Global Operations And Development Giving Children Hope

Giving Children Hope’s (GCH) mission is to help children and families break out of a cycle of need and into lives of self-sufficiency and success.

Giving Children Hope has been committed to serving vulnerable children for the past 30 years. In 1993, our founder took a trip to Eastern Europe to adopt a child. While there, he saw tremendous needs all around him. When he arrived home, he committed himself to responding to crises and the needs of vulnerable children around the world, including food, medical supplies, and other basic needs.

In 2007, GCH was approached by school staff members who told us that children were arriving at school hungry and unable to learn. We responded to meet this local need by creating the We’ve Got Your Back program which ensures children have an equitable opportunity to receive quality education and a prosperous future.

Today, our We’ve Got Your Back program serves more than a million meals to food insecure, unstably housed, and low-income families in Orange and Los Angeles counties. Through collaboration with over 75 school partners, we ensure the physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development of vulnerable children and their families.

Giving Children Hope has continued to provide services for the vulnerable children and families in Southern California. Some of our greatest accomplishments include:

1. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, we were quick to respond, adding more than 150 families in need to the WGYB program.
2. In 2020-21, GCH provided nutritious foods to more than 1,300 families at 65 schools in 12 cities across Southern California.
3. In 2020, at the height of the PPE shortage, we distributed thousands of N-95 masks, hygiene supplies, and other key PPE to six community clinics, nine hospitals, 12 doctor’s offices, and six police and fire departments
4. In 2020, we expanded our services to the under-resourced community of San Bernardino, partnering with a nonprofit organization to bring food to 130 families.
5. In 2021, we were awarded the 2020-21 ASCA Region 14 Partners in Educational Excellence Award for the work we are doing with John H. Nuffer Elementary in Norwalk. This partnership provides food, basic needs supplies, and parent education to low-income and food insecure children and families through the We've Got Your Back Program. As a result of the investment in these families’ lives, the school has seen a 14% increase in regular school attendance!

Goals

Our goal is to stabilize the situation for vulnerable children and families by meeting their most basic need of food.

Giving Children Hope provides food and basic needs items in partnership with local schools and nonprofits to more than 1,000 children. To accomplish this, we rely on contributions from passionate individuals who want to make sure that everyone in their community has what they need to succeed. You can support our efforts with a one-time donation, monthly contribution, or legacy gift, or create a fundraiser to raise even more.

Giving Children Hope serves primarily in Orange County, while working with some families in LA County.

Giving Children Hope is made up of a passionate team of individuals working together to empower vulnerable children and families in Southern California. Schools in our community reach out to us because their families are struggling to provide basics such as food and bedding. These partnerships with more than 75 schools set us apart and allow us to collaboratively provide the best resources to the families we serve.
-Pete Bowen, Chief Executive Officer

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As we reflect on the past year, it is with profound gratitude that we acknowledge what a great opportunity God has given us to serve on the board of Giving Children Hope and support a charity that embodies the spirit of being the hands and feet of Christ in our local community.

The challenges we have faced have only strengthened our resolve. Every day, we see firsthand how our neighbors—those who live in our community, whose children attend the same schools as ours, and who shop in the same stores—struggle with basic needs. Yet, through your generous support and the dedication of our community, we have been able to make a tangible difference right here, where the need is most immediate and personal.

These past few years, navigating through the obstacles of COVID-19 and the fluctuations in food sourcing and donations has been no small feat. However, with an active board that commits their time, talent, and treasure to the mission of Giving Children Hope, we have persevered. We are a team that puts mission before personality, guided by the principle of having our hearts broken for what breaks God's heart.

Looking ahead, we humbly pray for continued guidance to fulfill our mission: providing essential support to those most in need, offering leadership training to break the cycle of poverty, and creating opportunities for community members to volunteer and serve right here in Buena Park. Giving Children Hope is more than an organization; it is a place where individuals can give back and make a meaningful impact.

As we approach another year of service, we invite you to join us in this mission. Your donations, your time as a volunteer, and your prayers are invaluable to us. Together, we can continue to be a beacon of hope in our community, demonstrating God's love through action.

With heartfelt appreciation and anticipation for the year ahead,

Victor Perrin, Chairman of the Board