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.”