OC PROBATION
YOUTH GUIDANCE CENTER JUMPS INTO PHILANTHROPY
Deputy Juvenile Correctional Officers Munoz and Delgado in their PPE.
In February 2020 it became evident a new pandemic was here. Personal protective equipment (PPEs) vanished due to public and private demand. The County of Orange and OC Probation worked tirelessly toward a solution. Youth Guidance Center (YGC) Supervising Juvenile Correctional Officer (SJCO) Beth Moody and Deputy Juvenile Correctional Officer (DJCO) II Stephanie Dye and her peers found a way. They took a tragedy and found an opportunity to teach incarcerated youth a life skill. Their creativity and generosity lead to the development of a sewing program in Unit 300. The process began with their own contributions of time, effort and supplies. Material was purchased and the sewing of cloth face masks began. Over the past two months, SJCO Moody and her team made 200+ cloth masks. Some were provided to incarcerated youth, others donated to our RPOs and DJCO IIs. About 85 masks were donated to front line medical staff at Children’s Hospital of Orange County and a local nursing home. During this time, fleece was donated to be used for additional masks; however, this material was not effective. The team shifted gears again, designing and making toys for dogs and cats. About 40 toys were donated to OC Animal Care to help some of the neediest animals of Orange County.
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Co u nt y Conn e c t ion
