Success Stories

Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County (Healthy Smiles) has truly shown their superhero strength amidst a global pandemic, where cavities do not stop progressing. On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic and overnight, Healthy Smiles had to make the difficult decision to shut down all mobile dental …

“And if you walk through the club you see them drumming on their desks in anticipation, waiting for their next drumming lesson with Mr. Eddie,” Samantha Johnson, Director of Programs Development with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Anaheim-Cypress, tells us. When the class ends, she sends pictures of masked students with hand-drawn “thank …

One persistent stigma surrounding homelessness is the idea that living on the streets results from laziness or a lack of motivation. But in reality, each situation is different – and blaming those in need simply leads to a lack of the resources that can help get people into housing.   Hope is a 20-year-old who …

A mother sought out help for her daughter that was getting sexually abused by the father.  When the daughter first disclosed to the mother about the abuse the mother went to the police for help however the police claimed that that was not a matter they deal with so they referred the case to CPS.  …

A mother reached out to the agency in hopes of getting help in keeping her children that were getting physically abused by their father safe. The father had a severe alcohol problem and as a result would often physically harm his children when they were in his care. The mother sought a protection order on …

Laura (name changed for confidentiality), is a single mother of three who lost her job due to COVID-19 and recently overcame homelessness. Laura contacted Casa Youth Shelter concerned for one of her daughter’s mental health. Arguments between them were escalating and Laura’s daughter began exhibiting symptoms of depression. Managing life with unstable income, living in …

Rick (name changed for confidentiality) was brought to Casa Youth Shelter after an argument with his mother resulted in him punching his arm through his bedroom door. He punched it so hard that not only did he significantly hurt his arm, but the door also went through the other side of the frame. Both Rick …

As you can imagine, being forced to stay at home when home is not a safe place, provides additional challenges for our children and adults living with the devastating effects of domestic violence and abuse. Survivors have faced new obstacles in reaching out to resources, finding more limited time periods to make these important calls …

During quarantine, Heather began experiencing increased physical abuse by her husband, which ultimately led to his arrest at their home. This left Heather caring for her two children, Tyler and Lily, alone for the first time. They all struggled with the emotional strife of experiencing domestic violence, their family being torn apart, and an already …

Friendly Center’s Family Engagement program offers clients a chance to engage in bonding activities with their family. Though the pandemic has limited the ability to offer the program large scale, staff has successfully adapted these events to safely provide families a bonding experience outside the home. In the Fall 2020, families came to the park …