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Community Corner

Union Bank Foundation Awards $5,000 Grant to South County Outreach

Lake Forest, Calif. – South County Outreach is honored to be the recipient of a $5,000 Union Bank Foundation grant that will fund the Transitional Housing Second Step Program.  The Program provides two years of housing at a lower-than-market rental rate to a Transitional Housing Program graduate who has the potential and strong desire to obtain a higher paying job once an educational goal is reached.  Union Bank Foundation funds will be used to pay for support services including regular case management sessions, childcare and transportation expenses that enable the participant to get to school and work.

 

“We are so grateful for Union Bank’s support over the past eight years, funding our Transitional Housing Second Step Program,” says South County Outreach Executive Director, Lara Fisher, “Because of Union Bank’s support our most recent Second Step graduate completed her educational goal, earning her Licensed Vocational Nursing certificate and her children are doing remarkably well.”

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South County Outreach’s Transitional Housing Program is a client’s “first step” to reaching self-sufficiency.  It offers families the assistance needed to reach financial self-sufficiency within a 9 month period by providing short-term affordable housing, highly disciplined life skills training, case management, mental health counseling, budgeting and a mandatory savings program.

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Participants of the Second Step Program are Transitional Housing Program graduates.  They sign a lease agreement and are required to attend monthly case management sessions, participate in home inspections, follow a strict budget and maintain the appropriate grades and coursework for their license, certification or degree.

 

“By providing families with extra program benefits, we are able to assist homeless families reach self-sufficiency in our community,” says Fisher, “The families are able to achieve their educational goals, receive higher paying jobs, can afford to move into permanent housing and provide a safe, nurturing environment for their children.”

 

About South County Outreach

South County Outreach, founded in 1989, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing hunger and homeless prevention services to families in crisis in South Orange County. South County Outreach helps the underemployed and the unemployed reach self-sufficiency by providing the following services: food pantry, transitional housing, utility and rental assistance, homeless prevention counseling, computer training and clothing to support homeless families. For more information about South County Outreach, visit http://www.sco-oc.org.


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