United to End Homelessness Invites Orange County Community to Come Together for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
Dynamic schedule of events and educational opportunities throughout November
Orange County, Calif. (November 14, 2024) – United to End Homelessness℠, an initiative empowered by Orange County United Way, is set to bring residents together during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, held from November 17–24, 2024 and explore the importance of having a shared message to end homelessness in our communities. This annual awareness campaign will extend throughout November with a host of events planned in collaboration with more than 20 partner organizations across the county.
This year’s theme prompts individuals, business leaders, community advocates, and others to explore what it means for communities to come together and build an Orange County where everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home and opportunities to thrive. This vision will be explored at a variety of educational events and in-person discussions planned throughout the month.
“Homelessness is a complicated issue that is top of mind for the majority of Orange County residents,” said Becks Heyhoe-Khalil, Executive Director of United to End Homelessness. “During Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, we are creating opportunities to connect likeminded neighbors and educate community members on the complexities of homelessness, with the goal of bringing greater awareness and increased support for those experiencing housing insecurity.”
“By centering these events around a unifying message—for everyone to have a safe and affordable place to call home and opportunities to thrive—we aspire to energize the community to help us bring an end to homelessness in Orange County,” added Heyhoe-Khalil.
The following free events and activities are open to participation from the public:
Community Events
- Hunger and Homelessness in Orange County | Virtual Community Chat
- Thursday, November 14, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- This Community Chat will explore the interconnected issues of hunger and homelessness in Orange County
- This event will feature expert remarks from guest speakers including:
- Claudia Bonilla Keller, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County
- Mike Learakos, President and CEO of Abound Food Care
- Register to attend: u2eh.to/r38
- #HHWeekOC Table Talks
- Orange County residents are invited to connect with neighbors and local advocates in guided discussions about the importance of creating a shared vision to end homelessness. These regional “Table Talks” provide an opportunity to engage in new conversations that will help lay the groundwork for change and solutions.
- North Orange County
- Sunday, November 17, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Co-hosted by Pathways of Hope at Wilshire Avenue Community Church, 212 East Wilshire Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92832
- Register to attend: u2eh.to/6vr
- South Orange County
- Monday, November 18, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Co-hosted by Tapestry, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 23676 Birtcher Drive, Lake Forest, CA 92630
- A light meal will be available at 5:30 p.m. for registered attendees. The program will begin at 6:00 p.m.
- Register to attend: u2eh.to/4vy
- Central Orange County
- Wednesday, November 20, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Co-hosted by Orangewood Foundation at 1575 E. 17th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705
- A light meal will be available at 5:30 p.m. for registered attendees. The program will begin at 6:00 p.m.
- Register to attend: u2eh.to/vp0
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Social Media Campaign
Businesses, organizations, faith-based communities, and individuals are invited to use social media throughout the month of November to start important discussions about hunger and homelessness with their own networks. The campaign’s social media materials can all be accessed at socialpresskit.com/u2eh.
Heyhoe-Khalil added, “Every voice matters in the journey to end homelessness. By coming together as a community to shape how we talk about homelessness, we can spark the change needed to ensure everyone has a place to call home.”
For more information about Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, visit u2eh.to/hhaw.
For more information about United to End Homelessness, visit unitedtoendhomelessness.org.
ABOUT UNITED TO END HOMELESSNESS
Launched in February 2018, United to End Homelessness is led by a diverse group of leaders from Orange County’s top business, philanthropic, governmental, faith-based and nonprofit organizations – all committed to ending homelessness in our community. Our work is grounded in bringing the recommendations of the 2017 UC Irvine study “Homelessness in Orange County: The Costs to Our Community” to life, with Orange County United Way serving as the backbone of this new collaborative effort. Together, we are working to bring the issue of homelessness to the forefront of the community’s collective discussion and create civic engagement that will lead to meaningful and lasting results. Together we can and we will #EndHomelessnessOC. For more information, please visit www.unitedtoendhomelessness.org.
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Media Contact: Heidi Pallares, hpallares@cornerstonecomms.com, (949) 285-7278
