CNN Hero of the Year 2009

To find out how you can give or volunteer in Orange County, visit www.ocuw.org (When donating, enter promo code: GIFT)

Women Helping Women Update

We just received the Fall 2009 updates from Women Helping Women, one of the programs that Orange County United Way supports.  They are doing such great things and we are so happy for their great success over the past year!  Keep up the good work guys!

Below is the update, along with some info about the program.     

                                                                                                                                     

Fall 2009 

 In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.  It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.  We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.

          ~  Albert Schweitzer

At this time of year, we would like to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to all of our supporters – past, present, and future. 
 
Last year, thanks to your donations, Women Helping Women/Men2Work’s Employment Success Program helped over 2,600 disadvantaged men and women in their efforts to achieve self-sufficiency by attaining gainful employment.  This was a new record for us – in 17 years of operation!!  
 
During the past year, Orange County lost 55,800 jobs (September 2008 – 2009), and unemployment reached 9.4% (EDD).  During this time of economic distress, WHW experienced a 36% increase in demand for services.  Yet, we were able to meet this need, thanks to your continued support! 
 
WHW is the only agency in Orange County to provide business clothing, education, and direct job placement – without cost or obligation to our clients or their referring non-profit agency.  Clients are referred to WHW by more than 200 Orange County partner agencies, who rely on our workforce development services so they can focus on their core missions – be it housing, recovery, or hunger.  

www.whw.org

Last year, WHW’s Employment Success Program provided more than:

• 4,000 business suits (and associated accessories)
• 200 resumes, and
• 120 computer classes and educational workshops. 

Of the clients who used our Job Placement services, over 84% achieved sustained employment (over 90 days); a number we are proud to share.  
 Our clients come to WHW as a last resort of hope to escape their circumstances and achieve a better life for themselves, and for the future of their children.  Typical clients include:

• The single mom, working to afford a safe place for her children,
• The woman escaping the threat of death from an abusive spouse, dealing with the overwhelming challenges of supporting herself and her children,
• The veteran, returning from serving their country, only to face an overflowing,  competitive job market,
• The person overcoming addiction or incarceration, trying to regain everything they have lost and return to a normal life,
• The elderly woman who has lost her husband, now faced with supporting herself for the first time in decades, or perhaps, in her life.

We also saw an influx of the “newly unemployed” – people affected by layoffs who are now searching for a job after 10, 15, or more years at their former company.  Sadly, in some cases, both husbands and wives lost jobs. 
 
Our clients were so grateful for the support they received at WHW

• “I walked into my interview, and my interviewer literally said ‘WOW, you look great’!”
• “I wore one of the suits to my interview, where I am now employed.  I am very thankful for all the services and time your staff provided me.  I walked out of there feeling so special and cared for.”
• “My experience was so great…the best feeling is that now I can support my family.”
• “I couldn’t have done it on my own. I am so grateful for the support I received.”
• “I didn’t even know where to start job searching and was completely over-whelmed and paralyzed. That all changed the minute I stepped in the doors of WHW. They were so positive and energetic. I took advantage of everything; clothing, computer classes, job placement support.  I was a whole new person, and it wouldn’t have been possible without WHW!”

www.whw.org

Thanks to your support, WHW was able to assist those who needed it most.  We wanted to share the gratitude of the people you helped, and hope that you will again support our mission to empower others to achieve self-sufficiency through employment success.
 
We know that these are difficult times for many.  If you are in a position to assist others, please consider lending a hand up to someone else with your donation.  Not only will you help them regain their financial security, but you can also help to rekindle their inner spirit.  
 
With sincere gratitude,

Jeanne Flint
Executive Director

                                                                                                                              

Join us in supporting Women Helping Women!  For more information about how to donate or volunteer, visit www.ocuw.org

The Cohen Family Returns to OCUW!

Do you all remember Sam Cohen?  To refresh your memory, Sam previously donated ALL of his birthday money  to United Way when he turned 8-years-old.  With the encouragement of his mom Cristine, dad Rob and younger brother Jack, Sam collected donations from friends and families by asking them for money instead of gifts. By his big day, he had collected $280.00 for United Way’s Community Impact work. 

This year, Sam partnered with his little brother Jack and set their goals even higher!  Sam and his brother Jack came to United Way on Tuesday, Nov. 24th to donate over $1,000 that they made from a yard sale. That makes them Leadership Donors – Wow!!! The Orange County United Way team is so grateful to the Cohen family and it was such a special day for us to be a part of. 

High five to Sam and Jack for continuing to encourage and inspire our community, and to their parents Cristine and Rob for teaching your children about the spirit of giving!! !!  Thank you Cohen family for helping us build self-sufficient lives for those most in need in Orange County!

Building Bright Futures

We are proud supporters of Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach and are excited about the great opportunities that they offer to the community.   Last week, their Keystone Club headed north to the Bay area for a weekend of fun and learning.  From November 12^th- 15th, 400 youths from across the nation gathered for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 2009 Regional Keystone Conference.  The Keystone Club is designed to help teen members become more productive citizens and leaders.  Each club elects their own officers and implements their own activities in three focus areas:  community service, academic success and career preparation. 

While in Foster City the Club’s members visited corporations such as Google, NASA, Oracle, Facebook, and EA Games to see what it would be like to have a career working at one of these places.  Members also took the BART to Berkley, Stanford, San Francisco University and the University of San Francisco for tours.  For many of them this was their FIRST time being on a college campus.  Surely an exciting and inspiring experience!

Other weekend activities included learning how to put together a resume, handle themselves in an interview, save for college and many other career building skills.  One of the highlights of the conference was a speech from Maria Ryes, one of the original freedom Writers. 

This will surely be a fantastic memory, kept close to the hearts of all of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach Keystone members.  Our hats are off to the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach for making a difference in the lives of our community’s future leaders!

 Click here to donate now and join us in supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach and other community organizations.

Angel Tree Update!

Employees UNITED is excited to announce we have selected Illumination Foundation as the agency we will support for this year’s Angel Tree program! 

 The LIVE UNITED team here at United Way will be adopting 31 homeless families that are currently part of the foundation’s Pre- Transitional Housing and Wrap-Around Services:

Pre- Transitional Housing : There remains a critical shortage of affordable housing within Orange County. With that understanding, IF has entered into agreement with local motels to provide housing for homeless families with children. Prospective client families are evaluated according to their medical and economic needs. The amount they are able to contribute toward the monthly rent is determined; IF will then donate the differential directly to the motel. Clients must reach self sufficiency after one year or be re-evaluated for independent living or transitioned into existing homeless programs.

Wrap Around Services : Client families in the housing program are required to enter into a counseling agreement to participate in a collaborative wrap-around program coordinated by IF. These wrap-around services combine public and private services to offer a holistic approach to our families.

To learn more abou Illumination Foundation visit:  www.ifhomeless.org