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Organization Name Families Forward Mission Families Forward exists to help families in need achieve and maintain self-sufficiency through housing, counseling, education, and other support services. |
Main Services Provided
Homeless Prevention Services
Intending to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place, Families
Forward offers a comprehensive array of Homeless Prevention Services that
target families who are severely at-risk of becoming homeless and assists
them in making long-term, lasting life changes to becoming truly self-sufficient.
Services include:
Life-Skills Counseling
Families within this program receive counseling and case management services
for up to six months, working to increase life-skills in areas such as
parenting, budgeting, communicating, decision-making, and job retention.
By the end of the program, clients will no longer be at-risk and are capable
of adapting and dealing with the circumstances that may put them at-risk
again.
Career Coaching
Career Coaching is a unique service to help individuals increase their
financial stability through employment. Career coaches assist clients
to gain working knowledge of practical and effective job search skills
and techniques, which include: resume development, interview preparation,
research strategies, workplace behavior, proper work attire, salary negotiation
and more. The expected outcome of the program is that individuals served
will increase their income and achieve self-sufficiency.
Food Pantry
Families Forward has a 3,085 square foot food pantry that houses and stores
common staple food products such as beans, canned vegetables, pasta, bread
and soup. Families receive nine bags of groceries containing a broad range
of food items. The food pantry may be accessed once a month for up to
six months with an additional holiday visit in November where families
may receive a frozen turkey and other traditional Thanksgiving condiments.
Transitional Housing Program
The Families Forward Transitional Housing Program (THP) is a decentralized,
service-enriched program that teaches parents how to become financially
stable and independent. THP provides families with housing, allowing parents
to focus on their work with case managers to improve life skills and achieve
career advancement, so that they can break free from the cycle of poverty.
Because there is no one size fits all solution to family homelessness,
THP offers a case management approach to address each family’s unique
needs. The program offers a comprehensive array of support services that
include housing, counseling, food, education, and life-skills training.
Families leave the program with tools and resources to assist them with
the day-to-day fiscal and emotional challenges of thriving in a difficult
job market.
Accomplishments
Families Forward is a well known and well respected in the Orange County community for its quality services provided to thousands of families each year. In 2005, the agency was recognized by United Way’s “Striving Towards Excellence” award. The agency has been recognized by the Irvine City Council, and the Orange County Register, and has also received the Disneyland Community Service Award. Executive Director Margie Wakeham was selected by Orange County Metro as one of “10 Women Making A Difference” in 2000, and in 2002 was honored by Concordia University with the Service Leadership Award.
Families Forward depends upon volunteers from the community in order to achieve our mission. Volunteers that enjoy giving back to the community donate over 7,500 hours to Families Forward each year. As Families Forward continues to grow, our need for volunteers increases. We have roles for volunteers that can give time each week, month, or seasonally.
| Food Items | |||
| Our list of needed food items changes frequently, but it often includes: | |||
| Peanut butter | Beans | ||
| Rice and rice mixes | Pasta and pasta mixes | ||
| Bottled drinks | Shampoo | ||
| Laundry detergent | Canned vegetables | ||
| Canned fruits | Dishwashing soap | ||
| Toothpaste | Flour | ||
| Sugar | Condiments | ||
| Stew and soup | Toilet paper | ||
| We cannot accept expired food items. | |||
| Household Items | |||
| Current Wish List | |||
| Bulletin Board (For a Kid’s Room) | Pillows | ||
| Cheese graters | Small electric mixers (hand held) | ||
| Pitchers (for kitchen) | Teapots | ||
| Kitchen towels, dish rags, & pot holders | Small trash cans for kitchens and bed/bathrooms | ||
| Small rugs for kitchen and bathrooms | Dishwasher Soap | ||
| Vacuums | Brooms and mops | ||
| Front and back welcome mats (outdoor) | Twin, full or queen mattress pads | ||
| Twin, full, or queen blankets | Buckets | ||
| Bars of soap (bathroom) | Shower curtains (and vinyl backs) | ||
| Twin dust ruffles (solid colors) | Bathmats (solid colors) | ||
| Appliances must be no more than 7 years old and in working order. They may include washers, dryers (gas only), and ovens. | |||
| We cannot accept King size mattresses or bed frames, sleeper sofas, or dishwashers | |||
Margie Wakeham, Executive Director
9221 Irvine Blvd.
Irvine, CA 92618
949.552.2727
mwakeham@families-forward.org