the community navigate through our site a lot easier.

Everyone involved in “raking the leaves” received some much-deserved recognition this morning from OCRC and Freedom leaders at a launch celebration in our newsroom (click on the related video below).

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Brightcove video.

The new site is one milestone in our company’s vision to become a leading provider of local information, and to deliver news and information through interactive platforms that empower our users. But our work is not done.

We’re always looking for your feedback on how we’re doing. So please take a moment to share your thoughts on the new site in the comments area below, or through our new site overview and FAQ page.

Posted in: OCRegister.com • Redesign • | Post a Comment »

Welcome to the new OCRegister.com - what do you think?

November 9th, 2009, 5:01 am by Eric Morgan, Communications Manager

Today is a huge day for the folks at Orange County Register Communications - our new site is born! It’s been more than a year in the making, and hundreds of people have worked awfully hard behind the scenes to pull it off.

More importantly, we hope it’s a big day for people we serve in the Orange County community. Did you like what you saw when you logged on to the site this morning? If so, it only gets better.

Beyond a cleaner-looking design, the new OCRegister.com allows you to customize your home page by topics you’re interested in or the cities where you live and work.

Want to learn more? Check out the links below, and be sure to tell us what you think in the comments area below!

Related links:

Posted in: OCRegister.com • Redesign | 1 Comment »

« Previous Entries