StandUp for Kids – Orange County
The increase in homelessness across the country has quickly turned into a national crisis. As a national organization with a mission to end the cycle of youth homelessness, we are fighting against this alarming trend. There are many ways StandUp for Kids works to help the homeless and at-risk youth in Orange County. We bring multi-faceted, wraparound support to youth through targeted programs that teach life skills while exposing youth to entrepreneurship and STEM.
As an organization that has worked in Orange County for the past 18 years, we intimately know the population of homeless youth that we support. We know what they need to become self-sufficient, and we prepare them with the tools they need.
We have made a renewed goal of building relationships with government officials and agencies to support our youth and promote legislation that helps to carry out our mission in the community. We leverage our connections working with federal, state, county, and city leaders to find solutions.
Huntington Beach Councilwoman Moser recently took the streets with our StandUp for Kids staff
We focus on supporting, finding, and creating meaningful legislation at all levels of government. Key lobbying organizations, such as John Burton Advocates for Youth and Schoolhouse Connection, advocate for at-risk and homeless youth by helping us locate local and national legislation.
We successfully advocated for CA AB-2416, which helps youth keep their student loan eligibility if their grades suffer due to their homeless situation. We followed the bill through the State Assembly, Senate, and the Governor’s desk, where it was signed into law. With new legislation coming out each year, we make sure our youth have a voice.
StandUp for Kids meets our youth where they are: on the streets. Being at the table at the highest levels is crucial to systemic change. We are doing all we can to ensure our communities are safe and supportive for young people to have a high chance at success. If you have a passion for helping and have a working knowledge of government, please reach out to Justine ([email protected]) and help us increase our impact.