One of the only homeless shelters in Orange County where families can live together is in danger of shutting its doors permanently, officials said Thursday.
The Family Care Center in Orange has provided shelter and other critical services to approximately 200 families annually since its opening in 2017, according to shelter officials.
Shelter officials said it takes about $800,000 to operate the shelter annually and there is currently half that amount in the operating budget.
Carrie Maness said she moved into the shelter last month with her 5-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter.
“When we tell everyone, ‘see you tonight at home,’” said Maness. “Yep, this is home.”
Maness said she was grateful that the shelter was able to take her and her children.
“Very important because I have kids and they have nobody else to go with,” said the 40-year-old single mother, who was living with her father before he retired and moved out of state.
A few cubicles from Maness, Shay Stanich and Armando Oviedo are living with their baby boy, Ernesto, who is 7 weeks old.
“From where we were to where we are now, I feel blessed,” said Stanich. “We were in the streets pregnant. Rough, real rough.”
The Family Care Center is a temporary home to approximately ten to fifteen families at a time and is one of the few shelters in Orange County that doesn’t separate men from women and children.
“We provide breakfast, lunch and dinner,” said Rick Ponce, who does development and communications for the Homeless Intervention Services of Orange County (HIS-OC).
“Because we don’t have that sustained funding outside of fundraising and donors, it is definitely at risk of closing. That is a possibility,” said Ponce.
Ponce adds that the shelter is funded by money from the city of Orange, county funds and through donations. But he said costs are going up and funding has not.
“Families who have kids you go to school with, parents who don’t have a safe place for their kids to go home. We refer to these folks as hidden faces of homelessness,” said Ponce. “It doesn’t get a lot of support or exposure, so doesn’t get the funding it needs.”
Ponce said families can stay for 90 days as long as they are looking for work and can move from the shelter to transitional or low-income housing.
He said the shelter is a safety net, that if taken away, will force families to live on the streets.
“It’s just very homey, it’s a great environment, kids are around,” said Stanich. “We feel loved, we know if we need help, there’s people on standby that will help us out.”
Shelter officials said they’re looking to raise $2.5 million over the next five years in order to stay open.
Allison Craig is a passionate sports writer and analyst with a deep love for game strategies, player performances, and the latest trends in the sports world. With years of experience covering football, basketball, tennis, and more, she delivers insightful analysis and engaging content for sports enthusiasts.
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