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Newport Beach-based Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) is hosting The Future is Working, a collaborative online Giving Day on March 24 to support 15 nonprofits that offer programs and services to remove barriers to employment, create pathways to success for vulnerable communities, and build a flexible and resilient workforce.
According to information from OCCF, The Future is Working Giving Day brings together 15 Orange County-based nonprofits that address disparities and help employers, workers, students, and the most vulnerable residents of all backgrounds adjust and set on a path for success in the workforce.
Participating nonprofits include Bracken’s Kitchen Inc.; Chrysalis; CIELO; Community Action Partnership of Orange County; Hart Community Homes, Inc.; High School Inc. Academies Foundation; H.I.R.E. OC; Hope Builders; i-5 Freedom Network; JVS SoCal; Kherut; Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts; Step Forward Academy; Vital Link Education-Business Consortium; and Youth Employment Service of the Harbor Area, Inc. (YES)– all leaders in workforce development.
A local note: Bracken’s Kitchen founder Bill Bracken is a renowned chef who helmed the kitchen at The Four Seasons (aka the Island Hotel in Fashion Island) and then DivBar Smokehouse Barbecue on Coast Highway before founding Bracken’s Kitchen, whose mission is “through food rescue, culinary training and our community feeding program we are committed to rescuing, re-purposing and restoring both food and lives.”
“The generosity of the Orange County community has allowed us to pivot from the sole focus of the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensuring we support a stronger and more resilient workforce,” said Shelley Hoss, president and CEO of the Orange County Community Foundation, in a press statement. “The Future Is Working supports nonprofits that are bolstering equitable opportunity for Orange County businesses – maintaining our robust economy and vibrant community.”
The Future is Working campaign is part of OCCF’s iheartOC Collaborative Giving Days, an annual initiative that designates 10 cause-specific giving days around community issues. The online giving model matches OC nonprofits with shared missions – from workforce development and homelessness to preserving ecosystems and supporting local veterans – to gain momentum on one shared day and leverage a combined outreach effort for collective success.
According to OCCF, last year the 10 days secured support from 8,485 donors and raised a record $4.5 million for 112 local nonprofits. Since its start in 2015, OCCF’s Collaborative Giving Days have raised nearly $15 million for Orange County nonprofits.
To give online during the 24-hour Giving Day, visit www.the-future-is-working-giving-day.ocnonprofitcentral.org.
For more information about Orange County Community Foundation Collaborative Giving Days, please visit www.oc-cf.org/givingdays.
Founded in 1989, the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) works with donors, strengthens the local nonprofit sector and works to find solutions to community needs. Since its inception, OCCF has awarded more than $870 million in grants and scholarships, placing the organization in the top two percent in grantmaking among U.S. community foundations.
