Second Harvest Food Bank Backpack Program

Established in 1983, Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission is to eliminate poverty in Orange County. In response to the growing concern of childhood hunger, Second Harvest Food Bank established the Kids Café program providing after-school snacks and summer meals, a time when low-income and poverty level children often go without, as well as nutrition education activities to underprivileged children in Orange County. The Backpack program, nationally sponsored by Feeding America, will serve 144 youth in 3 locations - Santa Ana, Westminster and Anaheim. During the duration of the project, the program will expand to 15 locations feeding 700 children. JLOCC Members assist in coordinating food drives, backpack assembly, educational materials and events.

Crittenton Service Connect Program

Crittenton Services has developed the Connect Program to help promote and foster long-term mentoring relationships with the young women it serves. The Connect Program, which began over 12 years ago, has volunteers visit the same cottage residents on a regular basis. By the time adolescent girls are transferred to Crittenton Services, they are in dire need of positive role models, healthy relationships and trust. Providing volunteers to consistently interact with these girls on a regular basis is an important part of their development. The JLOCC hosts monthly activities and a holiday celebration to help the girls establish relationships and a sense of holiday tradition. JLOCC Members also organize several drives during the year to collect items of need for the Crittenton programs.

CHOC Reading Program

The JLOCC has partnered with Children's Hospital of Orange County – Orange (CHOC) to significantly expand the CHOC Reading Club in an effort to combat literacy issues. This program is based on the National Literacy Program called Reach Out and Read. Children who come to CHOC for well-child examinations are automatically enrolled in CHOC's Reading Club. Open to children ages 6 months to 6 years, this program provides each patient a brand new book at their well-visit to encourage a love of reading and boost reading skills. Doctors use the books provided as teaching tools for the child during the exam and also speak with parents regarding the importance of reading daily with their child. JLOCC Members work hands-on in the waiting areas of CHOC to build a passion for reading by reading aloud to patients and organizing Reading Day events. JLOCC Members support CHOC's staff in continuing to revitalize, expand, and sustain the existing literacy program by creating and implementing a volunteer recruitment plan; broadening the program to include all CHOC off-site locations and assisting in building the Reading Program's library.

CASA Emancipated Youth Program

Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County is dedicated to giving a voice, hope and a future to the community’s most disadvantaged children: the abused, abandoned and neglected children living in Orange County’s foster care system. Established in 1985 as a project of the JLOCC, CASA’s mission is to provide quality advocacy for children through a unique, one-on-one relationship between a trained and supervised court-appointed volunteers and an abused, abandoned or neglected child. The JLOCC is partnered with CASA again to work with youth who are approaching emancipation from the foster care system. CASA and the JLOCC realize that these struggling teens face their greatest challenges after they emancipate and their volunteer advocates also need significant support from CASA as they help these youths with the transition. CASA and the JLOCC’s goal is to enhance the support and resources currently provided to youth before emancipation, while also developing a program that will continue that support post-emancipation. Monthly training sessions for youth and volunteer advocates are planned as well as coordination with local employers to find employment resources and opportunities for transitioning youths. A support system between emancipated youth and volunteer advocates is established to aid communication between meetings and training sessions.

Kinship Support Services Program

In partnership with Olive Crest and Family Resource Center, the JLOCC assists in the development of kinship support services devoted to providing support for foster youth placed in the homes of relative caregivers. Approximately 60% of the children taken out of their homes are placed with relative caregivers such as aunts, uncles, grandparents, or older siblings. Relative caregivers often have special needs linked to age, poverty, poor health, social isolation, or inadequate access to information and services. The Kinship program, supported by JLOCC, hosts events that address the unique needs of each caregiver and child by providing referrals to basic services and resources, a support system of other caregivers and a break from daily stresses.

Bear Hugs and Bear Necessities Program

JLOCC Sustaining Members have partnered with the Orangewood Children’s Foundation to reach out to teenagers emancipating from Orange County’s foster care system. Over 300 teens emancipate yearly and many lack the support system to help them finish high school and plan their future. To ease the transition into independent living, the Bear Hugs and Bear Necessities program provides emancipated teens with a duffel bag full of essentials such as toiletries, towels, a blanket, stationery supplies, an inspirational book, calling cards, maps, flashlight and alarm clock. In addition, the Bear Hugs and Bear Necessities program supports Orangewood Resource Center (ORC) through their Independent Living Program (ILP) and Rising Tide Community Program to provide support services focusing on employment, education, health and housing. JLOCC Members volunteer at ILP events such as “Independent City”, a mock city, to educate teens on basic skills needed to live in the outside world.
Read more.

Impact Orange County

Impact Orange County responds to immediate needs in the community by researching and implementing "done-in-a-day" projects and events within the JLOCC focus areas.