NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER FOOD FOR THOUGHT Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away and while many of us will be cooking and eating big meals with our families, there are others in South Orange County who will be worrying about putting nutritious food on the table. While the holiday season is full of cheer and joy, we also need to remember that some of our own neighbors may be experiencing food insecurity and other financial hardships this time of year. We encourage you to extend a helping hand however possible – whether that means donating your time, your resources, or simply checking in on a neighbor you know has had a tough year. For former SCO housing client, Courtney, she is looking forward to her first Thanksgiving back on her feet and in her own home with her daughter and loved ones this year. Courtney joined the SCO family in October 2019 after staying at various friends’ homes with her 3-year-old daughter. She quickly received housing and case management services after applying to the program, and also frequented the Food Pantry and computer learning lab. After months of guidance, support, and learning, Courtney is self-sufficient and successfully running her own catering business called Ellie’s Deli’s (follow her on Instagram at @ellies_delis !). Courtney is excited to celebrate and help others find joy this holiday season. “The whole SCO family welcomed my daughter and me with open arms and provided the resources and assistance I needed in order to gain confidence and become successful,” said Courtney. “No one judged and no one passed comments. The entire team made us feel like we belonged and I can’t thank SCO enough! Forever in my heart, forever my family.” This Thanksgiving, think of families like Courtney’s who need a little bit of support to help them get back on their feet and thrive. These families deserve a delicious Thanksgiving meal and, with the help of our amazing support system, SCO is here to provide just that. If you are interested in helping a family enjoy Thanksgiving dinner this year, please donate by visiting sco-oc.org/ donation-form/. A simple $20 donation will turn into $100 worth of food through our Food Pantry sources and enables us to purchase what is missing from our shelves while being diligent in our desire to provide more wholesome and traditional holiday foods.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
South County Outreach is very fortunate to have the dedication and generosity of so many. One of our longest standing supporters is Ken Bowen, owner and broker of The Bowen Team and Re/Max Real Estate Group. A former member of our Board of Directors who currently serves on the Advisory Board, Ken has been a member of the SCO family for more than a decade. He was first inspired to get involved with South County Outreach after his longtime friend and client Debby Thrailkill, a member of the Advisory Board, told him about the organization and our mission to prevent hunger and homelessness for South Orange County residents.
SCO is, in my eyes, one of the best organizations… the staff and volunteers are truly passionate about what they do. I look forward to many more years of supporting SCO however I can.
Having faced struggles surrounding financial insecurity himself, Ken immediately knew he had to do something, so he began donating his time and resources in an effort to provide relief to those in need throughout our communities. While Ken donates to several causes, including support for military families, South County Outreach remains closest to his heart because of his deeply personal connection to our cause. “SCO is, in my eyes, one of the best organizations… the staff and volunteers are truly passionate about what they do. I look forward to many more years of supporting SCO however I can.” The South County Outreach team continues to be beyond grateful for our family of donors, board members, supporters and volunteers this holiday season.
HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS
AWARE N E SS W E E K National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week is recognized each year during the week leading up to Thanksgiving and will take place this year November 15th through 22nd. With nearly 7,000 people in Orange County homeless on a given night, it’s vital to join the fight against homelessness and food insecurity. Thankfully, there are an abundance of options that help the children, seniors, and families who need our assistance during National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, and throughout the year. Join South County Outreach in supporting those in need this season by:
Volunteering South County Outreach volunteers help with all aspects of the organization including interacting with clients, sorting food and stocking shelves in the food pantry, driving trucks and picking up donations, handling retail responsibilities at the Upscale Resale Thrift Store, outreach, administrative tasks, and much more. Contact our Volunteer Department at volmgr@sco-oc.org or (949) 380-8144 ext. 217 for more info! Hosting a food drive You and your family, friends, or colleagues can host a food drive on behalf of SCO in four simple steps:
1 Pick a date 2 Set your goal
3 Register online to host the food drive 4 Promote!
Please contact our Food Team at (949) 380-8144 ext. 204 or foodteam@sco-oc.org to get started. Donating Without the generous support of individuals, government partners, businesses, community organizations, and more, we could not provide hope to those facing a crisis. At SCO, 90 cents of every dollar donated goes directly toward helping families who are struggling through a financial hardship. You can help by donating funds or items such as food, clothing or other supplies. For more information about donating to SCO, contact our Director of Development at dwilliams@sco-oc.org, or by calling (949) 380-8144 ext. 218. Shopping The Upscale Resale Thrift Store is the social enterprise arm of SCO that helps fund our continuum of Hunger and Homeless Prevention programs. When you shop at Upscale Resale, you are supporting programs that help prevent people from becoming homeless, feed those with limited financial resources, and find stable housing for the working homeless, including single parents, seniors, veterans, those living on fixed incomes, and many others. You can also donate new or gently used household items to Upscale Resale. Please call (949) 855-4158 to inquire about your donation.
A SEASON OF GIVING As 2020 comes to an end, we are now entering the season of giving! With all that we’ve faced this year, it is important, now more than ever, to lend a hand to those who may be hungry, suffering from homelessness, or both. At South County Outreach, we are thankful to have an amazing support system of donors and volunteers who help our clients each and every day. This season, we are asking our SCO family of supporters like you to imagine‌ WHAT WOULD TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY BAKING LOOK LIKE WITHOUT EGGS FOR COOKIES? Perishable items such as milk, eggs, and butter are a big part of our diets year-round, but play an especially bigger role during the holiday season when family gatherings are centered around preparing, cooking, and eating meals together. Because these items expire quickly, they are not regularly stocked at the Food Pantry, which serves 1,000 clients each month and supplies a variety of shelf-stable foods, high-quality produce, fresh breads, dairy and meat products for our clients to take home and make nourishing meals for their households. Many of our clients rely on assistance from SCO during the holidays so they can cook a delicious meal while celebrating togetherness with their loved ones. For just $25, you can provide 8 gallons of milk to families in need this holiday season! How else can your contribution impact children, seniors, and families in south Orange County? $10 will help a child bake two dozen cookies $50 will provide a family of four with enough fresh food to make a delicious Thanksgiving feast $100 will provide 25 seniors with enough milk, eggs, and butter for the holiday season $500 will enable 60 individuals to have a delicious and complete holiday meal $1,000 will provide 111 households with essential dairy items and eggs Your contribution at any amount directly impacts the thousands of children, seniors, and families SCO serves each year, and will give them access to perishable ingredients that are essential to making any holiday season complete. We appreciate your support and have provided a donation envelope in this mailer for your convenience. For any questions about donations, please contact Dennis Williams at dwilliams@sco-oc.org or 949-380-8144 ext. 218. To make an online donation, visit https://www.sco-oc.org/donation-form/ Thank you for helping us ensure that no one in Orange County goes to bed hungry or without a place to call home this holiday season!
GET INVOLVED!
SCO’S 2020 HOLIDAY PROGRAM SCO’s Holiday Program provides food and gifts for South County Outreach clients during the holidays. As you know, many people have experienced job losses due to COVID-19 and are struggling to pay bills, keep food on the table, and make rent payments to keep a roof over their heads. Finances are strained even more during the holidays with the increased pressure to provide holiday meals and gifts for family members. We invite you to help make the holidays a little brighter this year by donating stuffed 20-inch Holiday Stockings to the children of our clients OR by donating a $25 Walmart or Target gift card so parents can pick out gifts for their children. The 20-inch stockings can be found at online at walmart.com (just search “20” stocking”); we’ve included some stocking stuffer ideas for all age groups below! Stockings and/or gift cards can be dropped off at South County Outreach Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm, from now through December 18. Please keep gift cards separate from stockings and be sure to place a tag on each stocking that indicate its age group. For questions relating to the Holiday Program, please email the holiday team at holiday@sco-oc.org. Thank you in advance for your support! Together, we can make this holiday season even more joyful for people in need. Stuffers for Babies & Toddlers (0 – 2 years old) Adorable Socks Bath Toys Sippy Cups Pacifiers and Teethers Headbands and Bows Board Books Stuffers for Preschoolers (3 – 5 years old) Educational Books Board Books, Puzzles Popular Character Socks Mini Duplo Sets Small Cars, Dolls Bath Toys
7 Whatney Ste B Irvine, CA 92618 Tax ID: #33-0330233
Stuffers for Kids (6 – 11 years old) Hair Chalk Pens Hair Accessories Glow Sticks L.O.L. Surprise dolls Silly Putty, Play Doh, Slime Puzzles Travel Games Glow in the Dark Stars Funny or Colorful Crew Socks Books Card Games Coloring and Activity Books Mini Craft Sets Lego Mini's - watches, key chains, mini-figure packs
Stuffers for Tweens & Teens (12 – 18 years old) Texting Mittens/Gloves USB Drives Funny or Colorful Crew Socks Wallets Lip Gloss Ear Buds Hair Ties, Hair Chalk Pens Gel Pens Shower & Toiletries - Axe, Bath & Body Works Puzzle Pens Card Games
Q&A WITH
LAVAL BREWER
1. What inspired you to get involved in nonprofits? I was attending Community College back in 1985 and needed a job. My good friend John Hamilton was working for the Westchester YMCA near LAX and told me about an opening for an after-school counselor, so I applied and started working for the Y on April 5th, 1985. The YMCA was all about developing small communities and each YMCA location was focused on their local city, which allowed me to witness the true impact we had on the community. This inspired me and I continued to work for the YMCA until 2010, holding four different Executive Director roles within the organization. 2. Can you tell us about your background in the nonprofit sector and what brought you to SCO? I have a long history and a broad range of expertise in the nonprofit sector. The YMCA training plan provides its leaders with extensive preparation for all things “nonprofit.” I learned everything from fundraising, to leadership, to staff hiring and development, financial management, community relations, and government affairs. Eventually, in 2010, I decided to apply my training and experience to branch out on my own and become a nonprofit consultant. I began working with organizations based throughout LA and Orange County to help build their fundraising practices, strategic planning, executive coaching, and volunteer development.
My history with the YMCA, in addition to my consultant work with more than 50 local nonprofit organizations, combined with my love for supporting small communities brought me to South County Outreach. 3. What are your goals for South County Outreach in the next year? SCO has been a leader in hunger and homeless prevention in South Orange County for more than 30 years and I’m excited to be a part of continuing this important work. We aim to double our impact and support to the community by 2024. Here is how we plan to achieve this goal: • Expand the size of our staff and volunteers • Partner with other agencies to meet the immediate need for food and housing assistance • Build our capacity to measure success • Expand our clients’ accessibility to resources • Inspire generosity amongst current supporters and attract a new generation of donors • Develop greater diversity and equity for our food and housing resources 4. Why is supporting SCO’s initiatives especially important right now? To put it simply, homelessness and food insecurity remains a huge issue in South Orange County and we believe that access to food and housing is a human right. There is a common misconception that all who reside in South Orange County are wealthy, but the truth is many of our own neighbors, who love their families and want what’s best for them, are challenged by the current costs of food and housing. Like many Americans, a significant number are just one paycheck, car repair, medical bill, or emergency away from a financial crisis.
Because of this, South County Outreach continues to be the place where local residents can feed their family, get help to stay in their home and keep the lights on, and learn new skills – all in support of our mission to help people help themselves.
HOW TO HELP THIS
HOLIDAY SEASON BAKE COOKIES OR CASSEROLES Deliver baked goods or easy meals to neighbors, nonprofit organizations in your area, first responders, frontline workers, friends, or family. This is an easy and affordable way to show your love and support during the season of giving. TEACH YOUR KIDS AND FAMILY ABOUT GIVING BACK With all that is going on in our own lives, it is easy to overlook the challenges that other families may be facing this time of year. Educating ourselves and our children about the importance of being stewards of one another is a great reminder, especially during these next few months. Remember to be thankful for what we have and mindful of what others don’t. GIVE A GIFT THAT GIVES BACK Donating to a local charity of your choice in honor of a friend or family member can help spread your love twice as far. A family in need will get the help they need and your loved one will receive a meaningful gift that is good for the community. SET UP A HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE Your friends, family, co-workers, or neighbors can come together to gather food items for those suffering from food insecurity this season. To host a food drive with SCO, visit http://www.sco-oc.org/donate/food-drive-fridays/. VOLUNTEER There are an abundance of volunteer opportunities near you; many of which you can do from home! Do a quick search online for “volunteer opportunities near me” and choose one you are passionate about. To volunteer with SCO, visit http://www.sco-oc.org/volunteer/. SEND WARM HOLIDAY WISHES TO A FAMILY STRUGGLING WITH HUNGER AND/OR HOMELESSNESS Holiday greetings are guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone’s face and lets those struggling know that they are not alone. It is amazing what a few kind words can do! DONATE TO A FOOD PANTRY This is a safe and simple way to give to those in need and will help families enjoy delicious holiday meals that so many are struggling to afford this year.
South County Outreach 7 Whatney, Suite B, Irvine, CA 92618 www.sco-oc.org | 949.380.8144
NonProfit Organization US Postage PAID Permit 554 Lake Forest, CA
Food Pantry 7 Whatney, Suite B, Irvine, CA 92618 Phone: 949.380.8144, ext. 207 Hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-2pm | Fridays 9am-11am We strongly recommend appointments. Upscale Resale Thrift Store 23501 Ridge Route Drive, #G Laguna Hills, CA 92653 Phone: 949.855.4158 Hours: Monday to Friday 11am-5pm | Saturday 10am-4pm
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