Congregation Spotlight: Church of the Foothills

Welcome to the first installment of our “Congregation Spotlight,” a weekly segment on the blog where we will highlight our partner congregations.

One of the things Family Promise of Orange County is most proud of is the diversity of the different faiths of our partner congregations. As an interfaith organization, we believe every family is deserving of stable housing and a better future independent of their background or faith. Our 24 wonderful congregational partners work together in community partnership in order to help us accomplish this mission of ending family homelessness!

As we enter into our 10th year of serving families in Orange County, we will kick off our congregational spotlights with the congregations who have been there from the beginning. This week, we are excited to be highlighting longtime host congregation, Church of the Foothills.

Church Of The Foothills is an open and affirming, progressive Christian congregation located in Santa Ana, California. Their longtime pastor, Rev. Dr. Michael Holland, retired in September 2020, and the congregation is now embarking on their pastoral search. Their current interim pastors are Rev. Bill and Rev. Mary Jacobs whose backgrounds align with the beliefs of the church as they welcome and include people of every ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, economic status or religious background.

In 1964, A United Church of Christ (UCC) congregation was founded at the present location as the Church of the Foothills. By 1987, Church of the Foothills and the Camile Christian Church “dually aligned” as congregations within two faith traditions creating a diverse fellowship that welcomes people of all faiths and seekers of no religious background. The current congregation is a joint congregation between the United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Disciples of Christ (DOC).

Church of the Foothills is an original founding partner congregation of Family Promise of Orange County (FPOC). In August 2008, the first meeting to discuss starting a Family Promise affiliate in Orange County was held at Church of the Foothills, in part due to the importance Pastor Mike Holland placed on seeing if establishing a Family Promise affiliate could become a reality in Orange County. A community meeting was then held with other potential partner congregations on Sept 25, 2008. The affiliate was established, and Church of the Foothills has been proudly hosting families since 2012.

Church of the Foothills currently hosts families four times a year, utilizing congregation volunteers to help provide meals and hospitality to our local families in need. FPOC staff member Malia Cary currently also serves as this congregation’s volunteer coordinator. Malia has been supported by amazing volunteers including Bill & Susan Richardson, Gloria Wildman, and Bruce Borden who have tirelessly served as overnight hosts.

Bill and Susan Richardson have been involved with Family Promise of Orange County since its inception, and were instrumental in getting the affiliate established. They continue to be amazing advocates for both our program and our families, and they regularly serve as overnight volunteers. Gloria Wildman, Bruce Borden also serve as regular overnight hosts and stay in their campers behind the church when hosting our families. Overnight volunteers are vital in handling any emergencies that may occur during the night. The overnight volunteers are supported also by a core group of volunteers and donors from Church of the Foothills who provide grocery gift card donations, meals during hosting weeks, and help with setup/cleanup of the hosting rooms.

As life begins to shift back to normal, Church of the Foothills is looking forward to hosting families once again once the pandemic is behind us. To learn more about the congregation, visit https://www.churchofthefoothills.org/

Meet the Crew - Alexis Young

Alexis Young has been the Case Manager for Family Promise of Orange County since 2019. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Human Services, with a Domestic Violence certification, from California State University, Fullerton. Alexis is currently working toward her Masters Degree in Social Work from California State University, Long Beach, with an expected graduation in May 2022.

Prior to joining Family Promise of Orange County, Alexis utilized her Associate of Science, Child Development Degree as a Preschool teacher, where she worked with children with developmental disabilities. Her experience as a teacher also led her to work for the Child Abuse Council, where she worked with children with behavioral issues due to difficult family situations. During this time, she also helped facilitate parenting groups, positive parent-child interactions, safe exchange between parents, and supervised visitations.

In addition to her extensive education and training, Alexis also brings the knowledge that comes with having experienced homelessness and traumatic experiences first-hand. Growing up in a household where substance and domestic abuse were present, Alexis first experienced homelessness at the age of 16. She truly understands the hardship that our families go through, and that homelessness is often a cycle when families have a limited or no support system.

Alexis loves being the Case Manager for the families of Family Promise of Orange County, where she says it feels more like a family than a job. “FPOC is a support system for me personally as well - it’s like my village. Not only am I surrounded by the constant support of the volunteers and staff, but I also feel so thankful to be able to give back to the community that I come from.”

Homelessness may not always look like what you think

When we think of homelessness, you may be surprised to learn that not everyone who is experiencing homelessness is living on the streets in tents. The harsh reality is that your own neighbor or friend could be at-risk or currently experiencing homelessness without you even knowing.

For years, the state of California has remained in the top three states with the highest numbers of individuals experiencing homelessness. On December 9, 2020, CBS Los Angeles estimated the California homeless population to be 128,777 individuals who are not in families with children and 22,501 individuals of families with children. The rate of homelessness increases every day, especially with an ongoing pandemic that has only worsened an existing housing crisis. There is reason to believe the reported numbers of the homeless population are vastly underreported.

Many individuals and families at-risk or experiencing homelessness are employed and have children attending school, but have lost or will lose their stable housing. This usually occurs due to a cut or loss in employment hours, family conflict, or unanticipated expenses. Although they have lost stable housing, they could be continuing their day-to-day lives, including going to work or school, all while living in their vehicles or couch surfing. Out of shame, families experiencing homelessness may be reluctant to speak to friends or family about their situation. Homelessness has an even greater impact on children by placing them at a greater risk of serious health and emotional problems, low academic performance, and separation from their family due to the difficulty of keeping the family intact.

The solution to ending family homelessness is access to and capability of sustaining stable housing. We here at Family Promise operate specific programs to prevent families from becoming homeless, and supporting families who have already lost their housing. If you or a friend, neighbor, or family member is at risk of or is experiencing homelessness, please refer them to us. We understand the families we help will all have their own unique journeys to overcoming homelessness. No matter the circumstances, our mission is consistent in providing help, giving hope, and bringing families home.