The Irvine Company is pledging $2.5 million to the Newport-Mesa Unified District. The company is giving $250,000 to the district during the next 10 years. The money will go toward hiring and training full-time science teachers for Newport-Mesa elementary schools, which the district didn’t have enough money to cover. About four science teachers will be hired with the donation. The district plans to launch its science program during this school year. The four teachers will serve fourth through sixth graders.
Nobel Biocare in Yorba Linda is giving $2.5 million to the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry to create a chair in surgical implant dentistry. The chair will promote education and training of students and faculty as well as to those in the field. Nobel, a maker of dental products, is part of Europe’s Nobel Biocare Holding AG.
Community Health Care Centers, a group of local nonprofit clinics, received two grants for its Clinic Capacity-Building Initiative project. The group was awarded $350,000 from the Weingart Foundation and $250,000 from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority. The grants will go toward the group’s work on capital improvements and integrating technology in its clinic operations. The funds also will allow the clinic to set up better technology for communicating with each other, increase clinic efficiency and support more patients.
Irvine-based Pacific Dental Services Inc. raised more than $100,000 for the American Red Cross to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The company also received the Red Cross’ Circle
of Humanitarians plaque for its efforts. The Red Cross used the money to provide food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to Katrina victims.
The Parkinson’s and Movement Dis-orders Foundation donated $80,000 to Orange Coast Me-morial Medical Center in Fountain Valley. The donation will benefit the hospital’s neurology program and help in buying technology and equipment for diagnosing and treating neurological disorders. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a Dem-ocrat whose district includes part of Fountain Valley, presented the check to the hospital.
The city of Aliso Viejo awarded a $20,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Laguna Beach. The money went to the club’s Aliso Viejo After School Transportation program, which provides afterschool bus service to the Boys & Girls Clubs’ center for students in Aliso Viejo elementary or middle schools.
Santa Ana-based KidWorks, a nonprofit for at-risk youth, received $20,000 from Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc. The money will support a full-time coordinator to run the nonprofit’s Homework Club program. The Homework Club offers afterschool tutoring, homework assistance, math and reading teaching, computer instruction, character development and art.
Irvine-based Option One Mortgage Corp.’s diversity council awarded scholarships to nine employees nationwide for fostering diversity at the company and to further their careers. Four of the recipients are at its Irvine headquarters: Melissa Blank, team leader of investor reporting; Charles Campbell, coordinator in government, housing and industry relations; Michael Moradshahi, business relationship specialist in real estate; and Nan Stothard, learning partner of human resources. The nine employees split $35,000, which went toward their attendance of a week-long mortgage banking course. Option One is a subprime mortgage lender and a unit of H & R; Block Inc.
Orange-based Wycliffe Associates, a bible-translating company, built 15 homes and other buildings in Indonesia in areas hit by recent earthquakes and tsunamis. Volunteers also offered locals construction training.
