Preventing Teen Homelessness in Orange County
At 19, after aging out of the child welfare system, Jorgette faced homelessness and mental health struggles. With no trusted adult to turn to, she felt hopeless and lost. Then, her twin sister introduced her to Olive Crest. “When I…
How Olive Crest Gets Truant Kids Out of Bed and Into School Desks
Covid-19 brought a staggering increase in the number of students missing from school - both virtual school days and after students returned to the classroom - an understandable consequence for unprecedented times. However, four years later, classroom attendance hasn't gone…
Generosity in Action: TEMcool donates to Transitional Age Youth Program
The stark reality is 60% of teens become homeless within the first year of aging out of the child welfare system. Olive Crest serves hundreds of teens and young adults with its Transitional Age Youth programs each year. Through Olive Crest, young…
Nearly 2,000 Families Line Up for Drive-Thru Grocery Donations During the COVID-19 Crisis
In times like these—when workers are being laid-off and children no longer have school lunches—it can be uncertain where a family’s next meal will come from. That’s why on March 26, cars were lined up for blocks to get into…
Jenny was desperately seeking safety: “I ran away from home for the first time when I was nine”
One of Jenny’s earliest memories was going into her parents’ room and discovering her dad beating her mother. “He had her down on the floor and was pounding her with his fists,” Jenny recalls. “Her face was all bloody.” When Jenny’s…
Safe Families for Children Dinner raises $150,000 to keep families together
Sadly, with the changing economy, many more families are experiencing financial crisis, unemployment or homelessness. Others are dealing with family violence, parental drug and/or alcohol abuse, illness, or incarceration. During such crises, many parents are not capable of providing a…
The Power of One Community Luncheon Raises $20,000 to Meet the Needs of Orange County’s Children in Crisis
Keynote speaker, Jason Weber, the National Director of Foster Initiatives for CAFO speaks on “Moving the Barn.” Each year, The Power of One “friend-raising” event through Olive Crest in Orange County highlights the importance of coming together to end the…
Olive Crest Teens Develop Meaningful Connections Through Consistent Volunteer Chaplains*
Volunteer chaplains make a difference through teens by building their faith—and having fun, too, at events like a Hair Cuts and Salon Day. Chaplain Frank Fried has been helping kids and teens at Olive Crest for more than 30 years—and…
A Forever Family for Ruby
For Ruby, memories of a childhood home were a vacant house her parents broke into. “It was not the kind of place where anyone should live,” said Ruby. A heartbreaking childhood Ruby survived on things like sour milk. She slept…