VONS Foundation Awards $10,000 to Kick-Off 7^th Annual Essentials for Young Lives Drive

Orange County Campaign Collects Items for Homeless Families with Children

 

April 23, 2014 (Irvine, CA) – Today HomeAid Orange County, in partnership with the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, kicked off the 7^th Annual Essentials for Young Lives donation drive at their Community Partner Luncheon held at Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos.  The countywide campaign to collect diapers and other essential items for babies, led by Honorary Chair Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, will take place the week before Mother’s Day, May 2 – 11, 2014.  To jump start this year’s campaign, The VONS Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to HomeAid Orange County to help support homeless families in Orange County.

 

“We are pleased to support the Essentials for Young Lives campaign and are proud to be a part of this great effort in improving the lives of homeless mothers and their children in Orange County,” said Jenna Watkinson, Manager of Public Affairs and Government Relations for Vons.  “Whether it’s charitable giving or our employee volunteer program, corporate citizenship is a key component of our business – we call it, ‘The Heart of Vons.’  We’d like to thank HomeAid, the Children and Families Commission, and Sheriff Hutchens for inviting us to join the campaign and help to meet the goal of ensuring that every baby in the HomeAid service provider network has essential items for one year.” 

 

Essentials for Young Lives donations enable recipient agencies to save the funds normally spent on diapers, baby wipes, etc. for use on programs to help their clients achieve self-sufficiency and to lead productive, independent lives.  Donation drop off locations will be located throughout Orange County, including the YMCA and County of Orange public libraries. A complete list of drop off locations and additional information about the donation drive is available at www.homeaidessentials.org.

HomeAid Orange County

HomeAid Orange County is the founding chapter of a national non-profit organization with the vision and purpose to end homelessness.  Through its mission of building new lives for homeless families and individuals through housing and community outreach, HomeAid, develops housing, advocates and provides service in the community to the homeless.

 

Since 1989, HomeAid Orange County – founded by the Building Industry Association of Southern California's Orange County Chapter, has developed 50 shelters, adding more than 1,000 shelter beds throughout Orange County.  HomeAid acts as the housing developer and liaison between services providers, community volunteers, builders and specialty contractors. Tragically thousands are still in need of shelter each and every day.  To help solve this social crisis, new housing developments are being planned and constructed throughout Orange County. For more information, please visit www.homeaidoc.org.​

 

Children and Families Commission of Orange County

The Children and Families Commission of Orange County oversees the allocation of funds from Proposition 10, which added a 50-cent tax on tobacco products sold in California. Funds help pay for education, health care and child development programs for children from birth to five and their families.  The Commission’s goal is to ensure all children are healthy and ready to learn when they enter school. For more information, please visit www.occhildrenandfamilies.com.

 

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens to Serve as Honorary Chair for Essentials Drive

1.2 Million Diapers Needed for Homeless Babies in Orange County

 

April 7, 2014 (Irvine, CA) – Today HomeAid Orange County, in partnership with the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, announced the dates for the 7^th Annual Essentials for Young Lives donation drive.  The countywide campaign to collect diapers and other essential items for babies, led by Honorary Chair Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, will take place the week before Mother’s Day, May 2 – 11, 2014. 

 

“We are honored to have Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens chairing our Essentials for Young Lives campaign for the fourth consecutive year.  Sheriff Hutchens understands how important this donation drive is for homeless mothers and their infants in our community.   Her participation and the support of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department brings heightened awareness to this important cause,” said Scott Larson, Executive Director of HomeAid Orange County. 

 

Items collected will be distributed among providers who operate transitional housing facilities built in partnership with HomeAid Orange County and serve homeless families.  Essentials for Young Lives donations enable recipient agencies to save the funds normally spent on diapers, baby wipes, etc. for use on programs to help their clients achieve self-sufficiency and to lead productive, independent lives.

 

“The Commission appreciates its partnership with HomeAid Orange County that has successfully increased the capacity at shelters and the support services for homeless mothers with young children,” said Sandra Barry, chair of the Children and Families Commission of Orange County. “The Essentials campaign has significantly enhanced the Commission’s investment and promotes our aspiration that all children have a safe and secure place to live.”

 

In just the first six years of the campaign, items collected have grown from 100,000 items in the first year to over one million items last year. This year, the campaign has again set out to ensure that every baby in the HomeAid service provider network has essential items for one year, estimated at 1.2 million diapers and 2.4 million wipes.

 

“I am pleased that our community continues to grow this important effort that helps to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, Honorary Chair.  “It is a privilege for the men and women of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to participate in the Essentials campaign for the fourth consecutive year because we see firsthand how important transitional housing is to so many Orange County families. By joining with HomeAid and the Children and Families Commission, we can help remove some stress and anxiety that comes with temporary living situations.”

 

Donation drop off locations will be located throughout Orange County. A complete list of drop off locations and additional information about the donation drive is available at www.homeaidessentials.org.

HomeAid Orange County

HomeAid Orange County is the founding chapter of a national non-profit organization with the vision and purpose to end homelessness.  Through its mission of building new lives for homeless families and individuals through housing and community outreach, HomeAid, develops housing, advocates and provides service in the community to the homeless.

 

Since 1989, HomeAid Orange County – founded by the Building Industry Association of Southern California's Orange County Chapter, has developed 50 shelters, adding more than 1,000 shelter beds throughout Orange County.  HomeAid acts as the housing developer and liaison between services providers, community volunteers, builders and specialty contractors. Tragically thousands are still in need of shelter each and every day.  To help solve this social crisis, new housing developments are being planned and constructed throughout Orange County.For more information, please visit www.homeaidoc.org.​

 

Children and Families Commission of Orange County

The Children and Families Commission of Orange County oversees the allocation of funds from Proposition 10, which added a 50-cent tax on tobacco products sold in California. Funds help pay for education, health care and child development programs for children from birth to five and their families.  The Commission’s goal is to ensure all children are healthy and ready to learn when they enter school. For more information, please visit www.occhildrenandfamilies.com.

 

 

Contact: Alyson Loyd

(714) 939-9070

alyson@curtpringle.com

Bank of America and HomeAid America

 Vigorously Working to Help Homeless

Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week November 16 – 24, 2013

November 22. 2013 – In honor of Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week November 16 - 24, Bank of America volunteers have been giving their time and talent to service providers throughout the country through HomeAid America, a national non-profit provider of housing for homeless families and individuals for nearly 25 years.  The volunteers have focused on three special activities - assembling and distributing thousands of HomeAid CareKits for the homeless, upgrading shelters through HomeAid’s “Painting a Better Tomorrow” program, and implementing financial education programs with clients living in HomeAid built shelters.

“HomeAid has been blessed to have the active participation of Bank of America in our volunteer activities for years now,” said Peter Simons, CEO of HomeAid America.  “They are one of our leading volunteer partners and have shown what one company committed to making a difference in their community can do. It is truly inspirational and has touched the lives of thousands.”

HomeAid has developed HomeAid CareKits with hygiene items such as shampoo, soap, and toothbrushes plus an important community resource card as a way to engage volunteers in distributing what can be a life saver for someone experiencing homelessness.  These kits provide volunteers with something to give, along with encouragement, in the hopes of engaging and helping someone in a crisis.  HomeAid operates this program primarily through its network of homelessness service providers. In addition to multiyear support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, bank employees have participated with chapters of HomeAid America in this program in Orange County CA, Sacramento, Houston, and Washington DC.

The Painting a Better Tomorrow program allows volunteers and members of the building industry to use their skill set to directly contribute to the maintenance of local homeless shelters.  Employees through the Bank of America Community Volunteers Program stepped up to paint, clean and perform minor repairs to shelter facilities in conjunction with HomeAid’s Houston, Seattle, and Sacramento chapters.

“HomeAid provides meaningful support to individuals and families at their point of need and helps them move forward,” said Kerry Sullivan, president of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with HomeAid to help raise awareness about critical needs issues and to connect individuals to tools and resources for better money habits which ultimately lead to a brighter economic future.”

Bank of America volunteers have taught financial education classes that include such topics as budgeting, introduction to credit, bank services, keeping track of your money, savings, consumer rights and more – all part of the company’s commitment to helping people build better money habits. These volunteer driven financial education classes are opportunities to strengthen the connection between individuals’ and households’ financial knowledge and their behavior.  Most recently Bank of America teams in Northern Virginia and Detroit conducted successful financial education classes.

Hundreds of Bank of America employee volunteers have engaged in projects and programs throughout the year that have benefited more than 40 HomeAid Service Providers throughout the country. 

About HomeAid America

HomeAid is a leading national non-profit provider of housing for homeless families and individuals. Through the generosity of builders, their trades and their suppliers, HomeAid has completed over 325 housing projects nationwide at a value of more than $200 million, of which nearly fifty percent has been donated by the building industry.  Nearly 170,000 people have been sheltered by these housing projects over the past 24 years.  HomeAid currently has over 26 additional projects in development across the country through HomeAid’s network of 15 chapters in 10 states. For more information about HomeAid, call 1‑888‑3HOMEAID or visit www.homeaid.org.

6^th Annual Essentials for Young Lives Donation Drive Delivers

Orange County Campaign Collects over 1 Million Essential Items for Homeless Families

May 22, 2013 (Irvine, CA) – Today HomeAid Orange County, in partnership with the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, delivered over 1 million essential items to 17 facilities serving homeless families with children.  The 6^th Annual Essentials for Young Lives donation drive was the most successful drive in HomeAid Orange County history, almost doubling the 2012 collection of just over 500,000 items. 

“We are absolutely thrilled with the results of this year’s Essentials campaign.  It is the compassion and support of the community that continues to make this donation drive so successful.  Families represent the highest percentage of those living in shelters throughout Orange County, and being able to provide over 750,000 diapers and 250,000 other items to support them is incredible,” said Scott Larson, Executive Director of HomeAid Orange County.  “We would especially like to thank our corporate sponsors, Vons, UPS, Bank of America, the Koll Company, the Automobile Club of Southern California, and the YMCA of Orange County for their support of this campaign.  Our partners understand how important this donation drive is for homeless mothers and their infants in our community.”

The items collected through the Essentials campaign will be distributed to transitional housing facilities that were built with the assistance of HomeAid Orange County.  These diapers and other essential items that were donated enable recipient agencies to save the funds normally spent on baby supplies for use on programs that help their clients achieve self-sufficiency and lead productive, independent lives. 

“The Commission appreciates its partnership with HomeAid Orange County that has successfully increased the capacity at shelters and the support services for homeless mothers with young children,” said Sandra Barry, chair of the Children and Families Commission of Orange County. “The Essentials campaign has significantly enhanced the Commission’s investment and promotes our aspiration that all children have a safe and secure place to live.”

The Orange County Essentials for Young Lives campaign was first launched in 2008 and has collected over 2.25 million essential baby items.  The donations collected will go directly to meet the critical needs of homeless children and families in Orange County. 

“I am humbled to see that our community, once again, showed enormous generosity to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, Honorary Chair.  “It has been a privilege for the men and women of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to participate in the Essentials for Young Lives donation drive.  We see firsthand how important transitional housing can be to so many Orange County families and know that, by joining with HomeAid and the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, we can remove some stress and anxiety that may come with a temporary living situation.”

For more information, please visit http://www.homeaidessentials.org.

###

HomeAid Orange County

HomeAid Orange County is the founding chapter of a national non-profit organization with the purpose to end homelessness through their mission to build dignified housing where homeless families and individuals can rebuild their lives. Founded in 1989 by the Orange County Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California, HomeAid acts as the housing developer and liaison between services providers, community volunteers, builders and specialty contractors. To date the organization has completed 49 developments that serve victims of domestic violence, pregnant homeless women, abused and abandoned children, homeless adults living with HIV/AIDS and homeless families. For more information, please visit www.homeaidoc.org.

Children and Families Commission of Orange County

The Children and Families Commission of Orange County oversees the allocation of funds from Proposition 10, which added a 50-cent tax on tobacco products sold in California. Funds help pay for education, health care and child development programs for children from birth to five and their families.  The Commission’s goal is to ensure all children are healthy and ready to learn when they enter school. For more information, please visit www.occhildrenandfamilies.com.

Brea Junior High School Teacher Inspires His Students to Think About the Needs of Others

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell, where his influence stops.”
-Henry Brooks Adams – American Writer


John David Williams, 8th grade Language Arts Teacher at Brea Junior High School inspires his students to look beyond themselves and beyond their immediate classroom. He challenges them to look at the greater issues in the world and to think about the needs of others. For nearly ten years, John has shared with his students the issues of homelessness and the work HomeAid Orange County does to provide housing for homeless families and individuals.

Their call to action is to raise funds in support of HomeAid Orange County. Each year they create a silent auction fundraising event. These incredibly bright and resourceful kids use their business letter writing assignment to solicit donations. Their enthusiasm and dedication has been contagious and now two other teachers (Catherine Bott and Denise Palczewski) and their classes have joined the cause.

Many of the communities’ local businesses are facing a challenging economy and although willing a lot of companies were unable to contribute. The students didn’t give up and were rewarded for their perseverance. A $500 donation from Wal-Mart Brea, a parent donating a cherished autographed Joe Montana jersey, donations from Embassy Suites, a luxury suite (for 20 people) at a Clipper game in addition to many more items and cash donations helped these spectacular kids break their own fundraising record. They raised more than $3,600!!

When the students were asked why they were so determined to make this event successful Josh (an 8th grad student) shared, “Some kids have other things to worry about other than homework and school. They’re worried about if they’re going to have food to eat and where they are going to sleep at night. I realized how fortunate we are.”

John has planted the seed of philanthropy in the lives of these students. This has already proven to be an enduring legacy. One of his former students shared with him that she is now leading fundraising efforts at high school in support of community needs.

“I really want my students to realize that the tools they use in the classroom can make a tangible difference in someone’s life, and what a great feeling it is to help others…who in turn can return the favor to someone else. “ John David Williams

Laura's House Partners with HomeAid Orange County to Celebrate Groundbreaking its New Emergency Shelter for Families Impacted by Domestic Violence

To meet the growing need for emergency shelter and long-term transitional housing services for families impacted by domestic violence, Laura’s House, a non-profit organization whose mission is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence, while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse, recently embarked on a $4.5 million Cornerstone Capital campaign to re-build its emergency shelter, and expand its transitional housing facility.

To commemorate the groundbreaking of the new emergency shelter facility, Laura’s House, in partnership with HomeAid Orange County, will host a ceremony on Thursday, March 10, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Portobello Road Resale Boutique, located at 23635 El Toro Road in Lake Forest.

“We are proud to partner with HomeAid Orange County in celebrating such an important milestone in our shelter re-build project,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO and Executive Director, Laura’s House. “For many years now, this project has been a dream for our organization, and we are grateful to all of the individuals and businesses who are committing both their time and financial resources to make this dream a reality.”

In 2010, 269 individuals, including 152 children, received services through the Laura’s House emergency shelter program. The new emergency shelter will nearly double the number of beds, from 28 beds to 44 beds and 10 cribs, effectively increasing the shelter’s annual capacity by 93%, and enabling the organization to serve 175 additional clients annually. By expanding its emergency shelter, Laura’s House will also increase countywide capacity for serving individuals impacted by domestic violence by 15%.

The groundbreaking ceremony will begin with a light breakfast, followed by a flag salute from a local Boy Scout Troop, and then an inspirational invocation. The program will include comments by Margaret Bayston; Scott Larson, Executive Director for HomeAid Orange County; Laura Khouri, Chair, Laura’s House Board of Directors; and Wayne Pinnell, Chair, Laura’s House Cornerstone Capital Campaign. City and government officials from Lake Forest and surrounding cities are expected to attend the event.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, development and building partners for the shelter re-build project will be recognized and receive certificates of appreciation for their contributions to the success of this project. Among the more than 20 companies partnering with Laura’s House in the shelter re-build are Lutzky Associates Development, LLP; William Hezmalhalch Architects, Inc.; Huitt-Zollars, Inc.; GMU Geotechnical, Inc.; Option One Engineering; Salehi Engineering, Inc.; Western National Group Contractors; Style Interiors Design, Inc.; Fidelity National Title Company; Land Concern Ltd.; Focus 360; Friedmann & Friedmann Insurance Services; and, Philips & Associates.

“Through the Laura’s House shelter re-build project, HomeAid is excited to be a part of helping to fulfill the growing need for shelter services for families devastated by domestic violence,” said Scott Larson. “The strong partnerships that we have established with builders, contractors, developers and service providers will help to ensure that at the outcome of this project, women and children will be welcomed into a space that is both comfortable and conducive to helping them build lives that are free of domestic violence.”

Following the groundbreaking ceremony, Portobello Road will be hosting an open house to celebrate its move, a few doors down from its original location, and its second anniversary in Lake Forest.

About the Cornerstone Capital Campaign
The Laura’s House Cornerstone Capital Campaign was officially launched in September 2010 to raise $4.5 million to fund the shelter re-build project and expansion of transitional housing for shelter graduates. The campaign committee is chaired by Wayne Pinnell, who most recently served as the chair for Laura’s House board of directors. Honorary chairs of the Cornerstone Campaign are Bette and Wylie Aitken. Campaign committee members include Beth Adkisson, Chris Aitken, Jennifer Boyer, Laverne Friedmann, Randy Harmat, Wayne Pinnell, Casey Wolin and Brenda Zalke. The capital campaign has the full support of the Laura’s House Board of Directors..

For more information on the Cornerstone Campaign please call the Development Department at (949) 361-3775.

About Laura’s House
Annually, Laura’s House provides residential shelter services to more than 200 women and children, counseling to more than 300 clients, legal services to more than 300 clients and assists with more than 1,700 crisis hot-line calls. The mission of Laura’s House is changing social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

Tom Doyle Joins HomeAid Orange County Board of Directors

HomeAid Orange County announced the appointment of their newest board member, Tom Doyle, founder and principal of Whittlesey Doyle a full-service land brokerage and advisory firm based in Irvine, Calif.

A licensed California real estate broker and a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, Doyle has more than 20 years experience in residential and investment land sales to homebuilders and developers. Prior to establishing Whittlesey Doyle in 1996, Doyle was a principal with Province Realty Group where he developed brokerage service programs as well as creating marketing and advertising campaigns. From 1988 to 1994, he was vice president with First Interstate Bank leading the real estate division where he managed the disposition of more than $150 million in real estate assets.

A dedicated marathon runner, Doyle is a member of the UCI Alumni Association, Phi Delta Theta Alumni Association, Building Industry Association and ULI. In addition to Doyle’s philanthropic work with HomeAid, he is active with Orangewood Children’s Foundation.

Doyle resides with his wife and family in Cota de Caza, Calif.