On February 10, the Newport Beach-based Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) hosted the third annual Love Is Giving Day, a 24-hour online effort to support healthy teen relationships in Orange County.
OCCF announced that 487 donors raised $113,155 for 10 nonprofits with a shared commitment to support, educate and empower local teens.
The participating nonprofits included: Casa de la Familia; Find Your Anchor; Initiative to End Family Violence, UC Irvine; Laura’s House; LGBTQ Center OC; OC Pride; Orange County Family Justice Center Foundation; Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties, Inc.; The Priority Center; and Women’s Transitional Living Center, Inc., which focus specifically in the areas of mental health support, domestic violence prevention, and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Since the pandemic began nearly one year ago, school closures and other social distancing requirements have cut off a primary source of psychological support for many teens, putting them at higher risk of anxiety or depression – and resulting in startling uptick in self-harm, suicide, domestic abuse and hate crimes in Orange County.
The participating nonprofits have also seen an increase in calls and need for services. Women’s Transitional Living Center, Inc., for example, reported a 70 percent increase in calls for shelter, counseling, legal services, and safety plans, and Laura’s House was receiving nearly 100 calls per day.
The funds raised during Love Is surpassed an initial $100,000 goal by 113 percent. The more than $113,155 will provide the 10 nonprofits with funds to address teens’ mental health and wellness as the pandemic continues. This OCCF Giving Day is the latest of a series that, since 2015, has raised more than $10 million for Orange County nonprofits.
“The pandemic will have a lasting impact on our youth, but OCCF hopes to mitigate those effects by raising awareness for the resources available and supporting nonprofits on the frontlines of educating and empowering our local teens,” said Tammy Tumbling, executive vice president and COO of OCCF. “We are grateful to all of the donors who supported today’s Love Is Giving Day and our local nonprofits as they perpetuate positive change.”
The Love Is campaign is part of OCCF’s iheartOC Collaborative Giving Days, an annual initiative which designates 10 days out of the year as cause-specific giving days and challenges residents to engage in supporting ongoing community issues.
For more information about collaborative Giving Days, please visit oc-cf.org/iheartoc.
Founded in 1989, the Orange County Community Foundation works with donors, strengthens the local nonprofit sector and works to find solutions to community needs. Since its inception, OCCF has awarded more than $732 million in grants and scholarships, placing the organization in the top two percent in grantmaking among U.S. community foundations.
For more information, visit www.oc-cf.org or call (949) 553-4202.
