Orange County Civic Engagement Table
The fight for the right to vote is something that should cut across every demographic, every ideology, every community. We are a stronger nation when we allow people to participate.
— Stacey Abrams
KABF wanted to support racial justice efforts in Orange County, which is the third largest county in California with over 3 million residents. In 2021, KABF gave a grant to Orange County Civic Engagement Table (OCCET) in support of their get-out-the-vote and voter engagement efforts. Founded in 2012, OCCET works hard to ensure that low-income communities, people of color and underrepresented groups have a seat at the table. Working at the grassroots level, OCCET encourages community input, which then informs their decisions on creating relevant policy. One such area is public education. Orange County has the most crowded classrooms in the state yet is also one of the wealthiest. Proposition 15, on the ballot in November, will fairly tax large corporations to make sure they are paying their fair share of taxes to support public schools.
Jonathan Paik, OCCET’s executive director, told KABF: “OCCET is an AAPI-Latinx-Labor-Environmental Justice Alliance that coordinates and drives year-round, innovative integrated voter engagement and power building strategies across the county to transform Orange County into a place where working families can realize opportunities and live healthier lives. Its collaboration across trusted organizations that serve OC’s low-income communities of color ensures that our civic engagement strategies are culturally sensitive and relevant.”
Over the next three years, one of OCCET’s goals is to increase their organizational capacity. Working with their partners, such as Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance, Orange County Environmental Justice and Resilience Orange County, OCCET hopes to advocate policy changes that will have lasting positive changes for all Orange County residents.
For more information, visit their website: https://occivic.org/