Spectacular Soiree
Hot Summer Nights, the annual summer soiree, was held Aug. 3 at the Giracchi Vineyards and Farms in Silverado for Stacy Jones, committee chair, Hot Summer Nights, and Steve Jones, chairman and chief executive, Allied Universal in Cota de Caza. The soiree raised nearly $2.7 million for Vera’s Sanctuary, operated by The Teen Project. Vera’s Sanctuary is the only licensed residential drug treatment shelter dedicated to victims of human trafficking in Orange County.
“Your boundless love and support provide these girls with a new beginning, a chance to rewrite their stories and a future brimming with possibilities,” said Stacy Jones. “Our collective strength, our unity and our unyielding love have lifted these girls from the depths of despair to the heights of hope.”
Event sponsors included Allied Universal, Morgan Stanley, Pacific Uniform Service, UBS, UniPro, Shur-Dry, T-Mobile, R.D. Olson, Lugano, Verizon, BCI, E.Y. J.P. Morgan and Newmeyer Dillon.
Raising Hopes
The R.J. Noble Company,
Related California, Guaranty Chevrolet, The Palmer Family Foundation, Banc of California, City of Hope Orange County, Churm|360, Clark Construction Group, DPR Construction, McCarthy Construction, Southland Industries and TAIT & Associates were among the sponsors of Hope Builders’ recent campaign, 10 Days for Launching Careers.
The ten-day campaign launched Aug. 24 with a private screening event at the New Port Theater in Corona Del Mar, where supporters and community members experienced a documentary highlighting the struggles, resilience and transformation of Hope Builders’ clients and trainees. After the film, three Hope Builders alumni shared their experiences as participants of the Hope Builders Student Journey program, where they acquired skills and training to help them achieve gainful employment.
In the nine days following the kickoff event, Hope Builders engaged in email and social media campaigns to share more true-life compelling narratives with the community, which within ten days helped the nonprofit raise a record-breaking $803,000 for the Hope Builders Student Journey program.
A Caring Home
HomeAid Orange County celebrated the grand re-opening of its Family Care Center in the City of Orange on July 31. Opened in July 2017, the Care Center provides much-needed low-barrier emergency beds to families who find themselves without shelter.
At the event, HomeAid was joined by City of Orange partners Donald Wagner, board chair, Orange County Board of Supervisors, and representatives from the office of Doug Chaffee, vice chair, Orange County Board of Supervisors, Dan Slater, mayor, City of Orange and Kathy Tavoularis, councilmember, City of Orange. Joining in the celebration were members of the community, HomeAid families and operating partner H.I.S. OC.
Additionally, the attendees celebrated the nearly $1.3 million that the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the Continuum of Care Board, along with other donors, provided to ensure HomeAid Orange County can continue supporting families experiencing homelessness for the next year. Championed by Wagner and supported by Chaffee, $500,000 of Third District discretionary funds, which was unanimously approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, and $250,000 from the Orange County’s Continuum of Care Board was allocated to the organization.
“I am honored to support the success of HomeAid Orange County,” said Wagner. “With the funding the Board of Supervisors and Continuum of Care Board provided, HomeAid will be able to continue providing housing and resources to Orange County families facing homelessness.”
“The reopening of HomeAid’s Family Care Center is an essential step for addressing homelessness in Orange County,” said Slater. “The hard work they’ve done and will continue to do is truly helping families go from helplessness to hopefulness.”
The Center has undergone critical renovations, including upgrading the sewer system and bathrooms, revamping the family sleeping areas, deep cleaning and repainting the interior of the building, and refreshing outdoor landscaping.
Bits & Pieces
Sally’s Fund, a nonprofit that provides transportation services to Laguna Beach’s older adults and disabled individuals, has partnered with CarDana, a Laguna Beach-based charitable car donation organization, to pick up donated vehicles, no matter their condition, and handle the sale of these vehicles, with the proceeds going directly to Sally’s Fund … On Aug. 27, Illumination Foundation held its annual end-of-summer party for residents of its Theriault Family Emergency Home, where residents, guests and supporters shared a meal, played games and enjoyed arts and crafts … On National Waffle Day, Aug. 24, Cappy’s Café in Newport Beach, in partnership with Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire (MAW OCIE), hosted a waffle eating contest that raised more than $3,000 and featured a spirited showdown between the Newport Beach Fire Department and the Newport Beach Police Department, with the Fire Department pulling off the win.
