Human Options Inc

Two Orange County nonprofit organizations--one dedicated to alleviating hunger and the other to preventing domestic violence--were the top recipients of Disneyland's annual Community Service Awards. Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and Human Options Inc. each received $50,000 at a ceremony Thursday at Disneyland's Fantasyland Theatre.

There was a prime rib feast under way in the dining room. A gingerbread house and table full of sweets were displayed near the tree. But the heart of the action this Christmas was the playground, where sticky-faced children in their prettiest outfits climbed and slid and tried out new toys. It was just another Christmas in Irvine--even at Human Options, a shelter for abused women and children.

There was a prime rib feast under way in the dining room. A gingerbread house and table full of sweets were displayed near the tree. But the heart of the action this Christmas was the playground, where sticky-faced children in their prettiest outfits climbed and slid and tried out new toys. It was just another Christmas in Irvine--even at Human Options, a shelter for abused women and children.

Human Options: Alternatives for Abused Women and Their Children was born in a church basement in 1981. Founder Vivian Clecak and three others started with a hotline and opened an eight-bed shelter the next year. Nearly 40,000 clients later, the program operates a state-of-the-art emergency shelter and a transitional living center, and offers domestic violence education and prevention programs that start in kindergarten.

Human Options: Alternatives for Abused Women and Their Children was born in a church basement in 1981. Founder Vivian Clecak and three others started with a hotline and opened an eight-bed shelter the next year. Nearly 40,000 clients later, the program operates a state-of-the-art emergency shelter and a transitional living center, and offers domestic violence education and prevention programs that start in kindergarten.

Four county human services agencies were granted a total of $17,000 by the City Council. The South County Community Clinic will receive $10,000; the South Orange County Community Services Council $3,000; the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, jointly with the American Assn. of University Women, $2,000, and Human Options Inc. $2,000.

Alzheimer's Assn. of Orange County, Wednesday. Underwriters party for summer "Evening to Remember" event, which will fund free services and programs the chapter provides to Alzheimer's patients and their families. 6 p.m. at a private residence in Newport Beach. $50 and up. (714) 283-1984, Ext. 23. Childhelp USA, Thursday. Celebrity golf classic to benefit the residential treatment center for victims of child abuse. 11 a.m. at the Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine. $300 per person. (562) 693-0577.

More than a dozen agencies serving Orange County's poor and homeless were given an early Christmas gift Wednesday from federal housing officials who approved $6.48 million in grants that house and help people in need. "It's good news, it's wonderful, we're elated," said Larry Haynes, executive director of Mercy House Transitional Living Centers of Santa Ana. "The money will dramatically improve the services we're able to provide. This is a boost, a shot in the arm."

Federal housing officials have rejected a $15.1-million grant application submitted by Orange County to pay for 21 projects that would have helped the homeless, the disabled and victims of domestic violence. The request was for a share of the money given annually by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund community projects. "Orange County got a big zero," said Bob Wilson, director of the county's Housing and Community Development Department. "It's a slap in the face."

Immigrant rights advocates reacted with outrage Wednesday and threatened to legally challenge a new Costa Mesa policy that withholds city funds from groups that serve illegal aliens, a measure that one official predicted could change the way charitable organizations operate in Orange County. A spokesman for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) said his group will study the new policy to determine if it discriminates against undocumented residents.

Two Orange County nonprofit organizations--one dedicated to alleviating hunger and the other to preventing domestic violence--were the top recipients of Disneyland's annual Community Service Awards. Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and Human Options Inc. each received $50,000 at a ceremony Thursday at Disneyland's Fantasyland Theatre.