211213 1017 BOARD COMMUNICATION - Spark of Love Toy DriveFrom:Huizar, Maria
Cc:Executive Management
Subject:BOARD COMMUNICATION - Spark of Love Toy Drive
Date:Monday, December 13, 2021 10:16:59 AM
Attachments:image001.png
image008.png
EMAIL re Toy Drive.pdf
Good morning, Members of the Board,
Attached please find an email received from Ms. Roberta Scharlin Zinman regarding the Spark of
Love Toy Drive and was addressed to the Board of Directors.
Staff has followed up with Ms. Scharlin Zinman and responded to a series of follow-up questions she
had. The exchange communication is provided below.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions.
Thank you.
Maria D. HuizarClerk of the AuthorityOrange County Fire AuthorityOffice: 714-573-6041 | Mobile: 949-473-1437
In service of others!
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Champieux, Sophia" <SophiaChampieux@ocfa.org>
Date: November 22, 2021 at 3:00:02 PM PST
To: Roberta Scharlin Zinman <proudtanta@gmail.com>, "Garcia, Nicole"
<nicole.garcia@ocgov.com>, Sergio Prince <sergio.prince@ocgov.com>, Supervisor Lisa
Bartlett <lisa.bartlett@ocgov.info>, "Smith, Lori" <LoriSmith@ocfa.org>, "Barkman, Jay"
<JayBarkman@ocfa.org>
Subject: RE: spark of love toy drive
Good afternoon Roberta,
To our knowledge none of the nonprofits on our list this year are Jewish organizations.
That’s not to say that the non-profits that are requesting toys don’t partner with any,
we couldn’t speak to that, but to our knowledge, the current list does not have any.
To receive toys through the toy donation the organization must complete an
application and meet two criteria. 1 – be a 501C3 and 2 - show that they are giving the
toys to kids in need. As long as they meet those requirements, any non-profit
organization can receive toys.
When the non-profits fill out the form to participate, we ask them the dates that they
need their toys by. If they say for example, December 9th – we ensure that we get them
the amount of toys that they are requesting by the date that they need them. We
continually keep toys in the KWAVE warehouse so that we have toys for those
requesting toys early in November or December. We also start our toy collection at our
stations and in the community before the Thanksgiving holiday, again to ensure we
have toys early for the dates in which the non-profits need them by. Our nonprofits
drive the dates for distribution, we do everything we can to make sure they get what
they need by the dates they need them.
We have a distribution list that we have slowly built upon over the previous years of
public agencies, non-profits and businesses that receive an email blast at the beginning
of the start of the holiday toy drive program. We encourage these individuals to share
it with their communities and other non-profit partners. Additionally, we push it out to
our internal and external community contacts, asking them to also do the same, help
spread the word. We currently have over 110 non profits asking for over 35,000 toys.
In addition to the email blast, we also post on our social media the website to the toy
drive (//ocfa.org/toydrive). On this site is information on how non-profits can apply to
receive toys. This year, we also sent a marketing package to our city partners so that
they too could share how to sign-up, how to receive a toy, and how to donate a toy.
We do not currently do any paid advertising for our holiday toy drive.
As for the “Stuff A Bus” toy collection events, those are driven by ABC7 and we do not
get to pick the location or date.
I hope I was able to answer all your questions. Please let me know if you’d like
additional clarity or would like the current marketing campaign to forward along to
your community contacts.
Thanks,
Sophia
Sophia ChampieuxPublic Relations ManagerOrange County Fire AuthorityOffice: 714-573-6752
In service of others.
From: Roberta Scharlin Zinman <proudtanta@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2021 12:29 PM
To: 'Garcia, Nicole' <nicole.garcia@ocgov.com>; Sergio Prince
<sergio.prince@ocgov.com>; 'Supervisor Lisa Bartlett' <lisa.bartlett@ocgov.info>;
Sophia.Champieux@ocfa.org; Champieux, Sophia <SophiaChampieux@ocfa.org>
Subject: RE: spark of love toy drive
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links
or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Sophia, thanks for speaking with me. I believe that our conversation was a good one
and look forward to hearing the answers to my many questions. As I stated: I have NO
desire to stop this program to keep children from getting gifts that they need. I wish to
expend this program to include Jewish children during the Hanukkah season. I am sure
that you agree that, as a governmental agency, the OCFA should not discriminate, even
unintentionally. Thanks so much and looking forward to our next chat.
Regards, Roberta
From: Roberta Scharlin Zinman <proudtanta@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2021 12:08 PM
To: 'Garcia, Nicole' <nicole.garcia@ocgov.com>; 'Prince, Sergio'
<Sergio.Prince@ocgov.com>; 'Supervisor Lisa Bartlett' <lisa.bartlett@ocgov.info>;
'Sophia.Champieux@ocfa.org' <Sophia.Champieux@ocfa.org>
Subject: RE: spark of love toy drive
Sophia, I am sorry that we are playing phone tag. I assume that you are Sophia
Champieux, but I am having trouble understanding your phone messages regarding
your name. Assuming that you are the Sophia who called me, your message stated that
you do not know the religions of the children that your organizations provide with gifts
and that the organizations you work with apparently contact you to be included. This
leads to the next questions:
1. Are any of the organizations now involved part of the Jewish community, such as the
Jewish Federation?
2. How do organizations become involved with the OCFA? Do you advertise about this
project? How would an organization know that you are doing this:
3. The timing of the program and the giving of the gifts coincides with Christmas but
Hanukkah does not fall on the same day on the secular calendar as we Jews use
our own Jewish calendar. This year, for example, Hanukkah starts the night of
November 29 and ends in December, eight days later. Assuming you have any
Jewish organizations on your list, your dates do not work to get presents to Jewish
children. Why is that?
4. Assuming that you do not have any Jewish organizations on your list of participating
organizations, WHAT WILL YOU DO TO CORRECT THIS FOR NEXT YEAR?
PLEASE ADVISE.
REGARDS, Roberta 949 2150103
From: Garcia, Nicole <nicole.garcia@ocgov.com>
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2021 11:44 AM
To: Roberta Scharlin Zinman <proudtanta@gmail.com>; Prince, Sergio
<Sergio.Prince@ocgov.com>; 'Supervisor Lisa Bartlett' <lisa.bartlett@ocgov.info>
Subject: Re: spark of love toy drive
Hi Roberta,
I sent an email on Friday that I would be following up with OCFA. As soon as I hear from
them, I will reach out to you. Can you please provide me a phone number?
Thank you!
Nicole Garcia, LMFT
Policy Advisor
Office of Lisa A. Bartlett
Supervisor, Fifth District
From: Roberta Scharlin Zinman <proudtanta@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2021 11:42:44 AM
To: Prince, Sergio <Sergio.Prince@ocgov.com>; 'Supervisor Lisa Bartlett'
<lisa.bartlett@ocgov.info>
Cc: Garcia, Nicole <nicole.garcia@ocgov.com>
Subject: RE: spark of love toy drive
Attention: This email originated from outside the County of Orange. Use caution when
opening attachments or links.
I am playing phone tag with someone named, I think, Sophia. I could not understand
when she said her name. Please give me her email so I can respond via email while we
end this phone tag. Roberta
From: Prince, Sergio <Sergio.Prince@ocgov.com>
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2021 3:50 PM
To: Roberta Scharlin Zinman <proudtanta@gmail.com>; Supervisor Lisa Bartlett
<lisa.bartlett@ocgov.info>
Cc: Garcia, Nicole <nicole.garcia@ocgov.com>
Subject: RE: spark of love toy drive
I am forwarding your inquiry to Nicole Garcia, who is Supervisor Bartlett’s policy advisor
for OCFA.
Thank you.
Sergio Prince
Community Relations Advisor
Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, 5th District
Orange County Board of Supervisors
(714) 834-3550 office
(949) 933-0595 mobile
Sergio.Prince@ocgov.com
SupBartlett.com
From: Roberta Scharlin Zinman <proudtanta@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2021 3:44 PM
To: Supervisor Lisa Bartlett <lisa.bartlett@ocgov.info>; Prince, Sergio
<Sergio.Prince@ocgov.com>; Gmail 2 <proudtanta@gmail.com>
Subject: spark of love toy drive
Attention: This email originated from outside the County of Orange. Use caution when
opening attachments or links.
As Ms. Barlett sits on the Board for the OCFA, I assume that she knows about the
Sparks of Love toy drive. ARE ANY OF THESE TOYS GOING TO JEWISH CHILDREN FOR
HANUKKAH? From the collection dates and locations I hold out little hope that any of
them are. SOOOOOOOO, HOW ARE THE RECEIPIENTS CHOSEN? PLEASE ADVISE.
Roberta Scharlin Zinman
Sent from Mail for Windows
From: Roberta Scharlin Zinman <proudtanta@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, December 10, 2021 12:19 PM
To: CRTK <CRTK@ocfa.org>; Gmail 2 <proudtanta@gmail.com>
Subject: FW: SPARK OF LOVE AND ADOPT A BATTION PARTICIPATION
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
TO THE BOARD MEMBERS OF THE OC FIRE AUTHORITY: MY EMAILS TO YOUR ADDRESSES ON THE OCFA
HAVE LARGELY COME BACK TO ME AS “FAILED” . I AM ASKING THE SECRETARY OF THE BOARD TO
FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EACH AND EVERY BOARD MEMBER. I AM ALSO ASKING THE SECRETARY OF
THE BOARD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS EMAIL AND MY REQUEST BY RESPONDING TO THIS EMAIL.
REGARDS, Roberta Scharlin Zinman
Sent from Mail for Windows
From: Roberta Scharlin Zinman
Sent: Friday, December 10, 2021 12:00 PM
To: Gmail 2; Stanton@ci.stanton.ca.us; rchun@avcity.org; fmarquez@cypressca.org; joneill@ggcity.org;
desdgwick@lagunahillsca.gov; nhatch@cityoflagunawoods.org; shasselbrink@cityoflosalmaitos.org;
cgamble@cityofrsm.org; jkalmick@sealbeachca.gov; vrossini@villapark.org; ehernandez@yorba-
linda.org; Donald.Waagner@ocgov.com; micheles@cityofapalma.org; spark@buenapark.com;
jmuller@danapoint.org; ankuo@cityofirvine.org; srains@cityoflagunaniquel.org;
mtettermer@lakeforestca.gov; wardk@san-clemente.org; jessielopez@santa-ana.org;
lclark@tusinca.org; Lisa.Bartlett@ocgov.com; esachs@cityofmissioinviejo.org; tt@westminster-ca.gov;
mttemer@lakeforestca.gov
Cc: Rabbi Zalman & Bassie Marucs; rabbibecker@gmail.com; Councilman Ed Sachs;
SERGIO.PRINCE@OCGOV.COM; Reardon, Rhonda
Subject: SPARK OF LOVE AND ADOPT A BATTION PARTICIPATION
Dear Members of the OC Fire Authority Board:
I am writing to bring to your attention an issue with two programs in which your cities and the OC Fire
Authority participate. The first is the Spark of Love Holiday gift program and the second is the Adopt a
Battalion program. Let me start by stating that I COME TO ADD, NOT TO SUBTRACT. I want it clear up
front that I am not asking you to stop the participation of your city in these wonderful
projects. However, I bring this to your attention in the hope that you will, as Governmental Agencies,
recognize your obligation that any program in which you participate is OPEN TO EVERYONE AND
WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION OR BIAS.
As I understand each of these programs, the goal is to collect presents which will then be given to
various organizations which will distribute them to needy children. The collection and the distribution
occurs during the Christmas holiday season. It is my further understanding that NONE OF THE
ORGANIZATIONS GETTING THESE GIFTS IS INVOLVED IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND THAT NO
PRESENTS ARE GIVEN OUT SPECIFICALLY FOR JEWISH CHILDREN DURING THE HOLIDAY OF
HANUKKAH/CHANUKAH WHICH IS OFTEN DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON BUT CAN, LIKE THIS YEAR,
START AND END BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Specially regarding the Adopt a Battalion program, there appears
to be NO EFFORT to insure that Jewish children, whose parents are in the military, WILL GET OR RECEIVE
HANUKKAH/CHANUKAH PRESENTS DURING THEIR HOLIDAY. Instead, they get “Christmas” gifts,
wrapped in Christmas wrapping, which, frankly, is inappropriate and problematic.
As a Jewish member of Orange County for the past almost seven years, I find it distressing and
disturbing that these programs, sanctioned by the Cities of this County, do not treat Jewish children with
the same loving care and concern as Christian ones. While we are but a small part of this population, we
Jews do exist and thrive in Orange County, a county which has a terrible anti-Semitic history. This
county and its cities can do and must do better.
Hanukkah/Chanukah has already ended this year but now it the time to start remodeling both of these
programs to include Jewish children in 2022. Anything that I can do to help, I will be happy to do. As a
retired person with experience in government work, I understand that systems can be hard to change
and stand ready to assist you in making this change. I can be reached at the phone numbers below, via
email or by mail, also below.
Thank you for your consideration.
Regards,
Roberta Scharlin Zinman 21476 Miramar, Mission Viejo, CA 92692, 949 215-0103 and 818 903-1537
Sent from Mail for Windows