United Way wants the community to embrace its new vision of a better wellbeing for OC

Orange County United Way needs the community’s help in the next five years with its mission to cultivate a stronger workforce, a healthier economy and improve the well-being for all residents.

So its leaders hit the streets on Saturday to share its newest initiative, United4OC 2030, and get the community on board with the new campaign.

“Orange County United Way is well-positioned to drive meaningful change and fill critical gaps to ensure everyone in our community has the chance to thrive,” CEO and President Sue Parks said. “We know we can’t do this alone, and UNITED4OC 2030 is an invitation to every resident, business, faith community and leader to get involved any way they can. Every moment of impact, no matter how big or small, helps shape a better Orange County.”

To raise public awareness of the organization’s goals, board members on Saturday held kickoff events in all 34 cities of Orange County, followed by a two-mile walk in each town.

United4OC 2030 builds on the nonprofit’s stated mission to deliver “measurable long-term solutions” and efforts of the last 10 years that United Way officials said have already made significant strides in improving the lives of people in Orange County by focusing on four specific areas: increasing high school graduation rates, emphasizing childhood health, helping residents gain financial stability and addressing the crisis of homelessness.

The plan focuses on expanding access and opportunities for the county’s most vulnerable populations through United Way’s initiatives and key services, building on the recently concluded F.A.C.E. 2024, 10-year campaign. F.A.C.E. stood for Fund Advocate, Collaborate and Educate.

Among the campaign’s successful outcomes, Parks said, was a reduction in the high school dropout rate.

“We had a goal around cutting the high school dropout rate in half as a community, and we accomplished that in five years, and we upped the goal to close the disparity rate between underserved schools versus schools in more affluent areas, and we’re well on our way to closing that gap,” Parks said this week while discussing the new goals and expalining how the charity achieved its outcomes.

“The programs we run are primarily bringing business into the schools and the students to the businesses,” she said. “And inspiring them to know different pathways are out there and enable them to have conversations to succeed. Last year, we introduced about 3,400 students to those experiences. It could be a work stop, a field trip, or an internship. It’s really giving them the inspiration and those connections to know those jobs are possible.”

Another part of the F.A.C.E. campaign was the group’s assistance with free tax preparation for families, many of whom, Parks said, might have thought they made too little money even to file taxes and claim what they were owed.

“Last year alone, we helped close to 14,000 households and we brought back almost $27 million,” she said. “We do that by ensuring that low-income households can get their taxes done for free. We train 600 volunteers a year all across the county. They ensure people get back every earned tax credit coming to them and that their information is filed correctly.”

The group also provides year-long financial wellness coaching to families identified by elementary schools, so the children can stay in school and get the support they need. The charity also worked to “upskill people,” launching them into jobs where they could earn a “living wage for Orange County,” Parks said.

With that success in hand, Orange County United Way is now focused on taking its efforts to the next level and, over the next five years, hopes to engage the broader community in its mission helping families achieve long-term economic stability through advocacy and education. This time around, its leaders are hoping to coordinate with financial institutions, policymakers, businesses, and nonprofits, Parks said.

They will tackle homelessness by diving into the root causes with prevention and housing and care systems and also encourage a “collective community discussion” that leads to lasting results with help from community partners.

Additionally, the group aims to expand the reach of 2-1-1 OC, a sort of social resources directory hotline it took over in 2023 that connects people to real-time assistance.

“We have a vision of an Orange County united to improve lives today and for generations to come,” Parks said. “This is for all of us needing to care about our neighbors. Some day we might be the person who needs help, and some day we might be the person that can provide that help. But we’re all in it together. That’s what we want people to walk away with. Thriving Orange County is an opportunity for all of us, and let’s all care about the other people in our community.”

To encourage that sentiment, Parks said the charity is challenging the broader community to do 4 million moments of impact between now and 2030.

“You might be the one receiving help like a family that’s getting financial coaching, or you might be the volunteer that’s trained for OC Free Tax prep, and you’re helping 10 families,” Parks said. “We’re excited to ignite this passion in people to really help each other.”