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About the Nonprofit

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OUR HISTORY

For the past 50 years, Community Action Partnership of Orange County has worked to make a positive impact in people’s lives by helping them meet basic needs and strengthen the support systems that enable OC residents to move out of poverty. We have the ability to create positive economic change in the lives of low-income children, families, seniors, and veterans.

CAPOC brings together community leaders, faith-based organizations, government agencies and local businesses to solve community problems and improve our community by bringing hope and services to the poor. We provide a variety of emergency services and capacity building programs that enable the poor to meet basic needs and develop the knowledge and skills to move out of poverty. CAPOC believes that poverty in all its forms and manifestations is degrading to the individual and represents a clear threat to the continued health and prosperity of our nation. We unite the community to bring solutions to impact problems by helping people and changing lives.

 

ENDING HUNGER

OC Food Bank: The OC Food Bank has evolved into Orange County’s most comprehensive hunger-relief organization. Our aim is to make a positive impact in people’s lives by helping them meet basic needs and strengthen their support system. The OC Food Bank works with nearly400 local charities, churches, soup kitchens, and community organizations to end hunger and malnutrition. The OC Food Bank provides donated food, USDA commodities, and purchased food to non-profit agencies in Orange County that serve low-income families and individuals. Annually, the OC Food Bank is able to distribute over 20 million pounds of food.

Food for Seniors Program: Our Commodity Supplemental Food Program provides nutrient-rich foods contained in a monthly food package to the low-income elderly (60+).  CAPOC personnel distribute over 23,000 food boxes each month at 55 distribution sites in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside Counties. 

Food Stamp Outreach (aka CalFresh): The Food Stamp program is a federal program designed to help people on limited budgets buy nutritious food. Community Action Partnership assists individuals in applying for food stamps. The Partnership is a lead agency for a county-wide collaborative to increase enrollment into the Food Stamp Program to alleviate hunger for the over 400,000 individuals in the county who are at-risk of hunger. 

Emergency Food Assistance Program: The Emergency Food Assistance Program distributes United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodities to eligible low-income individuals and households.  The program provides nutrition assistance to relieve situations of emergency and distress through the provision of food to the poor.

Emergency Food and Shelter Program: The OC Food Bank receives funds for the purchase of food items not readily available through other sources. This includes food items purchased to meet the unique needs of homeless people and culturally appropriate food items purchased for Orange County’s large Southeast Asian population.

Farm 2 Family: California grows more fruits and vegetables than any other state – yet for many low-income households, fresh produce is simply out of reach.  Farm to Family bridges the gap between our state’s surplus produce and people in need. Farmers arrange to ship their surplus produce directly from the fields to our OC Food Bank. We then distribute the produce through our network of schools, churches, senior centers, soup kitchens, and other community venues.

Donated Food Program: Food industry manufactures, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers donate food and personal care products to the OC Food Bank. Companies, schools, faith communities, and service organizations also conduct Food Drives collecting food for vulnerable families served by the OC Food Bank.

 

IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY

Nutrition Education/Obesity Prevention: We work to improve the health status of low-income Californians through increased fruit and vegetable consumption and daily physical activity. 

• Rethink Your Drink: Our Rethink Your Drink campaign focuses on educating low-income Californians about healthy drink options and teaching our clients the link between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and health risks.
• Faith Based: Our Faith-Based Services provides support to local Faith-Based sites to encourage their faith community to implement new ways to make healthy changes.  
• Peer Education: The Peer-to-Peer Nutrition Education Project teaches classes on: Building a Healthy Plate; Planning Healthy Meals; Shopping on a budget; What’s on a label; Being more active; and Speaking up for healthy changes
• Community Building Initiative Project: Over the past 2 years, parent leaders have gained knowledge and skills in leadership, advocacy, and nutrition to improve the well-being of their communities.
• Community Gardens: Our Miracle Garden and Stanton Community Garden were created in a vacant lots and provide families a low of land to grow organic fruits and vegetables to share.

Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH): CAPOC received $1.3 million annually for 2 years to develop partnerships to make policy systems and environmental changes that improve the community’s access to healthier eating options, increased tap water consumption, increased physical activity before, during and after school, and safe walking and biking in the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana.

Healthy Relationships, Healthy Marriage: We provide relationship education for youth, couples, parents and noncustodial parents and includes financial stability services, employment services and a fatherhood initiative. These services will be integrated and provided at 15 Family Resource Centers throughout Orange County (3-5 a year) for five years.

Family Resource Centers: Our two family resource centers strengthen families and the communities that surround them.  The centers provide an environment that helps families become safe and stable. Children get help with their homework and participate in STEM activities while enjoying the company of their peers in our afterschool activities. The centers also host arts and crafts, recreation, exercise, and daily lunches for senior citizens.

Educating Youth:

• Backpacks for Success!: We provide more than 2,000 students in underserved and disadvantaged Orange County School Districts with fully supplied backpacks from donor businesses and organizations.
• ACCESS: A program that offers alternative educational options and services for students to receive their GED

 

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Energy Conservation: Energy-efficient home improvements can make your home more comfortable and save you money now and for years to come.

• Home Upgrade Programs: Partnering with The Southern California Gas Company, we offer no cost energy-energy efficient improvements to income qualified customers, both renters and owners, with the Energy Savings Assistance Program.
• Energy Efficient Appliances: Replacing old appliances with new energy-efficient models is a quick and easy way to reduce monthly energy costs. Refrigerators, dryers and solar hot water heaters are just some of the appliance that are replaceable under our programs. 

Weatherization:  Our weatherization programs are designed to decrease greenhouse gases through carbon offsets, lower utility bills, and increase the comfort, health and safety of the home or apartment.  Here are some of the items we may install:

• Weather-Stripping
• Low Flow Showerheads
• Caulking
• Faucet aerators
• Attic Insulation
• Duct Testing Sealing, repair or replacement
• Switch & Outlet Gaskets
• Door Replacements
• Natural Gas Appliance Testing
• Weather-Stripping
• Switch & Outlet Gaskets · Glass Replacement and/or Window Replacement
• CO Detectors
• Smoke Detectors
• Thermostats
• Water Heater Repair and Replacement
• Furnace Repair and Replacement
• Minor Home Repair
• LED lights

Utility Assistance: Our programs help low-income clients who need assistance paying their gas or electric bill, receive assistance during crisis and learn through consumer education how to conserve energy and reduce their energy burdens that results in savings. 

• HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program): HEAP assists clients who are in need help paying their electric or gas bill. Clients are income qualified and supply information that will be used to determine an established benefit amount which will appear as a credit on the clients’ bill. 
• ECIP or F/T (Energy Crisis Intervention Program or Fast Track): ECIP assists clients who are in crisis of having their electric or gas service disconnected or that their electric or gas has been disconnected.