A Message from David Gillanders, Executive Director
College Students Going Hungry
One of the great things about working and living in North Orange County is being surrounded by some great educational institutions, including Fullerton College and Cal State Fullerton (both of which I graduated from and I teach at CSUF now!). We are truly lucky to have such amazing options to go to school locally and start the journey of living out their hopes and dreams.
For some of these folks, the ability to reach those dreams is challenged by a crisis amongst our student population in both hunger and housing insecurity. In fact, we know that 50% of California community college students experience food insecurity, according to a recent survey of 57 colleges in the state.
Local data mirrors this staggering statewide trend, according to the #RealCollege survey conducted by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University. These students are trying to balance the rigors of getting an advanced education with simply not going hungry and having a roof over their head.
Our New Food Program
That’s why we are so proud and excited to announce a new initiative. Beginning this year, Pathways of Hope is partnering with the North Orange County Community College District to operate and manage Food and Resource Hubs on the campuses of Fullerton College, Cypress College, and the North Orange Continuing Education school, located in Anaheim.
At each of these sites, a trained Pathways of Hope Service Navigator will be on hand to distribute food, meet and consult with students facing housing challenges, and offer referrals and options as students attempt to navigate a complicated and expensive housing matrix here. The guidance is needed, and Pathways of Hope is well-positioned to help take on this challenge, in partnership with these schools and in a position of advocating for our students.
There are lots and lots of details to come, but I hope that now you’re feeling as excited as I am about this new and innovative model. Want to get involved? We need you!
You Can Help!
There are several ways you can support our efforts to end hunger in North OC:
Donate funds:
You can donate to support our food programs! And guess what? Your donations will be doubled – dollar for dollar! – up to $15,000 thanks to the generosity of the Wilson W. Phelps foundation.
Donate food:
You can donate non-perishable food to support our programs! Stop by our HUB of Hope food distribution and resource center at 611 S. Ford Ave. in Fullerton between 1 pm and 4 pm on Monday – Friday, or Saturday from 9 am to noon, to drop off your food donations in support of our programs.
Volunteer:
You can volunteer to support our food programs!
We invite you to join us for our Food Program Volunteer Meeting:
Tuesday, July 16th, 2019,
4:00 pm — 5:30 pm
St. Andrews Church, Parish Hall
1231 E. Chapman Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92831
Click here to download a flyer for this event!
Come learn more about the exciting expansion of our food program and how our volunteers will play an important role in its success!
Whether you have volunteered with Pathways for years, or you are interested in learning how you can make our community a better place, please join us.
Please RSVP for this meeting to Rhiannon at rdoscher@pohoc.org or 714-680-3691 ext. 207 by Friday, July 12th.
We Need You:
We need our community to rally around this program so that we can help the next generation prosper and succeed.
Do you have questions about our new program or how you can get involved in our mission to end hunger and homelessness in North OC?
Feel free to reach out to me anytime by emailing dgillanders@pohoc.org or call me at (714) 680-3691 ext. 201.
I look forward to connecting with you and talking about how together we can make a difference in the lives of our community’s most vulnerable residents.
Thank you for your support!
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