Dozens of esteemed faith leaders from across Orange County have come together to create the Faith Leaders Council of United to End Homelessness. This Council’s role is to serve as a spiritual advisory board for the initiative and forge the strategy for engaging, educating and mobilizing the faith community to action. Focus areas include:
- Educating leaders and members of faith communities regarding the facts of and solutions for homelessness in Orange County
- Training and developing community champions who advocate for supportive housing in their communities
Our faith traditions compel us to:
- Use our voices, platforms, and influence to bring attention to the homeless crisis in Orange County
- Use our relationships in the community to engage others in education, conversations, action and advocacy to bring forth solutions to end homelessness
- To pray AND act to end homelessness in our community
As faith leaders we believe that:
- Every person and child experiencing homelessness possesses a divine dignity, known in some traditions as the image of God
- We are called to love our human family and ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect
- It is our moral imperative to provide housing, support and restoration for those experiencing homelessness
We the undersigned will persevere in this commitment until all our neighbors dwell in dignity.
- Lisa Armony
Jewish Federation & Family Services - Donna Burkland
Safe Harbor OC Church - Cathie Capp
University United Methodist Church - Heidi Cohen
Temple Beth Sholom - Mark Davis
St. Mark Presbyterian Church - Donald Dermit
The Rock, Anaheim - Kent Doss
Tapestry, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation - Dr. Brad Fieldhouse
City Net - Mitch Fierro
EvFree Fullerton - Erica Flora
Eastside Christian Church - Lester Mackenzie
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church - Andrew Nelson
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Jason Phillips
Fullerton ACT, Fullerton Collaborative, Fullerton Interfaith Ministerial Association, Sojourners Church - James Pike
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection - Laura Siriani
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church - Ahmed Soboh
- Ian Stevenson
Trellis International - John Steward
Mount of Olives Church - Lynn Stone
Yorba Linda Presb Church - Karen Stoyanoff
Unitarian Universalist Church of Fullerton - BJ Sullivan
Interfaith Counil of Greater RSM; Member of St Johns Episcopal Church - Thomas Thorkelson
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and VP, Orange County Interfaith Network (OCIN) - Marcia Tilchin
Jewish Collaborative of Orange County - Maribel Toan
Newsong Church of Orange County - Cindy Voorhees
St. James Episcopal Church - Greg Walgenbach
Roman Catholic Diocese - Ralph Villiamson
COR Church & CDC - K’Vod Wieder
Temple Beth El of South OC - Sian Wiltshire
Newport, Mesa, Irvine Interfaith Council / Orange Coast Uniterian Universalist Church
Essential to the success of United to End Homelessness are the incredible service providers who have been addressing the issue of homelessness in Orange County for decades. These leaders provide valuable insights, direction, and effective “best practice” solutions for the initiative while serving as vital “boots on the ground,” working day in and day out with our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
The service provider agencies in the Network share a commitment to ending homelessness in Orange County.
As Service Provider Agencies, We Believe:
- That people experiencing homelessness have the right to make decisions about their housing and support services as they work to end their homelessness
- That homelessness can be ended
- That housing ends homelessness
- In the proven effectiveness of the Housing First approach
We Will:
- Work collaboratively in support of the recommendations of the 2017 UCI Cost Study of Homelessness in partnership with Orange County United Way, a network of service providers and the public, private and philanthropic sectors who compose United to End Homelessness
- Communicate collectively and with one voice around the issue of homelessness and its solutions, participate in United to End Homelessness public awareness campaigns and support positive solutions in our daily work as well as public settings
- Participate in United to End Homelessness meetings and develop solutions that can be brought to scale together
- Be flexible and responsive to each person’s unique circumstances and needs, committing to a high standard of support and care coordination so their homelessness can end
- Participate in activities that encourage and allow our system of care to evolve and become more efficient
- Measure our progress, and use data to make informed decisions and implement changes as needed to ensure we operate at the highest standard possible
- Actively participate in the United to End Homelessness Public Awareness Campaign, advocating for proven solutions to end homelessness
- Work together to help educate the public about solutions for homelessness by sharing data, stories, progress, and shared public awareness assets
- Strategically work to end all types of homelessness, with chronic homelessness being our first goal
- End homelessness in Orange County
- 2-1-1 Orange County
- Anaheim Housing Authority
- American Family Housing
- Build Futures
- Chrysalis
- City Net
- Families Forward
- Family Assistance Ministries
- Family Promise of Orange County
- Family Solutions Collaborative
- Friendship Shelter
- Grandma’s House of Hope
- Habitat For Humanity of Orange County
- Homeless Intervention Services of OC (HIS-OC)
- HomeAid Orange County
- Human Options
- Illumination Foundation
- Jamboree Housing Corporation
- Mental Health Association of Orange County
- Mercy House
- Orangewood Foundation
- Our Father’s Table
- Pathways of Hope
- Precious Life Shelter
- Project Hope Alliance
- Salvation Army Orange County
- Santa Ana Housing Authority
- Schools on Wheels
- Share Our Selves
- South County Outreach
- Serving People in Need, Inc. (SPIN)
- StandUp For Kids – Orange County
- The Kennedy Commission
- Thomas House Family Shelter
- Tierney Center for Veteran Services, Goodwill OC
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Long Beach Healthcare System
- Volunteers of America Los Angeles
- WISEPlace