ANNUAL FOOD SHOWCASE

June 6, 2024, Orange County Chinese Community Services Center (OCCCS) hosted its inaugural Food Festival in Forest Lake Community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who traveled from across Orange County to join us in this grand celebration. According to preliminary estimates, over 120 participants attended. As the service team, we feel deeply honored to share this wonderful time with you all.

We are deeply grateful to the Asian American Senior Citizens Association for their unwavering support, care, and assistance! Without them, OCCCS would not exist today.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Orange County Chinese Association and the Chinese Parents Association for their steadfast partnership and shared journey!

We also sincerely thank all sponsoring organizations and individuals for their generous support of our event!

I extend special thanks to every volunteer at OCCCS—please forgive me for not naming each of you individually. Most of you hold full-time jobs yet dedicate your evenings to serving our community, contributing both time and resources without complaint. Your selfless service moves us deeply! Let’s give them a round of applause!

We are grateful for the support and affection from all our group members!

We love you all!!!

Everyone brought many delicious traditional foods. Bathed in sunlight, the entire event venue looked exceptionally beautiful. Laughter and joy filled the air, creating a deeply moving scene. Group members also performed their prepared acts—singing, dancing, and especially the band brought by our enthusiastic American friend Shahram. They played many familiar Chinese and international classics, and everyone sang and danced together in extraordinary joy. The dragon dance performance by Ms. Wang Aiping and others was uniquely captivating, drawing everyone's attention. High school student Brina's heartfelt singing enchanted the audience, while the Shaolin Kung Fu demonstration and the elderly dance performance "Blossoms and Full Moon" were truly admirable. The feast was a dazzling array of Chinese delicacies—roast pork sandwiches, braised pork belly, cold vegetable salads, and more. People of all ages, regardless of gender, indulged in the food and music, sharing joyous moments together! Seeing your smiling faces filled us with immense satisfaction, knowing our efforts had yielded the most beautiful reward.

This event was not merely about savoring food, but about deepening mutual understanding and friendship. Our community grows warmer and more harmonious with every family's participation. Each attendee left feeling uplifted, having experienced our dedication and care. We strive to bring more seniors out of isolation, breaking loneliness and seclusion to join our extended family. We encourage more children and grandchildren to join our volunteer group—serving others while enriching themselves.