Basic Organization Information
YOU ARE SPECIAL
- Also Known As:
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You Are Special Community Outreach and Food Pantry
- Physical Address:
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Orange, CA
92869
- EIN:
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27-0323708
- Web URL:
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www.youarespecial.org
- Blog URL:
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youarespecialblog.org/
- NTEE Category:
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P Human Services
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P60 Emergency Assistance (Food, Clothing, Cash)
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K Agriculture, Food, Nutrition
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K31 Food Banks, Food Pantries
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L Housing, Shelter
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L40 Low-Cost Temporary Housing (includes Youth Hostels)
- Year Founded:
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2009
- Ruling Year:
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2010
- How This Organization Is Funded:
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Foundations - $20,000
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Individual - $14,000
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In-kind donations - $360,000
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Mission Statement
<p>Our mission is to alleviate hunger in the City of Orange and nearby communities by operating a food pantry and by providing other safety net services, such as hotel vouchers, clothing and gas cards. In addition to Orange, we serve residents from the cities of El Modena, Santa Ana, Tustin, Villa Park and Anaheim. We serve anyone who requests food, no questions asked.</p> <p> </p>
Expert Assessment
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Impact Summary from the Nonprofit
<p>We have enjoyed significant growth over the past six years. In 2009, we distributed approximately 173,800 pounds of food to 59,075 low-income families and homeless people in our community. In 2010, YAS purchased (at a significant discount) and received donations of 290,942 pounds of food, which were distributed to 71,137 people, an increase of 21% over the previous year. </p> <p>Our services are provided exclusively by volunteers, with the exception of a small stipend for the Executive Director and two drivers. In 2010, volunteers put in 13,828 hours to serve hungry and destitute families in our neighborhoods. We have consistently grown our programs because of the tremendous need. </p> <p>Community support has been critical to this growth. In addition to our volunteer staff, at Thanksgiving we solicit donations from our neighbors when they shop at local grocery stores, requesting that they purchase food for the families we serve. This has been highly effective in helping us obtain the groceries we need for our clients. Additionally, we receive many generous donations, such as food from the stores themselves, vans to pick up and deliver groceries, and website design and maintenance (<a href="http://www.youarespecial.org/">www.youarespecial.org</a>), all of which are crucial to our work.</p>
Revenue and Expenses
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Revenue and Expense data from Forms 990 for 2010, 2009 are included in the GuideStar Premium Report.
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Leadership
Michelle Hensley
Term:
Since
Jan
2003
Profile:
<p>Executive Director and CEO , Michelle Hensley, is the founder of YAS and has an MBA which she used as a marketing director in a worldwide security company for five years. She has also completed her second master’s which is in Biblical Christian counseling, developed and oversees all the work for the YAS program for eight years.<br /></p>
Leadership Statement:
YAS started out of a desire to serve our community in an area of greatest need which happened to be food even in an area where there is a lot of wealth. We asked a question, "Would we be missed if we left this city?" The answer at that time was no, now 8 years later, the answer is yes. Yes, we would be missed because a lot of working poor and those who are now unemployed are able to supplement their food needs with the good food we give them.
Highest Paid Employees & Their Compensation
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Program:
Fresh Rescue and Food Bank Extension
- Budget:
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$116,150
- Category:
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Food, Agriculture & Nutrition
- Population Served:
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Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
YAS is working to address the needs of the local community of Orange, Tustin, Villa Park and El Modena. Our goal is to: 1) increase our ability to provide fresh and nutritious food to those most vulnerable in our community; 2) enhance the nutritional quality of the food; 3) expand the hours the food bank is open from one day to two; 4) increase the number of people fed by 20% and; 5) maintain an inventory of non-perishable food that will be sufficient to provide 500 community members with three days of of emergency rations during a local disaster.
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Program:
Thanksgiving Food Giveaway
- Budget:
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$90,150
- Category:
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Human Services
- Population Served:
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General Public/Unspecified
Program Description:
<p><u>Thanksgiving Dinner Community Outreach</u> – This outreach is the only one of its kind in Orange County. During the month of November, YAS volunteers collect Thanksgiving food items. We go to local grocery stores, including Stater Bros, Ralphs<em>, and Pacific Ranch Market, to</em> get community members and the stores involved in donating to their neighbors in need. Volunteers stand outside the stores with food collection cans and hand out flyers to shoppers to ask them to purchase a few items for our food bank. This increases sales for the stores, enables people to easily help those who need it, and benefits the recipients of the aid. </p> <p >The week of Thanksgiving, we pack grocery bags full of the collected ingredients for hearty dinners. Each bag includes a fresh or frozen turkey, canned vegetables, potatoes, yams, gravy, rolls, marshmallows, sugar, and a pie. In 2010, we distributed 700 full holiday dinners to low-income families and group homes for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. </p>
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Rent and Gas Assistance
- Budget:
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$5,250
- Category:
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Housing
- Population Served:
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Homeless
Program Description:
There are times when families have been laid off or have lost their home. This year we have been giving away more gas cards and rent assistance than usual. We give either a hotel voucher and pay them directly or give a gas card when needed specifically when needing to look for work. We are discrete in this area.
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Program:
Change for Change
- Budget:
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$2,000
- Category:
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Food, Agriculture & Nutrition
- Population Served:
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General Public/Unspecified
Program Description:
<p>Currently, we receive food donations from businesses like Ralphs, Pacific Ranch and Albertsons to name a few. Additionally, <em >You Are Special</em>. </p> <p> </p>
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Evidence of Impact
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