Spice up for your good cause

Mika and Community & School Collaboration join with localneighbors to raise funds for community programs

Mayola is well known for her tamales in her neighborhood, but now Orange County can enjoy them at home! Mayola has joined with her neighbors and other members of the community to write and produce a cookbook, ‘El Corazon de Costa Mesa.’ Come enjoy live music, a performance from OCHSA’s Ballet Folklorico & home-made treats as Costa Mesa-based organizations Mika Community Development Corporation and Community & School Collaboration, Inc.(C≻) host the launch of the new cookbook. The festivities will be held in Triangle Square at 1870 Harbor Blvd. (entrance on the corner of Harbor Blvd. and 19th) on Friday, November 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 and are free to all. Samples from the ‘El Corazon de Costa Mesa’ will be available to all who attend.

This bilingual English/Spanish cookbook contains recipes from local residents, program participants, volunteers, staff and community partners. The theme was chosen as a reflection of local neighborhood leader’s passion for their families, neighborhoods and the city of Costa Mesa. This event will be the first opportunity to purchase “El Corazon de Costa Mesa” and will be available for a discounted price of $10.

About Community & School Collaboration:

Community & School Collaboration, Inc. (C≻), was established in 1998 in response to the growing need for assistance to families in Costa Mesa elementary schools. Over the years, C≻ has funded and provided several educational programs at schools in Costa Mesa including College Park, Wilson Elementary, Rea Elementary, Tewinkle Middle School, Wilson Preschool and Pomona and Killybrooke Elementary schools -- initiating positive and measurable changes in the lives of thousands of children and families along the way. The mission of C≻ is to help the under-served, preschool through sixth grade students in public elementary schools succeed in their education, contribute to their communities and reach their fullest potential. Believing that early intervention is the most effective tool to help these children, C≻’s nationally recognized Families and Schools Together (FAST) programs empower parents to be the primary prevention agents in their children’s lives and equip them with the necessary tools to create a healthy family environment and promote a child’s learning and lifetime success. For more information, please visit www.c-sc.org.

About Mika Community Development Corporation:

In 2003, Mika Community Development Corporation was created to identify and equip leaders in low income neighborhoods to build communities with VISION (Vision - Interdependent relationships - Servant leadership – Impact – Organization - Networks). Mika currently works in four low income neighborhoods in Costa Mesa, CA empowering children, youth and adults in addressing the complex issues facing their neighborhoods. Mika’s activities center around three main areas: Neighborhood Development, Youth Development and Economic Development In order to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing Costa Mesa, Mika focuses on building the capacity of neighborhood leaders to identify, design, and manage initiatives and projects that positively impact their neighborhoods. Healthy communities are built and sustained through systems that invite and welcome neighbors’ participation. For more information www.mikacdc.org.