Tony Munguia and his daughter Bivianne were heading to a job fair at Cypress College when they saw smoke curling from a nearby roof.
They stopped. Flames were dancing inside the home on Via Jacara in Stanton. Bivianne dialed 911 as her father rushed inside. “Is anyone here?” he bellowed into smoke so thick it stung his eyes. “Yes,” a weak voice answered – a senior who had recent surgery and couldn’t walk.
Munguia couldn’t see. He told her to keep talking and followed her voice to a far bedroom. He scooped her up and headed back toward the door as best he could. A landscaper saw the commotion and rushed inside to help, and together they brought her out to safety.
That’s when folks noticed Munguia’s pants legs were smoldering.
Tony and Bivianne Munguia’s April adventure earned them the Fourth District Kindness Award for Stanton. The uplifting fall ritual from Orange County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Doug Chaffee helps restore one’s faith in humanity, recognizing one person from each city in his district for doing something nice without any expectation of payback. Reading through the nomination papers has become a soothing launch to the holiday season for this grizzled scribe.
“It is especially important for us to acknowledge kindness wherever we can find it and inspire others to perform their own acts of kindness in the community,” Chaffee said in a statement. “Our Kindness Award honorees have risen to the challenge and have gone beyond that to ensure the needs of our communities are met.”
The winners are impressive, but many of the nominees are just as inspiring.
Unsung heroes
There’s Janet Proctor and Bill Lawrence, who’ve helped families from Afghanistan and Ukraine settle into a strange new world. Erica Norgaard, a special education teacher for Access high schools, who has become a rock for her students.
There’s Fullerton school nurse Susan Cravello, who transformed the garden at Woodcrest Elementary into a blooming oasis, and Paulette Holm, who didn’t crack under the stress of shepherding more than a thousand volunteers during the Orange County Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness, and Sunbie Harrell, who walks dogs at the Orange County Animal Care shelter.
Then there’s Aaron and Allys Malais. On Aug. 3, a ’99 Toyota Camry heading north on Highland in Fullerton conked out in traffic. The driver was stuck, unable to find the emergency flashers. The young couple hopped out to direct traffic. Two more young couples saw the trouble and came to help as well. They all pushed the car across Chapman and into a parking lot, restarted it with jumper cables, and Aarona and Allys followed the owners home to ensure there was no further trouble.
“They stayed with us the whole time offering full support both technically and emotionally,” the nomination said. “This was truly an exceptional act of kindness, and for all three couples that voluntarily pitched in, an affirmation of the goodness, caring, and high values, of our younger generation in our currently challenging society.”
Fullerton winner: Dylan Wang
Wang is a senior at Troy High School who had a simple goal: to help his grandmother navigate the internet.
Technology, he knew, was a powerful tool to help keep people connected, even if they couldn’t leave home. So he started volunteering at Happy Adult Daycare in Whittier, getting to know the seniors and understanding their needs. He developed an award-winning iPad application that uses augmented reality technology to help translate English into people’s native languages, and also designed a night-time medical monitoring device that allows families to keep a digital eye on loved ones and get timely alerts.
“Dylan’s belief that technology should be an empowering tool for seniors, rather than something that alienates them, has driven his efforts,” the nomination said. “His work not only enhances the lives of the elderly but also exemplifies the spirit of kindness and service that this award seeks to honor.”
Buena Park winner: Sam Yoon
Adults with disabilities can be quite capable and eager to work – but it’s often hard for them to find a job. So in 2021, Yoon stepped in.
He started a nonprofit called Seesaw Communities to provide vocational training in areas like baking and coffeemaking and employs graduates as baristas at Seesaw Beans and Coffee. The work helps them grow in confidence and independence, together, just as people rise and fall together on a seesaw.
“By focusing on their strengths and interests, he ensures that every participant can develop valuable skills and gain a sense of accomplishment,” the nomination said. “Under his guidance, Seesaw Communities has become a leader in providing integrated employment opportunities, fostering inclusive workplaces where individuals with developmental disabilities can thrive and contribute meaningfully to their communities.”
Brea winner: Zelda Makanaaloha Preston
When she was 7, Preston decided that she had enough stuff. For her birthday, she asked her friends to donate toys to needy kids instead of buying her gifts.
The next year, she asked them to donate books. The next year, shoes. The year after that, school supplies, then board games, children’s clothing, food. Her most recent birthday resulted in 291 pounds of food for the Hub of Hope food pantry, the nomination said.
A freshman at Fullerton Union High School, she volunteers at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fullerton, sings with the Southern California Children’s Chorus and was a soloist with the Pacific Symphony. “Her ongoing efforts exemplify how one young person, driven by empathy, can make a lasting difference in the community,” the nomination said.
La Habra winner: Virginia Wyckoff
Wyckoff loves kids. During her career as a teacher’s aide with the La Habra City School District she was a guardian angel to those who needed help, buying them school clothes and Christmas gifts, and tutoring kids who struggled during school breaks, the nomination said.
After she retired in 1985, she started volunteering at the Children’s Museum at La Habra. “Over the years she has literally volunteered at every capacity,” the nomination said, from manning the breakfast with Santa event to running the gift shop to creating a wishing well in memory of her late grandson. Those funds are used to help pay for school visits to the museum.
Placentia winner: Alice Shiozawa
Shiozawa has been a Rotary Club of Placentia member since 2015, including two terms as president. She has helped launch everything from neighborhood clean-ups to “stuffing” and distributing school backpacks to preparing hygiene kits and holiday gift packs.
“It may be cliché, but Alice firmly believes that often it is the little things that count, that are meaningful to those in need or in pain,” the nomination said.
Anaheim winner: Nicou Azaran
Azaran, an independent living skills and outreach instructor at the Braille Institute, goes above and beyond by organizing free workshops for visually impaired individuals and their families and providing individualized attention to each student.
“Her empathetic approach helps foster a supportive and nurturing environment,” the nomination said.
Honorary award: Mike Oates
Oates, former Fullerton Rotary president, got the Honorary Kindness Award. He has been a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club and at Crittenton Services for Children and Families. He’s been a coach at Golden Hill Little League and active in Fullerton’s Sister City Association.
The honorees were nominated by community members and applications were independently scored by Tom Tait, former Anaheim mayor; Charles Barfield, general manager of the Orange County Employees Association; Rosalina Davis, owner of Tlaquepaque Restaurant; Christian Esteban, Project Manager of Store One; and Lorena Moreno, principal at Western High School.
“There’s a lot going on in the world today,” said Oates’ wife, Elizabeth, “but if we can all just do a little bit where we are, we can make this such a better place.”
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