StandUp for Kids – Orange County
The coronavirus pandemic has altered the American way of life, from social distancing to mask requirements and the mandatory stay at home orders. But what about the individuals who don’t have a home to begin with? StandUp for Kids has been hard at work to help these homeless youth this year and since our inception. Our Supporter of the Month Kim Pennington has been a key contributor to our success this year.
Kim was born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA. She is married with two kids and works with her husband running a business. In her spare time she enjoys California’s beautiful weather by riding horses, hiking, and kayaking.
Kim and her family
Kim saw her kids struggle in high school, even though they were in a very fortunate situation. Kim thought to herself, “What would it be like for less fortunate kids dealing with the same struggles?” Kim’s desire to make a difference led her to reach out to StandUp for Kids in January.
Since then, Kim has been doing as much as she can to help out despite the ongoing pandemic. From helping with donation events to doing food deliveries and other organizational tasks, Kim has been helping out in any way she can. She is in the office a couple of days a week making sure that our We Deliver program is organized and running smoothly. She also asks all the right questions to understand current processes and tries to improve areas of the operation where possible.
Kim helping to organize the pantry after a big donation
She looks forward to the future when in-person programming and events will be more available again. In the meantime, she is looking into mentoring both older and younger youth through the online mentoring and tutoring sessions that StandUp for Kids hosts.
A big thank you to Kim for being there to do whatever she can to help the youth of Orange County when they need it most. If we all do our small part, together we can make significant changes happen and end the cycle of youth homelessness. If you’d like to volunteer, please email us at [email protected].