Beyond the walls of the Roman Catholic Church Saint Boniface, beholds a congregation full of genuine warm hearted giving individuals. We stumbled upon these individuals by chance, as we strolled down the sidewalks into the local neighborhood community of Anaheim. While passing the Saint Boniface church, we noticed what appeared to be a small historic home perched in the center of the adjacent parking lot. We knocked on the door and met a woman who introduced herself to us as Amelia. She must have been in her mid fifties and had the energetic youth of a twenty year old. Her smile had so much warmth that gave a sense of peace within. As she spoke to us, a small little boy perched beside her, eager to discover who had come to the door. She introduced us to her grandson, and we noticed large boxes stacked beyond the door. Amelia explained that they were a food distribution center and not a residence, and that she is the director of a non-profit organization of which is made up of volunteers who want to give back to their community. Most of the volunteers are retired individuals donating their own time, and they reach out to families in need within the Saint Boniface Church boundaries. The food distribution center began 30 years ago as part of the Saint Boniface Catholic Church and many items are donated through the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul charity foundation within the church. Items are donated by local food vendors such as: Vons, Ralphs, the government, and various private entities. We learned that there are several churches and organizations that participate in reaching out to the communities in need and each is in charge of assigned perimeters within their own congregation. The Saint Boniface Food Distribution Center not only gives out food but they also assist with many other needs of the families, such as assistance with rent, utilities and temporary shelter programs.
The Lights Program provides services by providing temporary shelter for the night in a RV for inmates being released from jail at the midnight hour. Amelia explained that usually individuals released from jail at midnight have a hard time finding a place to stay at that time of night, so an RV is provided for them to sleep for the night. They also provide referrals and resources available to the inmates to assist them through their transition into the community.
Amelia explained each family or individual asking for assistance through their program is asked some basic questions to qualify and be assessed for various resource needs. If they are not able to assist the family, they are given referrals and directed to other resource programs that may possibly assist them. We were fortunate enough to be given an inside tour of the facility. Although it was a home at one time, presently each room has now been converted into its meant purpose for the food distribution center.
The food distribution center relies on donated items and volunteered services and has a positive impact beyond the limits of its own community. The organization of the facility is superb, and it provides a clean environment with neatly labeled sections of all stocked areas. As we walked to the back we were informed of the well-known bologna sandwiches that are made fresh and given out to people in need. In fact, we were told that even though these sandwiches are made with the simplest ingredients, they are well known and savored throughout the neighborhood community. We all concluded that the primary reason these sandwiches may have become so famous is because they are made from the heart of these volunteers.
As we continued to walk to the rear area of the center, we saw that people had begun to line up for food. They seemed to all know each other and were conversing and laughing together while children were prancing around the grounds playing. It was so cute to see the excitement on a particular young child’s face as he eagerly looked through the box of items that had just given to his mother, reaching fast for any sweets he may unravel. The gratitude of what was received was expressed with a smile from ear to ear. There was absolutely no monetary gain from all of what was given by the volunteers and that was made clear from the beginning. As we looked into the eyes of each person there was an obvious reward being received: the glow of happiness stemming from all the families they touched.
Jan Harp Domene is the Past National PTA President for Anaheim. Our group met Mrs. Domene in front of Anaheim High School on our exploration through the city and kindly gave us her view of Anaheim. Mrs. Domene grew up in Anaheim and is an alumna of Anaheim High School. She raised her family in Anaheim and her three children attended Anaheim High School. When her children where in grade school, she began her work with the PTA and is still currently involved. Mrs. Domene is a wealth of knowledge and gave our group insight into the school systems of Anaheim and the population that makes up the area. She explained that Anaheim consists of a large transitory population due to the tourism of the city. Due to this population, there is a large turnover in the school system. This turnover of students is due to student drop outs and families in and out of the city due to work.
The population is about 95% Hispanic and many cultures make up this community. The school accommodates the diversity by printing all school material in 58 languages and students are encouraged to get involved in sports and school activities. Mrs. Domene explained that there is a lack of parental involvement in the school system. She attributes this to language barriers and the need for parents to work. As a PTA president she said her job is to get out into the community and reach out to the parents, and the PTA seeks out the community in churches and on the soccer field. The parents in this community are more likely to get involved when it directly affects their children. Mrs. Domene continues to make a difference in her community and works to continue to make Anaheim a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
As we entered the 7th floor office in the Anaheim City Hall building, we were greeted by Karen, a City Hall employee. When we asked her about her life in Anaheim, she was very friendly in sharing some information with us. Karen has been living in Anaheim her entire life and has been working with the city of Anaheim for 4 to 5 years. She expressed that she really enjoyed living in Anaheim because the city was in the middle of everything. It is easy for her to get everywhere with many accessible freeways and there were a variety of things to do, like going to the beach. She also mentioned that she feels Anaheim handles tourism pretty well, given that Disneyland brings in so many people. When asked if there was anything she disliked about Anaheim, Karen said that she personally did not see any negatives to Anaheim, except for how strong earthquakes are felt.
Continuing on our journey to discover the heart of Anaheim, we met a vendor working her booth at the local street market named Linda. Linda has lived in Anaheim since her birth in 1947 in the same home, which has been passed on in her family for generations. When asked about her viewpoints of her community, Linda expressed her concerns about the recent cuts on bus transportation. She explained to us since the budget cuts, the bus schedules have changed and busses are not available as often as they once were. This could cause a great deal of issues for those who have no other means of transportation and who are dependent on bus transportation. The other concern Linda talked about is that some people may be cautious walking about at times during certain areas of Anaheim because of the possibility of crime. However, Linda expressed us she has been walking the same streets all her life and would continue to walk down them at any hour of the day without hesitation or fear. Linda had a positive attitude towards her community while speaking to us, and her determination to always reside there, showed her divine loyalty and admiration of her community.
Upon entering Anaheim’s local farmers market, located in the downtown business district, we approached a local vender, Karolin. Karolin has been a resident in Anaheim for seven years and has been advertising her privately owned jewelry business at the farmers market for roughly two months. When asked about her feelings regarding Anaheim she expressed that although the city looks nice and may be safe during the day, she felt the city to be unsafe, especially at night. Karolin spoke openly about her feelings regarding the schools in Anaheim. She feels as though the Anaheim schools have poor curriculum and lazy teachers, and because she cannot afford private schooling for her children, she plans to move to the city of Irvine within a few months. Karolin expressed her concern stating that she did not want her two daughters growing up in Anaheim. Karolin felt the assets of the neighborhood were the available public services, however stated that access to these resources is limited. She also said that residents must be actively involved to access these various programs and resources. Karolin said that her local business does well in Anaheim. Although she feels the famers market is not that popular, her local jewelry store is successful and it provides the extra income needed for her children’s activities.
While waiting at a crosswalk, we met a young lady named Emily. Emily was coming from the local laundry facility and she had her freshly cleaned laundry in stow. Emily explained to us she was here on her own completing an educational program with Disney and was getting ready to return home to Hawaii. Emily explained to us that the Disney program’s mission was to teach valuable business tools for a successful future. In her short time residing here, she expressed that she felt Anaheim was very touristy and that it tended to hide what California is all about. She felt people come here to stay, but in order to really know California they needed to venture out to the other cities as well. She was very eager to return to her homeland of Hawaii but enjoyed her time and the people she met here in Anaheim. Overall Emily had a positive viewpoint towards the community of Anaheim as with others who were in fact permanent residents of Anaheim. Besides being homesick Emily enjoyed her stay. 
