Orange County United Way

Initiatives: United for Student Success℠, United for Financial Security℠, and United to End Homelessness℠ and Services: 2-1-1 Orange County

We put our mission into action through United for Student Success, United for Financial Security, and United to End Homelessness, which include programming to meet basic needs, develop skills, and ensure long-term success. We also offer vital support via 2-1-1 Orange County (211OC), a key service that connects thousands of our most vulnerable residents with health and human service resources. 1) United for Student Success aims to ensure Orange County students receive the support they need to stay on track in school, graduate high school on time, and are college- and career-ready. Our programming includes: advocating for early-grade literacy through book drives that provide educational materials for communities where access is scarce; our Destination Graduation program offers middle and high school students from high-need districts exciting college and career exploration opportunities, experimental hands-on learning STEM modules, academic tutoring, virtual college field trips, corporate career days, and college and career fairs; Youth Career Connections is an integrated, work-based learning program that infuses classroom learning with real-world career experiences by connecting students directly to employers—activities include virtual teacher learning panels, industry site visits, career speaker sessions, summer internships, financial literacy workshops, and more; our Senior Year Mentoring Program helps high school seniors from low-income families and underserved communities to stay on track and graduate on time through a robust virtual workshop series. Additionally, our Healthy Schools Initiative is an evidence-based effort that empowers schools to adopt policies and practices to promote student health and wellness through physical activity, nutrition, social and emotional health, and community and parent-led advocacy. Our School-based Healthy Food Provision program provides local schools and the surrounding communities with access to fresh fruits and vegetables through school meal distributions and/or pop-up farmer’s markets. 2) United for Financial Security is empowering Orange County families to get on the path from surviving to thriving. Financial security is critical to the overall wellness of families. Our Safety Net programming offers Free Tax Prep services to help low-income families keep their hard-earned money and our Covered CA Outreach works to ensure all individuals and families in our community have access to healthcare. Our SparkPoint OC program promotes financial empowerment through free one-on-one financial coaching to increase income, mange credit, and build assets through savings and asset planning to reach goals like buying a home or paying for college. UpSkill OC is our workforce development program, which provides a collaborative approach to bridging the skills gap in various industries and crating pathways to jobs that pay a living wage. 3) United to End Homelessness is committed to ending homelessness in Orange County so that everyone has a safe place to call home. We believe the solution to homelessness is a home—moving into permanent housing with supportive services gives a person a solid foundation to rebuild their life. Our housing navigation and landlord incentive program, WelcomeHomeOC℠, helps individuals and families experiencing homelessness who have rental assistance vouchers by matching them with available private market housing and ensures supportive services are provided to help those who are newly housed to stay in their homes for the long-term. We also provide financial incentives and other assurances for landlords who rent unites to people with housing vouchers. In partnership with CalOptima Health and 45 community-based partners, we also provide our Whatever It Takes℠ program, which supports CalOptima members experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity by leveraging flexible funding to overcome barriers and expedite a positive resolution to their housing crisis. Additionally, through our Homelessness 101 Classes, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the issue, break down myths, and provide the most up-to-date statistics and best practices for solving homelessness in our community. Our Housing Champions Advocacy Network recruits, trains, organizes, and equips local residents to engage in advocacy in their communities for solutions to end homelessness. 4) 2-1-1 Orange County is committed to ensuring everyone in our community gets connected to the assistance they need. Through 2-1-1 Orange County (211OC), a key service that connects thousands of our most vulnerable residents with health and human service resources, we are ensuring everyone has access to necessary support. By dialing 2-1-1, residents reach a FREE, 24-hour emergency hotline, which links them to thousands of local health and human services resources. 211OC also administers the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC). In this effort, we run the database that supports our community’s efforts to address homelessness. This information is used locally and is reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide data used to shape federal priorities. 2-1-1 Orange County (211OC) is more than a helpline—it’s a lifeline and a community resource hub connecting Orange County residents with critical support. We help individuals and families access essential services and empower service providers with data-driven insights. Together, we’re building a stronger, more compassionate community.