Struppa to be honored at Padres Unidos event, August 13

Padres Unidos — the grassroots Santa Ana-based nonprofit organization dedicated to serving low-income Hispanic families in Orange County through a variety of child, youth and family services – will honor Chapman Chancellor and President-Designate Daniele Struppa, Ph.D., with their Community Partner Award at a “Celebrating Our Partners” fiesta and luncheon on August 13.  The event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, 1001 Graham Lane, Santa Ana.  Don Cardinal, Ph.D., Chapman professor of education and director of Chapman’s Thompson Policy Institute on Disability and Autism, will introduce Dr. Struppa.

Tickets to this event are on sale now at $25 each, with proceeds benefiting the programs of Padres Unidos.  To RSVP and purchase tickets, email patty.meza@ocpu.org with your name and number of guests, or order via Paypal.  For individuals who are unable to attend the event but would like to join Padres Unidos in honoring Dr. Struppa, you can make a donation at www.ocpu.org.

One of Chancellor Struppa’s favorite projects, which he has strongly backed, is Chapman’s College of Educational Studies’ partnership with Padres Unidos in a Community Workers training program, in which volunteers from the Santa Ana community take classes in child development, leadership, case management and much more. After they graduate from the rigorous program, these workers serve their communities as volunteer parent educators and family advocates.  Chapman’s support has also made it possible for Padres Unidos to expand its educational programs in the Chapman-run Centro Comunitario de Educacion in downtown Santa Ana, where their pre-kindergarten readiness program held its first graduation this past May.

“This award is presented to a key partner of Padres Unidos whose contributions have significantly impacted local communities,” said Patricia Huerta, MSW, founder and CEO of Padres Unidos. “Chancellor Struppa’s faith in and support for the Community Workers program and our programs at the Centro Comunitario de Educacion has been wonderfully positive for both this program and the communities it serves. We’re proud to honor him with the Community Partner Award.”