On February 9, Orange County Community Foundation hosted the fourth annual Love Is Giving Day, a 24-hour collaborative giving day to encourage healthy teen relationships in Orange County.
OCCF announced that 416 donors raised $133,082 for eight nonprofits with a shared commitment to support, educate and empower local teens.
The participating nonprofits included: Crittenton Services; Laura’s House; LGBTQ Center Orange County; OC Pride; Planned Parenthood – Orange & San Bernardino Counties, Inc.; The Priority Center; UCI Law; 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 two years 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 – coinciding with upticks in self-harm, suicide, domestic abuse and hate crimes in Orange County.
The participating nonprofits in the Love Is Giving Day have also seen increased calls and need for supportive services, including Laura’s House, a domestic violence shelter in Orange County, which reported 435 calls in May 2021—nearly double the 229 calls a year prior.
The funds raised during Love Is surpassed an initial $100,000 goal by 33 percent. The more than $133,000 will provide the eight 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 nearly $15 million for Orange County nonprofits.
“Through initiatives like the Love Is Giving Day, OCCF aims to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on our youth by raising awareness, sharing resources and helping nonprofits on the frontlines that provide essential services to local teens,” said Shelley Hoss, president and CEO of OCCF. “We are grateful for the support Orange County has shown for the Love Is Giving Day. These contributions will deliver essential services to some of the most vulnerable in our community.”
Love Is remains part of OCCF’s iheartOC Collaborative Giving Days, an annual initiative that designates cause-specific giving days focused on critical community issues. The online giving model matches local nonprofits with shared missions – from homelessness and workforce development to preserving ecosystems and supporting local veterans – to create momentum on one shared day and leverage a combined outreach effort for collective success.
In 2021, OCCF Giving Days raised $4.5 million from 8,485 donors in support of 112 local nonprofits.
For more information about Orange County Community Foundation Collaborative Giving Days, please visit www.oc-cf.org/givingdays.
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 $850 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.
