South County Outreach

The Food Pantry offers fresh produce and breads, nonperishable food and a selection of healthy food items for clients to take home and make wholesome meals for their families. Clients who visit the Food Pantry are asked to provide identification for each member in the household, proof of residency and to verify income when visiting. This allows South County Outreach to provide actual figures to grantors and funders. South County neighbors from all walks of life, every age and every ethnicity make up the 1,000 clients we serve each month. Food insecurity for children is an on-going issue in Orange County with 43% of our food pantry clients being children. Approximately 22% of children attending school in South Orange County are receiving assistance paying for their school lunch. South County Outreach collects over 900,000 pounds of food every year from grocery stores, manufacturers, schools, businesses, religious congregations, individuals, and other agencies. Food drives are an important source of non-perishable food, but many times the shelves are still bare. A cash donation allow us to fill in when food drive supplies are low and perishable items are scarce. Through relationships with growers and grocers a $20 donation equates to $100 worth of groceries. South County Outreach is able to purchase food items that are missing from the shelves and be diligent in the practice of providing more nutritional foods.

Every now and then, hard working people experience financial hardship. And sometimes South County residents need that little extra help to pay bills to avoid losing their housing or loss of needed utility services. The Homeless Prevention program helps families “stay housed” reducing the costs of evictions and preventing homelessness. Many residents need short-term financial assistance with overdue bills.The process for funding includes a phone interview, completion of an application and a meeting with a case manager. The case manager works with the client to complete a Self-Sufficiency Action Plan to examine each situation to determine the factors that are deterring them from having financial stability and assess needs to help develop a basic budget to improve household sustainability. Payments are made directly to landlords or utility companies.

Most jobs today require the use of a computer – navigating through a company's control system, typing a letter, producing a poster, saving or sharing documents, or attaching a document to an email from a server or the cloud. Many Computer Learning Lab students have been in their current job for years and have learned how to use the computer system for a particular job, patient records system, a control system, a data entry system or a company specific program. The Computer Learning Lab helps those who are underemployed and unemployed improve their computer skills to increase employment opportunities and expand opportunities for promotion. The Computer Learning Lab houses two modern classrooms featuring laptops with word processing equipment, internet access, and email capability. Classes are offered Monday– Friday in beginning, intermediate and advanced Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Quickbooks, and PowerPoint and the use of the internet.

Ongoing medical needs, depletion of unemployment benefits, or multiple evictions make securing permanent housing difficult. The goal is to provide subsidy and services in a housing unit that would not require relocation at the end of the program. Case management works with families or individuals and landlords to address potential barriers to securing a lease. This includes identifying appropriate permanent rental housing options and negotiating manageable and appropriate lease agreements. The program provides assistance for up to 12 months depending upon the client’s need and progress. Rapid Rehousing program is operated through partnerships with local apartment communities and landlords throughout scattered site locations in the South Orange County area. The goal of the program is that each family becomes self-sufficient and remains in permanent housing. Program Structure After assessment and acceptance into the Rapid Rehousing Program, clients are assigned to a Master’s Level Social Worker (MSW) who becomes their Case Manager and partner throughout their time in the Rapid Rehousing Program. In addition to the work with an MSW, each client will work closely with the South County Outreach Rapid Rehousing Specialist. The Rapid Rehousing Specialist will help facilitate the move in process, as well any communication with the apartment community or landlord. Each client will work with the Rapid Rehousing Specialist to learn essential tools in maintaining a home and becoming a good renter. Through case management, an individualized plan is developed with each participant based on the identified needs. Mandatory monthly meetings monitor and evaluate the clients’ progress and mandatory monthly life-skills workshops provide the participants with the necessary tools to become self-sufficient.