Illumination Foundation & Carnival for Kids

Disclosure: Information obtained from Press Release and is accurate at time of publishing. All opinions are my own.

The Illumination Foundation Opens Children’s Resource Center in Tina Pacific

The Children’s Resource Center opened in one of Orange County’s most in-need communities to promote a positive future and generational change for Orange County’s most at-risk youth

About the Illumination Foundation

The Illumination Foundation, a local nonprofit working to end the cycle of homelessness in Orange County, opened a new Children’s Resource Center in Tina Pacific today. The Tina Pacific neighborhood in Stanton, CA has the highest population of at-risk youth in all of Orange County. The center will give Orange County homeless and at-risk youth a place to go for tutoring and mentorship, therapy, gang intervention, extra-curricular classes and most important of all, meals. By offering proactive crisis prevention and intervention curriculum, Orange County's most at-risk youth will have a chance at a more promising future and creating generational change.

There are a total of 28,000 homeless children in Orange County. In Santa Ana alone, more than 600 children won’t graduate from high school, and more than 700 will become teen moms. Unlike most children, many at-risk youth dread going home after school. Instead of being greeted by welcoming arms and an after-school snack, imagine being greeted by an empty home – void of love, food and guidance.

Kintz Photography

For many Orange County children, this is a sad reality. The Illumination Foundation formed the Children’s Enrichment Program this year, in hope to instill a daily structure for each child. The Children’s Enrichment Program provides interaction with positive role models on a daily basis, ultimately making each child more optimistic about their day-to-day life and future.

“There are an estimated 177,000 children who go hungry in Orange County every day,” said Illumination Foundation Founder and CEO Paul Leon. “We need to give these kids the tools and skills needed to build a better life for themselves and future generations. We opened the Children’s Resource Center in the neighborhood where we see not only the most need for change, but the most potential for change.”

Carnival for Kids

To celebrate and support the opening of the Children’s Resource Center, a Carnival for Kids will be held on August 17, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Esther Walter Elementary School, 10802 Rustic Lane, Anaheim, CA 92804. Proceeds from the carnival go to keeping the Children’s Enrichment Center up and running. Without donor and sponsor support, the Children’s Resource Center would not exist. The Carnival’s sponsors include Radio Disney, Wells Fargo, Guaranty Chevrolet, Cindy Hamlin and Long Family Foundation. Give the gift of fun by sponsoring a child at the Carnival for Kids - a donation of $40 will buy an unlimited wristband for an Illumination Foundation child to participate in activities and rides during the all-day event. To learn more about the Carnival for Kids or to sponsor a child, go to http://www.ifhomeless.org/carnival-for-kids

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About Illumination Foundation

The Illumination Foundation is an Orange County-based 501(c)(3)  nonprofit dedicated to providing targeted, interdisciplinary services for the most vulnerable homeless clients to break or prevent the cycle of homelessness. The Illumination Foundation pioneered an innovative and cost-effective solution to advance health and housing stability for the chronically homeless community. Illumination Foundation provides free mental health, medical and outreach services to homeless families and individuals at clinics throughout the country. To date, Illumination Foundation’s housing programs have served 1,183 families and placed 520 families into permanent housing. Illumination Foundation’s medical programs have provided medical and social services to 8,718 patients. For more information, visit www.ifhomeless.org.

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