One-stop help offered to O.C. needy

From The Orange County Register – January 7, 2002
By Monica Valencia

Families – Eight agencies working at a single center open their doors today to assist people with various services

A Family Program Center that houses eight agencies will open its doors today to provide low-income families with housing, counseling, education and other help.

The center, established by Families Forward, offers families countywide a central location to take care of problems such as homelessness, poor job skills, drug abuse or domestic violence.

The services are badly needed since the crippled economy, coupled with a tight rental market, has left more residents jobless and homeless, said Margie Wakeham, director of Families Forward.

With the help of the onsite partners, the center, at 9221 Irvine Blvd., is projected to help 12, 250 people annually, said Katie Winchell, Families Forward's director of grants and communications.

The $1.4 million building, in the vicinity of the Irvine Spectrum, is funded in part by a $500,000 grand from the city of Irvine.

The 7,046-square-foot building includes two offices, a resource library, a computer laboratory and a classroom.

"This is just a dream," said Wakeham, whose nonprofit agency previously was located in a cramped building of less than 2,000 square feet in Irvine.

"Our physical vision is to have the place overrun with people and providing services to them."

Families Forward has joined with other agencies to provide the on-site services, including food, career development, medical and dental referrals, prenatal and family nutrition, legal aid, and government assistance in English and Spanish.

Robin Bradley, project manager of Women, Infants and Children in San Juan Capistrano, said offering services out of the new Family Program Center allows the nonprofit to expand its services to other parts of the county.

Women, Infants and Children is a government nutrition program that helps low-income pregnant women, new mothers and children eat a healthful diet.

"We really match well," Bradley said. "Our missions and values are so closely aligned."

In addition to WIC, the agencies collaborating with Families Forward are Coastline Regional Occupational Program, which offers career preparation; Coastal One Stop, a Costa Mesa nonprofit that offers resources for job seekers and employers; Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, a family service and resources center in Santa Ana; Human Options, an Irvine battered women's shelter; Women's Opportunities Center, a career counseling center based at the University of California, Irvine; and a school-readiness program offered through the Irvine Unified School District.

To learn more: People interested in learning more about the Family Program Center can call (949) 552-2727 or visit www.families-forward.org.

Contact Valencia at (949) 222-6146 or mavalencia@ocregister.com.