Orangethorpe Learning Center
Fun Times

"some of the news, once in a while"

2351 W. Orangethorpe Ave., Fullerton, CA 92833
http://olckids.92833.org
February 2009 - Vol. 14 No. 1

Distinguished Volunteer Tutor:
Mary Miller

Mary Miller comes to OLC every Monday to help our students with homework. She was born in Ventura and is a fourth generation Californian. She and her sister had an idyllic life growing up in Simi Valley on a ten-acre apricot ranch.

After graduation, Mary enrolled at Ventura College where she met a handsome young man, Paul Miller. He introduced her to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they were married in 1955. They are now members of the Euclid Ward in the Fullerton Stake of the LDS Church.

They lived in Santa Barbara and Paul continued his studies at UC Santa Barbara. Mary used her secretarial skills working as a medical transcriber at the Sansum Clinic.

After graduation Paul and Mary moved to Fullerton in 1957 and Paul began a teaching career at Fullerton College. Mary loved her role as a mother to four young and busy little boys.

Mary has always loved learning and began taking classes at Fullerton and Cypress Colleges. As her boys entered college, she worked part time at Martin Luther Hospital. In between Mary majored in fashion and graduated with a degree in Fashion Merchandising and was hired at North Orange County Community College District, for whom she worked as an instructor in their adult education program at the Wilshire Senior Center and other locations.

After retirement, Mary and Paul served three missions for their church, two in New York and one in Salt Lake City. Mary continues her love for family research and has written two histories for the Ventura and Simi Valley historical societies. Her histories are part of the family history section of the library in Salt Lake City.

Mary loves gardening and has been a FISH volunteer, a cookie mom at the Florence Crittenden home for abused children, an aide at Orangethorpe School and an American Cancer Society Volunteer in the Look Good, Feel Better program.

She and Paul have eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all loved and treasured. Lifelong learning and service are Mary's passions.

News of Our Tutors

Patricia Liu, in addition to tutoring K-1 students at OLC, is Vice Principal of the North Orange County Chinese School, which offers classes Saturdays at Villa Park High School.

Kristina Iancului plans to continue her education at CSU Fullerton so she can teach at college or university level. She says "I'm hoping to get accepted into the Master's program in the fall. Right now I'm in the last part of my application which is the essay, explaining my reasons of wanting to be in the program." We hope we'll soon be able to call her Professor Kristina.

Angel Villa graduates from Buena Park High School in June. He has been accepted for admission at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Recently the Buena Park Independent newspaper published an article about Angel, who was given the President's Volunteer Service Award by former President Bush. Congratulations, Angel!

Willy Soriano has resigned his position as OLC tutor so he can resume his education at Redstone Aviation College. Good luck, Willy!

Mary Miller with Jennifer and Kimberly

Coming soon: You will be able to support OLC by dining at a local restaurant. Watch for our flyers!

Did you know? Free groceries from Second Harvest Food Bank are available the 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month in our church's parking lot?

The delicious cookies for our 14th anniversary party were baked by our students, who were supervised by Mary Miller and Sharyl Lewis.

Roger Davidson with Edgar

Marilyn Warren, R.I.P.

Orangethorpe Learning Center lost a good friend when Marilyn Warren passed away October 3, 2008. During the years when she was an OLC volunteer and leader, Marilyn was known to our students as "the sticker lady". She loved to help the kids and reward them with stickers for homework well done. Marilyn Warren believed in welcoming children and their families to our churches. She truly put into practice Jesus' command: "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them..."

Friends of OLC

For their recent donations of funds, supplies and equipment to our homework center, we're very grateful to:

Catholic Campaign for Human Development
The Presbytery of Los Ranchos of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The parishioners of Orangethorpe Christian Church and Orangethorpe United Methodist Church
The Quilters of Fullerton First United Methodist Church
Alice Davies
Joy Ditmar

We Need Your Help!

The effects of these difficult times have been felt by our escuelita. We need your help so that we can continue serving our community, providing a safe Christian environment where children can do their homework after school. In the very near future, we plan to have a tamalada. Our children's families will come to the kitchen next door to OLC to produce tasty tamales to sell to our neighbors.

If you are a student's family member, please come help us produce tamales! Even if you've never made tamales before, some of the OLC moms are eager to help you learn.

If you are one of our friends or neighbors, please help us by buying tamales when they are ready for sale. Thank you!

Distinguished Volunteer Tutor:
Roger Davidson

Roger Davidson not only comes to OLC every Tuesday to help children with their homework, but is an active and hard-working volunteer in our neighborhood in other ministries such as Hot Meal Ministry on Monday evenings and Second Harvest food distributions on Saturdays. He also distributes food to needy people with the Purple Ark volunteers at Craig Park in Placentia. Roger lives across the street from OLC and has been a member of Cornerstone United Methodist Church since 1996. He serves as a substitute teacher for Bible studies at that church.

Roger is retired. He formerly worked as a lead porter in the facilities services department at Anaheim Convention Center. In his spare time, he enjoys collecting antique bottles and hunting for treasure at the beach with a metal detector. Another hobby which helps Roger stay healthy is hiking and walking.

A busy day at the homework center

Happy birthday, OLC!

It was fourteen (14) years ago this month that people at three churches in West Fullerton decided there was a great need in our neighborhood for a place where kids could go after school for help with their homework. We opened the doors of Orangethorpe Learning Center February 14, 1995 and have been here ever since, Mondays through Thursdays.

Some of the children who came to us during our early days are now attending universities. We were honored when people in the community nicknamed us la escuelita. We take our students' education as seriously as do their teachers at their otra escuela. If you share our interest in helping children succeed, come join us as a volunteer, or donate funds or supplies to support us.

Orangethorpe Learning Center is a California non-profit public benefit corporation, with federal tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Fun Times is published in English and Spanish for the information of the families and friends of Orangethorpe Learning Center. Please visit our web site at olckids.92833.org to learn more about us!

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