Happy Holidays! What a year it has been! Thank you for supporting the HOPE Center of Orange County.
The HOPE Center’s mission is to break down the silos that often lead to inefficiency, duplicated efforts, wasted resources and missed opportunities. We have created a centralized hub for the North Orange County Homeless Outreach Coordinators, county, community-based organizations, and local law enforcement to work collaboratively to address homelessness and their specialized resources to respond in real time to street homelessness.
As a hub, the HOPE Center adheres to an evidence based, data driven replicable model with a common agenda goal to end street homelessness and save community resources through fewer police responses.
Our mantra is the right resources, from the right people, at the right time.
HOPE Center of OC publishes a monthly newsletter highlighting the great work completed by its team members. If you would like this newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, scroll to the bottom of this article and subcribe!
From Car to Home: A Journey of Hope and Resilience – Tim and Celeste’s Inspiring Story
In June, HOPE Center Dispatch received a call for service regarding a couple living out of their car outside the Buena Park Senior Center. Outreach Coordinators met the couple to help them out of their car and into housing.
Tim and Celeste had been homeless since 2014, trying to survive in their car. HOPE Center staff in collaboration with the Buena Park Homeless Outreach Team was able to coordinate services, to help them find a shelter.
Our coordinators spent the next five months helping them with housing documents to match them to a housing opportunity. They moved in within a month of being matched to a new apartment. As of the end of November, they are housed and ready to move on to the next stage of their journey. Thank you, Tim and Celeste, for letting us share your story and allowing us to be part of it.
Partner Spotlight –
Orange County Outreach & Engagement
The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) is a regional interdisciplinary health jurisdiction and an accredited health department, charged with protecting and promoting individual, family and community health through partnership and coordination of public and private sector resources.
Many of the HCA’s services are preventative in nature and therefore are not readily apparent to the public. Some examples include food protection, monitoring the quality of ocean water, mental health services, alcohol and drug use services, communicable disease control, public health field nursing and public health clinics.
The Orange County Outreach & Engagement (OC O&E) program serves individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Orange County. The program’s services focus on linking individuals to needed housing, physical health, behavioral health, and other supportive services by addressing their barriers to care. This is accomplished through developing and building trusting relationships with the homeless community and collaborating with other service providers.
Our multi-disciplinary team is proud to provide compassionate, client-centered, and consistent care to meet the needs of the most underserved people in our community. To make a referral, please call 800-364-2221.
O&E works cooperatively and collaborative with the HOPE Center to enhance our services and to ensure the best outcome for our homeless clients. Many refer to O&E as the blue shirts.
Staff Spotlight – Rosa Torres
Rosa grew up in North Orange County and has been working with the homeless population in North Orange County for the past 5 years.
She joined the Hope Center of Orange County in June 2023. She is excited to work alongside a very talented and passionate team that provides the homeless population in North Orange County with resources to assist them in obtaining a better quality of life.
