Costa Mesa, CA — Our annual Family Service Night went virtual this year, as over 300 parents and kids participated in our first At Home! event. Families, small groups of classmates, and Scout troops spent the evening together at home assembling over 2,000 hygiene kits, diaper kits, shaving kits and snack bags for our neighbors in need.

They later joined a Zoom discussion on homelessness in our community with SOS CEO Christy Ward, and a lively Q&A with staff where families learned more about Share Our Selves and the services we provide to the community, and additional ways to get involved. We were so impressed with the thoughtful questions the children asked, and their creative ideas to help assist our homeless population.

Although we are looking forward to the time when we can welcome families back onsite to volunteer with us, our virtual event gave participants the flexibility to complete the projects at their convenience, and we received a unanimous request to hold another event later this year. Thank you to everyone who participated and donated items.

Stay tuned for details and date for our Summer Service Night!

In lieu of this year’s in-person Celebrity Chef Dinner we spent the month of October celebrating our 50th Anniversary online! Supporters participated in an online auction and “raise the paddle” fundraiser to raise critical funds for individuals and families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Costa Mesa, CA — Share Our Selves welcomed families from the Orange County community to two events, Saturday of Service and Family Service Night, to kick off the holiday season by serving their homeless neighbors. Participants worked on projects that helped our homeless neighbors and taught children about the challenges they face. Geared towards families with children elementary school to high school age, these events provided the opportunity to introduce the next generation of OC philanthropists to issues of hunger and homelessness in our community. Throughout the night, our families helped SOS prepare for the holiday season by:

• Sorting 2,000 pounds of canned and assorted goods
• Packing 625 bags full of hygiene items
• Packing 400 diaper kits with diapers, wipes, and hand sanitizer
• Creating and decorating 150 gift card holders for our Adopt A Family program
• Packing 150 lunches for our homeless clients
• Preparing over 100 bags of Thanksgiving produce

Thank you to the 260 community members those who helped make this night a true success!

A huge thank you to our generous chefs, sponsors, event sponsors, Celebrity Chef Dinner Committee & volunteers for making this event a huge success!

Reception

First Course

Entrée

Dessert

Costa Mesa, CA — On June 7, 2019 the SOS First in Family College Readiness Program celebrated the achievements of 8 low-income first-generation high school seniors with a special event held at the SOS Community Health Center. The program prepares students for success in college by supplying them with laptop computers, dorm room essentials, money for textbooks, and case management support through their first year of college. SOS also helped participants select new professional attire outfits for a school presentation that they can use for job interviews and other formal occasions in the future. By working with their college guidance counselors, SOS is also ensuring that they will have the support they need once in college.

Participants in this year’s project were high school seniors from Newport Harbor High School, Costa Mesa High School, Foothill High School and Estancia High School. Each student was recommended to SOS by an advocate at their school because of their determination to overcome difficult circumstances to succeed. They also submitted an application and wrote a personal statement describing why they should be considered for this project, as well as confirmed their attendance at a college or university in the fall.

All the participants will either be the first in their family to attend college, or part of the first generation in their family to do so. Some of the schools they will be attending are the University of California, Irvine; California State University, Fullerton; Saddleback College; California State University, Bakersfield; and Orange Coast College. Here are a few of their stories (we have changed their names to protect their identities):

The students and their invited guests gathered at SOS in Costa Mesa on Friday afternoon to celebrate their acceptance into the SOS First in Family College Readiness Program and accept their college supplies. Each student received a laptop computer and a $100 gift card for Amazon for textbooks. Student attending a community college got a backpack filled with school supplies, while those who will be living on campus got luggage with dorm supplies including hangers, towels, sheets and a hygiene kit. As a special surprise, SOS procured a sweatshirt for each student from their college or university. Many of the schools donated these items for the students.

Speakers at the event on Friday included community facilitator Maria Barragan from Estancia High School, who spoke about the school’s senior project and the history of the collaboration with SOS; SOS Director of Social Services Michael McGlinn; a student panel featuring past program participants; and the keynote speaker, Megan Lattimer, who spoke about her experiences helping those in need at the OCC food pantry. The event included dinner and cake for the participants and their families.

This project would not have been possible without the generous support of our community. Their kind donations of funds, college supplies and hygiene items allowed SOS to provide each student with a wonderful care package that will make the transition to college as effortless as possible.