Congratulations to Lina Lumme , Executive Director and staff at The Youth Center ! The Youth Center was a finalist at the 2020 UCLA Social Enterprise Academy Showcase and was awarded $11,000. This is a prestigious award – the equivalent of winning an Academy Award. Ten amazing nonprofits from all over California competed for this prize and they took second place! The Mission of The Youth Center is to transform children’s lives one family at a time through collaborative social, educational and recreational programs.

Lina was a participant in the 2018 Executive Learning Group .

COVID-19 has triggered a huge mental health crisis. Research is showing that mental health needs are steadily rising and will continue to rise even after the pandemic subsides. Be Well OC has created a website for people to access relevant Mental Health resources and help. Whether someone is just Curious (wants info, resources or educational materials), Concerned (wants to chat with someone who is trained to provide assistance), or In Crisis (needs immediate help), they can access help here.

They are also building Regional Wellness Hubs in OC where anyone in OC with mental health or substance abuse issues can receive care and support, regardless of their insurance. The first Wellness Hub is under construction in the City of Orange and will open early 2021. He re is a link to the plan outline.

Lauren Brand, Director of Operations at Be Well OC participated in the 2016 Executive Learning Group, is one of our Executive Coache s, is a current member in our Leadership Reading Group, and is a Creative Encounters by Fieldstone facilitator.

Great work by Emilie Dang , Community Impact and Programs Director of Innovative Housing Opportunities who stepped in for President & CEO, Rochelle Mills to present a workshop titled "Housing is a Human Right." Emilie's discussion highlighted how IHO fits in the housing continuum. As developers of permanent rental housing, IHO's goal is to move residents from homelessness or risk of homelessness to high-quality, stable housing with comprehensive services. Emilie shared their desire to create vibrant communities with a mix of income levels, versus the current standard that concentrates on poverty and racial segregation.

Emilie is a current participant in our 2020 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group .

Kudos to Big Brothers Big Sisters staff members who lined their Santa Ana office’s parking lot while ringing cowbells, shaking pom poms, and cheering loudly as more than 100 Class of 2020 graduates drove by in cars filled with family and friends.

In an effort to adhere to social distancing measures but still allow for the graduates to see the staff members that have supported them through all four years of high school, the nonprofit organized a drive-thru graduation celebration. The staff stood at different stations and handed out handfuls of goodies and Class of 2020 themed gifts to each of the graduates throughout the four-hour event on Tuesday.

To view the entire article, click here .

Cristal Ochoa was a participant in the 2019 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and Brianna Rios is a current participant in the 2020 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group .

Great work is being done by Ellen Roy , Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Orange County and her staff. They have stepped up to the plate during this pandemic. Before COVID-19, their food pantry, the Cantlay Food Distribution Center, served 450 families per week. They are now feeding over 3,000! They provide food and other necessities to individuals and families and are open three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

For more information, please click here.

Ellen participated in the 2017 Executive Learning Group, was coached in the 2018 Executive Coaching Program and is a current member of the Leadership Reading Group.

Congratulations to Rev. Dr. Sarah Halverson-Cano, the new senior pastor at Irvine United Congregational Church, a UCC congregation. She is excited to begin a journey of ministry that uplifts their shared commitment to living out the prophet Micah’s mandate in seeking justice, loving kindness and walking humbly, along with progressive theology and intentional inclusion.

Sarah has served on the board of the Southern California ACLU, Progressive Christians Uniting, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, and is currently the president of the Newport-Mesa-Irvine Interfaith Council.

Sarah is a current participant of the 2020 Executive Learning Group.

Innovative and effective! Institute for Patients Rights is sharing their mission and work through podcast platforms, as a way to interact with supporters and donors, while exposing their organization to a new audience. In these uncertain times, they have found a way to reach people in a way that is easily consumable.

To listen to a recent podcast, click here.

Tristen Seagondollar currently joined Institute for Patients Rights as its Development Director and is a current member of our 2020 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group.

Congratulations to Robyn Willis, VP of Retail Operations at Habitat for Humanity Orange County . An online store has been something that she had always considered. Year over year, consumer trends have shown tremendous growth in online sales and e-commerce. However, her thought was to ensure the success of their brick and mortar stores before they could leap into such a project. So, when the pandemic enforced Stay at Home orders it was evident that even more shoppers would be moving to online purchases. In less than 30 days, she had their online store up and running and items available for purchase.

To access the online store, click here .

Robyn was a participant in our 2017 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and is currently being coached in our 2020 Executive Coaching Program and was a recent guest speaker for our Fieldstone4U webinar series .

Through collaboration with Community Action Partnership of Orange County, Families Forward has provided diapers and baby wipes for families in need. Last week they participated in the “Millionth Diaper Give-Away,” an event covered by ABC7 news with appearances by local government officials. To date, Families Forward has provided nearly 150,000 diapers to local residents, helping struggling families that would otherwise be forced to choose between paying for food or other basic necessities.

The link to the video that aired on ABC7 is here.

In addition to several staff members in our Network, Madelynn Hirneise, CEO of Families Forward, participated in the 2019 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and is currently being coached in the 2020 Executive Coaching Program.

Crittenton Services for Children and Families began servicing Orange County Foster and Probation Youth through their Stepping Stones Transitional Housing Placement Program for Non-Minor Dependents. This Program provides supportive services to foster and probation youth as they work towards adulthood. Along with providing housing, some of the services include case management, education support, workforce development, life skills training, financial support, linkages to community resources, parenting education for parenting clients, and access to mental health services. 

To obtain additional information, click here .

Jamie Velazquez , Director of Staff Development is a current member of our Leadership Reading Group.

Ali Woodard, Founder, President & CEO and staff of Fristers transitioned all programming to virtual platforms. Sadly, they found a large number of low income families served did not have a computer or WiFi service and were unable to access their support. To address the digital divide and provide a lifeline to these families, Fristers is providing new laptops, hot-spot devices and six months of WiFi for families to keep - not return. And to further ensure children’s learning and growth while Fristers’ groups are suspended, they are providing high quality learning boxes for preschoolers utilizing the same curriculum they use for group classes. Boxes will be delivered to families weekly through 2020 and into 2021, until groups are allowed to resume. Fristers' weekly Zoom class for preschoolers incorporates the lessons in the box, so children can work through the activities while being supported by a virtual community.

Ali is a current member of our 2020 Executive Learning Group.

Great work, Nancy Warzer-Brady , Director of Education and Community Engagement of Backhausdance ! Due to COVID, there was a need to reinvent their organization with a new online platform and a mostly virtual season for 2020-21. As part of the strategic planning process, Nancy has been rewriting their education programs so they can produce and be offered to teachers/schools/community, as distance learning opportunities. They will be designing and producing a live-stream series of 'salons' or virtual dance events with archival footage and interviews with choreographers and dancers, in addition to virtual family dance classes and parties.

Click here for the complete article and for a list of their programs, click here .

Nancy was a participant in the 1998 Executive Learning Group and was coached in the 1999 Executive Coaching Program .

Congratulations Laurie Zagon , Founder of Art & Creativity for Healing on their 20th Anniversary and the announcement of its first live online Art4Healing® workshops, open to the entire community. Their mission is to support emotional healing through art and creative expression for those living with pain, grief, fear or stress. More than 80,000 individuals served by over 40 partner agencies have participated in the exercises specially designed to encourage emotional responses, leaving participants encouraged with enhanced clarity and insight.

For more information, click here .

Laurie was a participant of the 2005 Executive Learning Group and was coached in the 2006 Executive Coaching Program .

Congratulations to Margaret Bayston, CEO/Executive Director at Laura’s House and her staff for launching the Man.Kind OC pilot program this month. This is a collaborative effort with Newport-Mesa Unified School District administrators, athletic coaches, and male Laura’s House supporters (including Board members and prominent Orange County business leaders).  As part of their ongoing efforts to reach more youth through prevention and education programming, and as an extension of H.E.A.R.T., Laura’s House has created the innovative Man.Kind OC program for teen and young adult males. The goal of the program is to help teen and young adult males understand the value and importance of character, its value in all facets of their lives, and how they can serve as peer role models helping to stop violence in their own lives and those of their friends and classmates.

Margaret participated in the 2003 Executive Learning Group and is a Coach in our Executive Coaching Program. Several of their staff members have participated in our Nonprofit Leaders Learning Groups.

Project Access Resource Centers have continued to provide meaningful opportunities for residents to stay connected with staff and one another. They provide virtual paint nights where residents receive materials before class and follow along step-by-step with a team member or volunteer.

Kristin Byrnes , CEO & President, participated in the 2006 Executive Learning Group.

Collaboration meets innovation! D uring their Global Month of Volunteering PIMCO partnered with NEGU: Never Ever Give Up! virtually to create Care Cards with uplifting messages.

They came together to learn more about Jessie’s mission to encourage kids fighting cancer. The cards they made will spread joy and cure bad days for Courageous Kids! 

Erik Rees participated the 2016 Executive Learning Group .

Congratulations to the  Dreams for Schools (DFS )  team on shifting their in-person after-school programs to all virtual live instruction based programs! A team of 16 instructors and staff have worked hard to develop curriculum for Coding & Engineering programs aligned with the Computer Science Standards, and have been successfully delivering Virtual Learning Technology, Coding & Engineering Summer camps for students in Elementary & Middle School. They continue to work on releasing programs in the Fall for students to learn virtually through live instruction & videos at home and are looking to grow their partners to serve more young students. 

A big welcome to Mark Orphan , the new Executive Director of Teen Leadership Foundation . Mark leads TLF’s operations and strategic planning, drawing on his 30-plus years of church and community leadership experience as a pastor, director, university teacher, public speaker, coach, and consultant. In addition to extensive service to low-income families in Southern California, he and his wife, as adoptive parents, founded an organization providing regional support for foster and adoptive families. He is passionate about mentoring young leaders and advocating for fatherless kids.

Welcome to Jill Dominguez, the new Executive Director of Mary's Path. Jill has over 25 years of experience developing and managing diverse teams within non-profit and for-profit companies, foundations, community-based organizations, faith-based community corporations, private-sector lenders, government agencies, and elected officials. Jill's career highlights include her deeply rooted history serving low-income populations in Orange County. She is the creator of the OC Housing Trust Fund and the Digital Media Center business incubator in Santa Ana. She has also developed programs for single and teen mothers through education, workforce training. mental health services, trauma recovery, and entrepreneurial opportunities in partnership with supportive housing programs.

Thank you to Orange County United Way for assisting in the 2020 Census. It is so much more than counting all Californians! The census helps policymakers make funding decisions, businesses make crucial hiring decisions, and researchers conduct new projects. We need everyone to be counted so no one is left behind.

To fill yours out, click here .

Leaders in the Field  is a monthly communication highlighting Fieldstone Leadership Network members and their

achievements in the community.