‘Press Releases’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BUENA PARK, Calif.– Giving Children Hope (GCHope), a nonprofit organization based in Buena Park, is providing 50 underprivileged children with new bicycles in partnership with Chick-fil-A and Golden State Foods Foundation.
Children from GCHope’s “We’ve Got Your Back” program were selected to participate and build a brand new bike. Each child, ages 10-16, enrolled in the program was asked to write an essay detailing how the “We’ve Got Your Back” program helps them in school and makes a difference in their family’s lives; 74 essays were submitted in total.
In his essay, Bryan stated the program “helped me in school by giving me breakfast in the morning.” Jasmine is thankful for the backpack because “I don’t have to try and learn on an empty stomach.” Karen shared, “When I grow up and work, I’m going to donate food for kids like me.”
GCHope volunteers will attend the “Build-A-Bike” event to help children assemble their bicycles. Golden State Foods Foundation will also provide safety training, helmets and bicycle locks, and a bike tune-up to ensure all bikes are assembled properly.
In addition to children from “We’ve Got Your Back,” 25 children from Boys & Girls Club Cypress will also receive bikes at this event.
The “Build-A-Bike” event is hosted by Chick-fil-A Buena Park at 8161 La Palma Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620. For more information about this event or to volunteer with “We’ve Got Your Back,” contact Christine Sanchez at 714-523-4454.
###
“We’ve Got Your Back” is a weekend nutrition program created by Giving Children Hope for elementary, junior high and high school students in Orange County’s school districts who have been identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Currently, there are more than 28,000 children in Orange County’s elementary schools identified as homeless. Every week, Giving Children Hope provides food to 1,500 students and their families through “We’ve Got Your Back.”
Giving Children Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty domestically and abroad through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy. For more information, visit www.gchope.org.
Contact:
Jessica Rickerts
Director of Administration
jrickerts@gchope.org
(714) 523-4454 Ext. 114
As the civil war in Syria continues to escalate, the United Nations estimates that at least 70,000 people have lost their lives. Giving Children Hope (GCHope), an Orange County nonprofit, is working diligently to provide relief for those who have fled Syria to save their lives. “We received requests for winter clothes from our partners working directly with those fleeing the fighting in Syria. With the help of our local church partners, businesses and other nonprofits, we’ve been able to send five 40-foot shipping containers full of requested relief items,” shares GCHope Executive Director, Sean Lawrence.
Many Syrians have fled to neighboring countries, including Lebanon and Jordan, where over 1.5 million Syrians are currently seeking refuge, over half of these children under the age of 11. “They had to run for their lives and have nothing except for the clothes on their back,” said Jean Bouchebel of Bouchebel Consultants, one of Giving Children Hope’s field partners who has been coordinating the shipments of relief supplies to various refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon. GCHope is also working with International Relief Development IRD in Washington, D.C. to deliver items to displaced families on the Syrian borders.
In December, the first container arrived in Lebanon filled with vitamins, medical supplies, blankets and winter clothing. “Even though it’s desert climate, it gets really cold during the evenings, even during the summer months, which can dip down to below zero degrees,” said Bouchebel.
Bouchebel lived in Lebanon before immigrating to the United States 15 years ago. He understands and experienced civil war while he was living in Lebanon, so his desire to help is personal. “People there need practical support and love. Innocent people are dying and getting hurt,” Bouchebel said. He has been going to Lebanon every three months to connect with the people and help coordinate relief efforts. Bouchebel’s next trip to Lebanon and Jordan will be in mid-May with Patrick Bouchebel, CEO of Bouchebel Consultants LLC and John Ditty, Giving Children Hope’s Founder, to meet with partners and arrange a long term strategy, as well as visit the refugees they have been assisting.
“A lot more needs to be done. Together we can make a difference. The more we can incorporate, the more we can help people. Thank you to our donors who are very cooperative and generous,” said Bouchebel.
GCHope is currently staging two more containers of requested relief items but is asking for the public’s help. “We need more hygiene items and new clothes,” said Lawrence. “We encourage our community here in Orange County to join us in supporting these refugees in a practical way. This support is not a political statement, but a statement of our love for our neighbors – not just those across the street, but around the world as well.”
If you would like donate products or would like to host a product drive for the Syrian Refugee Project, please contact GCHope’s Logistics Coordinator, Janet Valencia, at jvalencia@gchope.org or 714-523-4454 x 126. You may also drop off items to GCHope’s office at 8332 Commonwealth Ave., Buena Park, CA 90621 from Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Giving Children Hope is a faith-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty domestically and abroad through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy. For more information, visit www.gchope.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Former NBA and NFL Players Attend Christmas Party for Underprivileged Children
Over 300 Orange County Children to Receive Christmas Gifts
BUENA PARK, CA – Giving Children Hope (GCHope), a nonprofit organization based in Orange County, will be hosting a Christmas party for underprivileged youth and their families on Tuesday, December 18, 2012 from 6p.m. to 8p.m. at their office, 8332 Commonwealth Ave., Buena Park, CA 90621. All of the children are participants of GCHope’s “We’ve Got Your Back” program.
Retired NBA and NFL players will help distribute gifts to over 300 children and their siblings, as well as share their inspiring career stories with them. The list of those confirmed who will be in attendance are: Rick Darnell, Jamaal Wilkes, Keith Erickson, Sam Williams, Norm Nixon, Ed Ratleff, Reggie Berry, Ron Brown, Bob Elliott and Arnie Fielkow (CEO, National Basketball Retired Players Association).
“We’ve Got Your Back” is a weekend nutrition program created by Giving Children Hope for elementary, junior high and high school students in Orange County’s school districts who have been identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Currently, there are over 28,000 children in Orange County’s elementary schools who are identified as homeless. Every week, Giving Children Hope provides food to 1,100 students through “We’ve Got Your Back.”
Giving Children Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty domestically and abroad through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy. For more information, visit www.gchope.org.
###
Media Contact:
Cathy Baek
Communications Coordinator
(714) 523-4454 Ext. 107
www.gchope.org
For Immediate Release
Buena Park, CA (September 28, 2012) – Giving Children Hope and the City of Buena collaborated to host “Buena Park Tackling Child Hunger”, a food drive to feed over 4,000 students and families on the “We’ve Got Your Back” program.
Over 16,000 pounds of food (17 pallets) were collected, which included food drive items from over 30 Orange County schools.
“Seeing the community come together and participate to help us provide food for these students and families was inspiring and motivating. We would like to especially thank the City of Buena Park for all their support,” says Sean Lawrence, Executive Director of Giving Children Hope.
Buena Park’s City Manager, Jim Vanderpool, encouraged city employees to collect items, offering the winning department a lunch prize. The competition fiercely motivated nine city departments to gather over 4,700 food items. The winners of the challenge, Community Development department, decorated their office with rows and stacks of canned goods, pasta, and cereal boxes.
“Thanks to the efforts of the City of Buena Park and our schools, we are able to get the program up and running and immediately serve over 50% of our program participants,” says Christine Sanchez, Director of the “We’ve Got Your Back” program.
Over 100 Buena Park High School Football players made their presence on Beach Blvd., holding signs and collecting donations from people driving by. Others who participated in the event included Downtown Buena Park, John’s Incredible Pizza and the West Orange County Regional Chamber of Commerce.
For the 2011-2012 school year, there were 42 schools enrolled on the “We’ve Got Your Back” program. Giving Children Hope plans to add at least 15 more schools for the 2012-2013 school year. Food is continuously needed, so if you are interested in hosting a food drive, please contact csanchez@godaid.org for more information. Items most needed are: cereal, rice, canned meat and canned fruits. Please no glass items. Food can be dropped off at Giving Children Hope’s office at 8332 Commonwealth Ave., Buena Park, CA 90621. Monetary and cash donations will be accepted as well.
To view pictures of the event, go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/givingchildrenhope/sets/72157631617556380/with/8022140339/
“We’ve Got Your Back” is a weekend nutrition program created by Giving Children Hope for elementary students in Orange County’s school districts who have been identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Currently, there are over 28,000 children in Orange County’s elementary schools who are identified as homeless.
Giving Children Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty domestically and abroad through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy. For more information, visit www.gchope.org.
###
Media Contact:
Cathy Baek
Communications Coordinator
Giving Children Hope
714-523-4454 Ext. 107
www.gchope.org
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Food Drive To Tackle Child Hunger
Buena Park, CA (September 11, 2012) – Giving Children Hope and the City of Buena Park are collaborating to host “Buena Park Tackling Child Hunger”, a food drive to feed over 4,000 students on the “We’ve Got Your Back” program on Friday, September 21.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in front of Buena Park City Hall, 6650 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA 90621.
“We’ve Got Your Back” is a weekend nutrition program created by Giving Children Hope for elementary students in Orange County’s school districts who have been identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Currently, there are over 28,000 children in Orange County’s elementary schools who have been identified as homeless.
“GCHope has been able to provide food for thousands of kids over the past five years and with the new school year starting, we once again need our community’s help to be able to serve all the children living in hunger in Buena Park and the surrounding cities. In the past, we’ve been so encouraged by the response of businesses in North Orange County and again look forward to joining neighboring businesses to fight this battle against hunger in our community,” says Giving Children Hope’s Executive Director, Sean Lawrence.
Items most needed are: cereal, canned meat and canned fruits. Please no glass items. Monetary and cash donations will be accepted as well.
Giving Children Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty (domestically and abroad) through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy. For more information, visit www.gchope.org.
###
Media Contact:
Cathy Baek
Communications Coordinator
Giving Children Hope
714-523-4454 Ext. 107
www.gchope.org
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Buena Park’s First Low Income Community Clinic Opens
BUENA PARK, CA (June 4, 2012) – Orange County Nonprofit, Giving Children Hope partners with Illumination Foundation to open the Buena Park Community Clinic to the public.
It offers primary care services to low-income families including physician exams, diagnosis and treatment. Laboratory testing will also be provided on-site. The cost of service is $15. Buena Park Community Clinic will be open every Monday and Wednesday from 9am – 4pm. Please call 714-367-6546 for an appointment; walk-ins are also welcome. The clinic is located at 8332 Commonwealth Ave., Buena Park, CA 90621.
“We are excited to provide a place where people in North Orange County can go, who may not otherwise afford to see a doctor,” says Giving Children Hope’s Executive Director, Sean Lawrence.
All medical advice, diagnosis, treatment appliances and medications will be provided by a physician or a nurse practitioner.
Giving Children Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty (domestically and abroad) through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy. For more information, visit www.buenaparkclinic.org
###
Media Contact:
Cathy Baek
Giving Children Hope
Communications Coordinator
Ph: 714-523-4454 Ext. 107
www.gchope.org
This is the ABC News coverage of Giving Children Hope’s response to the earthquake in Haiti. Giving Children Hope is a grassroots organization. Relief efforts happen when individuals get involved to serve others.
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Giving Children Hope is Addressing Humanitarian Aid Crisis in Sri Lanka
BUENA PARK, Calif. (May 6, 2009)- Giving Children Hope is responding to the crisis in Sri Lanka by sending out a shipment of beds to internally displaced persons. This container is in partnership with the International Medical Health Organization. http://www.gchope.org/help-idps-in-sri-lanka.html
The shipment will be received by the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA), a collection of agencies that support projects and work within the nonprofit humanitarian sector in Sri Lanka.
As of April 26, 2009, there were as many as 160,000+ internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sri Lanka taking refuge in camps across the Northeast, with an estimated 60,000 more still trapped within the conflict zones. An estimated 6,500 ethnic Tamil Sri civilians have already been killed.
Giving Children Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty (domestically and abroad) through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy. For more information, visit www.gchope.org.
Media Contact:
Harmony Trevino
Giving Children Hope
Communications Coordinator
Ph: 714-523-4454 x. 122
htrevino@godaid.org
www.gchope.org
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Swine Flu Pandemic: Giving Children Hope Responds
BUENA PARK, Calif. (May 1, 2009) – Giving Children Hope is responding to the swine flu pandemic and is assessing needs in Mexico. http://www.gchope.org/swine-flu-pandemic.html
Filed partners have requested masks, hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap, vitamins, electrolytes, water, swabs and gloves.
Monetary donations are being collected to procure disaster materials. Other disaster materials are being collected at Giving Children Hope’s distribution center.
Giving Children Hope is an Orange County, California faith-based nonprofit organization engaged in domestic and international poverty alleviation through disaster relief, medical development, vocational training and advocacy. For more information please visit our web site: www.gchope.org
Media Contact:
Harmony Trevino
Giving Children Hope
Communications Coordinator
Ph: 714-523-4454 x. 112
htrevino@godaid.org
