By Miriam Raftery

October 14, 2017 (El Cajon) –“The unimaginable destruction of the ongoing northern California wildfires that have taken homes, schools, and lives has proven devastating to thousands upon thousands of families,” says Nancy Padilla, one of three East County women organizing a caravan of relief supplies to help fire survivors. “The daily images from this historic disaster have been both heartbreaking and terrifying, leaving those affected with literally nothing in the way of personal possessions. This week we will be collecting much needed supplies that will be transported by us to the affected area next weekend, and hope that many of our friends and supporters will be able to contribute to our efforts. Every little bit will help, and however much you can spare, in whatever form you give it, is meaningful and will make a difference,” she adds.

By Mary England, La Mesa Chamber

October 8, 2017 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Chamber believes that being a good community leader includes assisting those in need. Each year we assist La Mesa homebound seniors and this year we shall assist 24 wonderful seniors - 20 women and 4 men. We collect items to make their holidays bright and meaningful.

East County News Service

By Valerie Watts

WESTliving, a bronze sponsor at this year’s walk, partners with La Mesa community to help the fight against the disease

East County News Service

September 1, 2017 (La Mesa) - WESTliving, a senior living provider dedicated to inspired aging, is partnering up with their La Mesa community, The Montera to raise awareness and help in the fight against Alzheimer’s at the Alzheimer’s Association’s, Walk to End Alzheimer’s San Diego 5K on Saturday, Sept. 9.

By Jonathan Goetz

August 28, 2017 (Lemon Grove) - The Lemon Grove Lions Club is hosting a Salsa y Salsa Fiesta to raise money to buy new bleachers for Lemon Grove Little League.

Lemon Grove Mayor Pro-Tem Jennifer Mendoza cited safety concerns with the current bleachers . “Lemon Grove is one of the poorest communities in San Diego,” she said. “Our Little League has been here for some fifty years and is showing its age, so our Lions Club adopted it as our project.”

By Paul Kruze 

Photo: Shawn “Lone Wolf” Christman in mid-1980s

August 19, 2017  (Santa Ysabel) -- Things were not supposed to end this way.

Santa Ysabel resident Angela June (Sortore) Christman  has traveled a long road of frustration that ended in heartbreak on August 10th, when Detective George Chrysler of the San Diego Sheriff Department gave her the bad news that her long lost son, Shawn “Lone Wolf” Christman (known to his friends as “Coyote”), had drowned in Lake Michigan in 1993.  His body was laid to rest as an unidentified John Doe in a pauper’s grave outside of Chicago, Illinois in 1994. 

Photo: Iesha Booker and Mayor Bill Wells (Credit: Mary Ann Prall)

East County News Service

August 10, 2017 (El Cajon) -- On Tuesday, Iesha Booker, an MTS worker who aided a fallen police officer, was given a commendation at the El Cajon City Council meeting in front of a packed Council chamber and half a dozen news crews.   After a suspect beat the officer unconscious at a KFC restaurant, Booker used the officer’s radio to summon help, as ECM reported.

Funds raised will support an orphanage in Tecate, college scholarships for high school seniors, help for homeless teens in San Diego find safe housing, and assist Home of Guiding Hands plus other worthy causes

East County News Service

July 25, 2017 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa Rotary (http://www.lamesarotary.org) is conducting a shoe drive fundraiser on August 1st to October1st to raise funds for our numerous charitable projects. The collected shoes will go to those most desperate in Haiti and Africa. La Mesa Rotary will earn funds based on the total weight of the pairs of gently worn, used and new shoes collected, as Funds2Orgs will issue a check for the collected shoes. Those dollars will benefit local and international charities, one of which is the total eradication of polio. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used and new shoes at 6804 Murray Park Dr. San Diego, CA 92119

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

July 15, 2017 (La Mesa) -- In a joyous, humor infused ground-breaking ceremony, NBA basketball star Bill Walton, Supervisor Dianne Jacob, La Mesa Mayor Dr. Mark Arapostanthis, guests of honor Ronald and Mary Alice Brady and more dug the ceremonial shovels into the dirt.  The ceremony, held on the future Boys & Girls Club site on the La Mesa Arts Academy campus on July 12, was a welcome event culminating from great organizational skills, huge and small money donations, and hard work.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Sergeant Parker with his daughter, Sarah, sons Jonathan and Daniel, and wife, Missy.

July 5, 2017 (San Diego) – Countless families have been reunited with missing loved ones, or learned their fate, thanks to the tireless efforts of  Sheriff Search and Rescue Coordinator Don Parker.  Sergeant Parker, who retired in 2015, made a career out of helping others – and now the community is pulling together to bring financial help to Sergeant Parker, who was diagnosed in May with brain cancer.

Hunting down the wildest jobs in San Diego’s East County

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

June 26, 2017 (La Mesa) -- “I saw Jurassic Park, I know how this ends!” said MAX 105.7 FM DJ Rob Zilla of his fellow DJ, Karen “ChaCha” Harlow.  ChaCha was sitting in a self-styled snake pit with a red-tailed boa, among other reptiles, at La Mesa’s Grossmont Center’s courtyard on Saturday, June 24^th.  It was all part of the job—for a good cause of bringing in food donations for The Jacob & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.  Thankfully, Jurassic Park’s grisly endings went unrealized.

By Robert Gehr

June 22, 2017 (El Cajon) -- This morning, volunteers were out and about all over San Diego County excitedly shouting out and collecting monetary donations for Ronald McDonald House, which helps families in need with housing, meals and so much more at no cost when their children are hospitalized due to illness or injury.

East County News Service

June 21, 2017 (San Diego) - Out of the Boat Swim, a nonprofit, provides free water-safety and beach programs to refugee and underprivileged children living in San Diego. Out of the Boat Swim offers free beach and water-safety programs to help refugee and inner city kids integrate during a challenging time of transition. Some of the children will go on to become Junior Guards in the San Diego Junior Lifeguard program by design of the partnership between Out of the Boat Swim and San Diego Junior Lifeguards.