First Buena Park Quarterly Forum

Giving Children Hope Addresses the Need of the Disadvantaged in Local Communities

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Juliana Ditty
Phone Number: 714-523-4454
Email Address: julianaditty@aol.com

Giving Children Hope Addresses Future of Local Poor

Buena Park, California (July 11, 2007)-Nonprofit organization Giving Children Hope held a quarterly forum addressing the needs of the local homeless, including Orange County’s ten-year model to assist the poor in developing self-sufficiency.

The forum held on July 11, 2007, focused on the needs of low-income children, many of whom are living in motels. Last year, Orange County identified 11, 642 homeless children. Currently, Buena Park School District has identified 705 homeless children between the ages of 4 and 12.

Guest speaker Karen Roper, Executive Director of Orange County HCS Office on Aging and Homeless Prevention, found that in 2002 many parents and their children were unable to enroll in school because they did not have a home address. Jeanne Awrey, Manager of Student Support Services, said that the issue of enrollment had been improved by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act, which ensures that a child can enroll without a permanent address.

Also discussed were Anaheim’s programs for the poor and the results of it. Bob Cerince, Supervisor of Homeless Community Services of Anaheim, reports that Anaheim has developed programs which offer assistance to motel families and senior adults, networking opportunities, and a mobile unit called “Fun on Wheels” which goes to motels offering toys, games and tutoring to children. Anaheim’s example gives Orange County leaders proof that these social programs do help the poor overcome adversity and towards a better future. “We don’t have a skid row but we do have a string of motels,” said Cerince. Many of the children live with five or six people in a motel room.

Other program successes were discussed. San Juan Capistrano has 15% of their children on the free and reduced lunch program, while Buena Park has 62% of their children in the program. Giving Children Hope has 60 children enrolled in their pilot year program “We Have Your Backs,” where children are given backpacks full of nutritionally balanced food and snacks for the weekend and are enrolled in nutrition classes.

The forum discussed many issues that Orange County faces in directing more efficient programs. “How can Orange County leaders become a team to better address the needs of homeless, at risk children? When we go forward in the spirit of kindness and creativity we can get so much done,” said Executive Vice President Juliana Ditty of Giving Children Hope.

“In the end, it’s about hope, giving children hope,” said Supervisor Chris Norby, Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

Present at the forum were Supervisor Chris Norby, Jeanne Awrey of the Orange County Board of Education, Supervisor of Homeless Community Services Anaheim Bob Cerince and Executive Director of Orange County HCS Office on Aging and Homeless Prevention Karen Roper. The meeting was lead by Executive Vice President Juliana Ditty.

Giving Children Hope a nonprofit organization in Orange County dedicated to alleviating poverty (domestically and abroad) through food, nutrition, education, and workforce development. For further information, contact Juliana Ditty at 714-523-4454 or julianaditty@aol.com.

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