When families stumble upon hard times, they need to know there is a way to get up and succeed. Organizations like Giving Children Hope help families do just that.
Giving Children Hope is a faith-based non-profit group that’s mission is to help children and families break out of the cycle of need to become successful and self-sustainable. Giving Children Hope helps families in the areas of housing, food, and essentials to help them find a way out of poverty. Through various programs and the help of countless volunteers, we can help children and families in Southern California achieve this goal.
As we take a look at how Giving Children Hope got its roots, we’ll also look at some of the programs it offers and how people can get involved in this worthy cause.
History of Giving Children Hope
Giving Children Hope was founded in 1993 as a means to provide food and health essentials to struggling children and families in Eastern Europe. Over time, the mission expanded to sending supplies to those in most need overseas and in America.
Today, the organization focuses on helping families break out of the cycle of need by providing the tools they need to succeed. This can come in the forms of food, household goods, and leadership development. These combined resources help to create a pathway to success.
Programs Offered
There are four major programs Giving Children Hope provides that help children and families become successful. Each has its own focus and goals.
Giving For Living
This program helps to ensure that every child has a home that is furnished with the essentials. The Giving for Living Donation Center is open to the community of nonprofit partners including homeless shelters, youth programs, senior centers, and more throughout Southern California. Without the proper home essentials, it is more difficult to live and be successful.
We’ve Got Your Back
The We’ve Got Your Back program focuses on ensuring that every child has access to healthy food options. Giving Children Hope partners with more than 80 schools, food banks, and grocery stores to achieve this goal. It is a weekend nutrition program that serves children and families in need who live in Orange County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino.
Giving Children Hope delivers backpacks each week to designated school sites. Each child in the program receives enough food for 3-4 family members throughout the weekend, and at times, throughout the week.
Seasonal Programs
Seasonal programs are held throughout the year to help children and families. Adopting a family for the holidays and toy drives are just some of the programs that Giving Children Hope sponsors. Donation-based wrapping parties are also a part of this program.
Family Development
The leadership and development programs give families the skills they need to develop healthy habits and skills that can make them more self-sufficient. Families are educated on topics like parenting, financial literacy, and nutrition. Through these types of classes, people not only learn new ideas but also how to put them into practice and change their lives.
How to Get Involved with Giving Children Hope
To thrive, Giving Children Hope counts on the generosity of volunteers. There are volunteer opportunities every Monday through Friday, as well as special events on the last Saturday of every month.
I had the privilege of volunteering with a group of my OneOC peers just a few weeks ago and I was impressed with how smoothly their operation runs. They have large warehouses stacked full of supplies and as volunteers, we hustled to help sort and package pallets of goods for local families.
More volunteers are needed to help sort food at the distribution center, pack backpacks for kids in need, distribute fresh food to the community, and much more. To find out more about the many different types of volunteer opportunities, visit the Giving Children Hope volunteer page.
Giving Children Hope has been changing the lives of families in Southern California for nearly 30 years. With the help of donations and volunteers, it can continue to thrive and create a meaningful impact on those who need it most in the community.
