October 2017
Fall is finally here! As the leaves change and the weather cools down, the season of giving soon approaches. Below you will find details of our upcoming event, Spooktacular, browse photos from our recent past events, as well find out more information on how you can change the lives of those in need with our Hope for the Holidays campaign.
As the Holidays quickly approach, Community Action Partnership of Orange County and our OC Food Bank are dedicated to making sure that children, families, seniors, and Veterans impacted by poverty are not left behind. Please join us for our annual Hope for the Holidays Campaign and give the gift that counts!

There are  several ways that your business, organization, group or self can help support Hope for the Holidays!
We need your help this holiday Season! This time of year can be especially difficult for families struggling to make ends meet. Gifts and Holiday meals become secondary to low-income families when bills need to be paid. You can help make the holiday season so much brighter by providing new clothes, toys, holiday food baskets, or gift certificates for a deserving family in need. Please download the  Adopt-a-Family information and Contact Sheet  and/or you can  Donate Online . 

Please contact Natalie Anderson at 714-897-6670 ext 5310 or Email at  [email protected]

Hold a Toy Drive to provide toys or basic necessities to children in need. To hold a drive at your agency, Please download the  Toy Drive Form  and the  Toy Drive Suggestions  list. 

For more information, Please contact Kristin Kvesic at 714-897-6670 ext 3604 or Email at  [email protected]  .

You can help make the holiday so much brighter by joining the OC Food Bank to provide holiday meals to low-income families. Host a food drive with your fellow employees, congregation, neighborhood, or group of friends. You can host a physical food drive and/or a virtual food drive.

Physical Food Drive
This is a great way of getting People/Organizations involved in Helping Others and is a perfect addition to a Virtual food drive. We will Drop-Off and Pick-Up the containers so you don't have to. Please download the  Physical Food Drive Form and the  Food Drive Suggestions list. 

For more information, please contact  Kristin Kvesic at  [email protected] or call  714-897-6670 ext. 3604.

Virtual Food Drive
A virtual food drive allows you and your group to conveniently donate online. Your group can have a personalized website where you can donate from anywhere on any day of the year. This is a great addition to a physical food drive. Please download the  Virtual Food Drive Form  

For more information, please contact  Kathy Ashkins  at  [email protected] or call 714-897-6670 ext. 3151.

As you start to plan for your family's holiday celebrations, please think about all of the families who won't be able to put food on their table this season. Unfortunately, the OC Food Bank does not have enough turkeys for those who walk through our doors this holiday. Everyone deserves to celebrate the season and provide a holiday meal for their family PLEASE consider making a $20 donation to purchase a turkey for a hungry family, or buy a 'flock of turkeys' to feed more than one family. We need your help more than ever this holiday season and we are grateful for anything you can provide.

Shopper Giving Programs: 
Another Way to Contribute

Did you know that while you are shopping online you could also be making a contribution to Community Action Partnership and our OC Food Bank?  Please search by our name and/or Tax ID (95-2452787) to find us on:

AmazonSmile: Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price on eligible items.
 
eScrip: At stores such as Bristol Farms, Lazy Acres, etc., as well as its online mall.
 
Gold Star Events (link will be live November 1st):
 
Ralphs/Food 4 Less:
 
More and more stores and credit cards are developing these giving programs benefiting non-profits, so when in doubt, please search for us!  These contributions are another valuable way you help Community Action Partnership of Orange County and our OC Food Bank help people and change lives.

Upcoming Events
A weekend of spooky fun for the whole family at Irvine Great Park! Participants will enjoy activities such as a pumpkin patch, treats, games, crafts, gourmet food trucks and much more. Unfortunately, the event is sold out, but you can still contribute by making a  Donation to Spooktacular here!

Past Events
Canstruction® Orange County  combines the fun of a design-build competition with an ingenious way to help feed hungry people. Local prominent architectural, engineering, planning, and design firms, and students mentored by these professionals, createphenomenal structures built entirely out of canned food. The structures go on view to the public at South Coast Plaza (in conjunction with the Festival of Children), John Wayne Airport, and ARTIC each year throughout the month of September. Judging occurred in categories such as Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, Best Meal, and Best Design, and awards were presented at an annual fundraising CAN-DO Awards Celebration. 

We kicked off our Hope for the Holidays campaign this year with a very special event, Meanwhile, Back at CafĂ© Du Monde... The event was a festive monologue that celebrated the 2nd universal language: food. Guests had the pleasure of listening to food stories from various storytellers that included chefs, culinary academics, food entrepreneurs, and more! Click here to see photos of the event, and be on the lookout for videos of the event soon to follow! 
Canned Food Drive
The kind folks over at Push Innovation in Huntington Beach will be sponsoring a food drive from November 1st - November 15th. If you, or anyone you know, has non-perishable food to donate, and find it more convenient to get to Huntington Beach than our warehouse in Garden Grove, please feel free to stop by their facility at 14520 Delta Lane #105 Huntington Beach, CA 92647. They operate 7 days a week, but the best hours to drop off would be Monday through Friday, from 7:30 am until 4:30 pm. 

If you have additional questions, or require a point of contact for drop off, please contact Scott Lenhoff, General Manager for Push Innovation, at (805) 503-0538 or [email protected]

Volunteer Groups
We were delighted to be able to work with the Castlewood First Presbyterian Church Youth Group hailing all the way from South Dakota! Thank you for donating your time, kids!