Fundraisers and charitable donations from companies and people
The Newport Beach office of O’Melveny & Myers LLP gave more than $300,000 to six nonprofits after it was awarded attorney fees for winning a pro bono lawsuit against the county of Orange.
The money will be split among Santa Ana-based Orange County Public Law Center, Santa Ana-based Mercy House-Orange County, Share Our Selves in Costa Mesa, Friendship Shelter in Laguna Beach, Garden Grove-based Community Action Partnership Orange County and Los Angeles-based Western Center on Law and Poverty.
“We selected these recipients because their missions reinforce our original objective in the lawsuit—to help low-income residents in the county secure food and shelter and the other assistance that they need during the prolonged dowturn,” said Phillip Kaplan, partner and pro bono chair of O’Melveny’s Newport Beach office.
Karen McGlinn, executive director of Share our Selves, said the donation will be used for holiday food baskets for homeless families and individuals. Dawn Price, executive director of the Friendship Shelter, said the money will be used to continue to provide food and services to the homeless.
The donated money represented the firm’s attorney fees net of costs from a lawsuit filed against the county on behalf of a group of food stamp applicants and recipients whose benefits had been cut or delayed due to cutbacks in employment of government workers administering them.
O’Melveny worked with the Western Center on Law & Poverty, Public Law Center and Rothner Segall & Greenstone, to try the case, which resulted in new guidelines for the government agency.
“We recognized that the county was faced with its own budget pressures, but we believed strongly that in this severe recession, the county needed to do a better job in getting benefits to those in need in a more timely way,” Kaplan said. “This outcome is a win-win for all the parties involved because it ensures that people who are entitled to benefits get them on time.”
Team Kids, an Irvine-based group that provides educational service programs for children and young adults, celebrated its 10th anniversary last month at Oakley Inc.’s headquarters in Foothill Ranch. The event was sponsored by board member Laura Baden and her husband Colin Baden, Oakley’s chief executive. About 300 people were on hand. They got to shop at Oakley’s company store, which helped raise $105,000 at the event. Team Kids runs school and community programs that get kids involved with helping the needy and hungry. About 28,000 kids have taken part in the nonprofit’s programs, generating more than $270,000 in donated items and funds for local nonprofits.
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian raised $820,000 at its annual Christmas Carol Ball in Dana Point. The money will help support the staff at Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, Hoag Hospital Irvine and seven Hoag Health Centers in Orange County. About 600 people attended the fundraiser, which was held at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa.
Brent McMahon of Santa Barbra-based McMahon’s RV Inc. donated $100,000 to Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Zach Moonitz of CHOC accepted the grant at Honda Center prior to an Anaheim Ducks hockey game. The money will help fund a new seven-story patient care tower, which is scheduled to open in 2013. The tower will allow for the expansion of several services, including pathology, imaging and radiology services. McMahon’s RV, which has an Irvine dealership, also is the sponsor of CHOC’s Jan. 22 gala.
The Irvine Health Foundation will recognize three groups at an award ceremony on Jan. 26. The grand prize recipient is Share Our Selves, a Costa Mesa-based group that provides emergency services for the homeless. Share Our Selves will receive $150,000. Moms Orange County, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit that helps expecting mothers, and Garden Grove-based Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County, which provides dental care for needy children, will each receive $50,000.
Girl Scouts of Orange County received a $10,000 grant from Bandai Foundation, the charitable arm of Cypress-based Bandai America Inc. The money will help support programs at Camp Scherman, a Girl Scout camp in the San Jacinto Mountains that emphasizes the importance of healthy lifestyle decisions. The money also will help pay the camp fees for girls from low-income families.
Nick Stewart and Bruce McAllister of Costa Mesa-based TPT Home donated $500 to Freedom Committee of Orange County, a group that sends veteran guest speakers to local schools. The check presentation was part of TPT’s grand opening celebration.
Tustin-based Sunwest Bank donated 400 meals to the Orange County Rescue Mission in Tustin to help the group meet its Thanksgiving donation goal. The Orange County Rescue Mission is a nonprofit that provides food, shelter and services until struggling adults can become self-sufficient.
Rancho Santiago Community College District was awarded $225,000 to fund its Early Head Start program, which evaluates the effectiveness of teaching methods in the classroom. The program serves more than 150 children in Santa Ana. The money comes from The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The grant was awarded to 17 programs of its kind in California and 131 nationally.
The Brandman Foundation gave $2.1 million to Brandman University’s Veterans2College program, which helps veterans succeed in college. The program offers special courses and support resources. Brandman University, part of Orange-based Chapman University, has 26 campuses in California and Washington, including a campus in Irvine. Brandman also offers a number of courses on military bases.
Anna’s Linens, a Costa Mesa-based bedding and fabric retailer, donated more than 10,000 throws to 70 charities in several states. Recipients include Redondo Beach-based Cheer for Children and Indio-based ABC Recovery Center. Anna’s has also partnered with St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital. Customers will have the option of donating to the Thanks and Giving program, which raises money for cancer research.
