Families Forward

Mixing Business with Purpose—Let’s Bake Up Big Change! Just like the best recipes, creating lasting change takes the right ingredients—compassion, generosity, and community support. This Help Them Home Giving Day, businesses and groups can be the secret ingredient that makes an even greater impact for families experiencing housing insecurity. By joining as a matching sponsor, you can double every donation, helping more families find a stable place to call home. Whether you host a company bake sale, form a fundraising team, or provide a corporate match, your support helps create brighter futures—one home at a time. On April 23rd, Families Forward is rallying to raise $130K in 24 hours as part of a community-wide effort to raise $1.5M to help families find stable housing. Together, let’s mix up something meaningful and help families move forward. ?? Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gnfuV93z #BakingUpBrightFuturesforFamilies #HelpThemHomeOC

A huge thank you to our incredible partners who joined our Career Fair in Santa Ana! Disneyland Resort, Goodwill of Orange County, ChildCare Careers, Applied Medical, Fairway Staffing Because of your support, 33 interviews were scheduled for our housing and prevention clients, bringing them one step closer to stable employment and long-term housing security. ?? At Families Forward, we know that access to stable income is a key factor in breaking the cycle of homelessness. By connecting families with job opportunities, we’re helping them build a foundation for financial independence abd a successful transition back into permanent housing.

Extra! Extra! We are thrilled to see our CEO, Madelynn Hirneise, on the cover of?Orange Coast Magazine's?annual Kickass Women edition, alongside her incredible CEO “Sisterhood”! This special issue, celebrating International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, honors the powerful women making an impact in our community. Congratulations to ALL the kickass women featured—your leadership, vision, and dedication inspire us every day! #KickassWomen?#WomenInLeadership?#WomensHistoryMonth

Now Hiring: Development Coordinator – Fundraising & Donor Stewardship Star in Irvine, CA! Are you passionate about making a difference and building meaningful connections? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment, love organizing details, and have a knack for donor relations? Families Forward is looking for a dynamic Development Coordinator to support fundraising efforts, manage donor databases, and help us strengthen our community impact! ? What’s in it for you? ? Be part of a mission-driven team working to end family homelessness ? Engage with donors and support fundraising strategies ? A collaborative, fast-paced work environment where your contributions matter ? Competitive pay ($25-$31/hr), full benefits, and opportunities for growth If you're detail-oriented, tech-savvy, and passionate about philanthropy, we want to hear from you! Apply today and help us create lasting change.

Congratulations to our CEO, Madelynn Hirneise, and her fellow UC Irvine Alumnae CEOs, Claudia Bonilla Keller, MPA Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, Jennifer Friend Project Hope Alliance and Kelsey Morgan, PhD EverFree, for being featured in The Anteater Winter 2025 edition! Their inspiring leadership and dedication to community impact shine in this special feature, highlighting Madelynn and her sisters in good as they create lasting change. Check out the full article to see how these incredible leaders are making a difference! UC Irvine

Incredible! ABC7 featured our new Community Market at Families Forward, a dignified, self-serve space providing fresh and nutritious food for families in need. Watch the coverage to see how we're making a difference!

?? Exciting News from Families Forward ?? We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of The Community Market at Families Forward—a reimagined food distribution hub designed to put dignity, choice, and nutrition first for Orange County families. With 1 in 3 families struggling to meet basic needs, this newly transformed Trader Joes-esque pantry allows families to shop for groceries and essentials that fit their preferences and dietary needs. More than just food assistance, The Community Market creates opportunities for families to connect with additional services that support long-term stability. Housing and food insecurity go hand in hand and it's about building relationships and providing meaningful resources to lift families out of the need so we can target upstream prevention and impact! What’s New? ?? A grocery-style shopping experience for over 800 families each month ?? Expanded storage for fresh produce, milk, eggs, and lean protein ?? A renovated warehouse to accommodate more food donations and essentials ?? A team of trained ambassadors to help families access additional support This DREAM wouldn’t be possible without the support of Supervisor Don Wagner, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Harvesters, along with our incredible community partners and in-kind donors. (C.W. Driver Companies, Pandr Design Co., Hendy Designs, Todd Calish and SO many more!) Special thank you to Vanessa Howard for making this dream a reality - you are the true magic maker! ? It takes a community to feed a community! ? Learn more about The Community Market at Families Forward and how we’re working to end family homelessness: www.families-forward.org #FamiliesForward #CommunityMarket #EndHomelessness #FoodSecurity #OrangeCounty #DignityFirst #NonprofitImpact LaShanda Maze Ali Schwan Dara Mullarkey Robert Pequeno Anne Belyea Karl Kreutziger Claudia Bonilla Keller, MPA Kevin Fuhrmann Claudia Bustos Tara Campbell Billy Hughes Nishtha Mohendra Cheryl Vargo, MS Minzah Malik, MPH, MBA Victor Cao Kazeem Omidiji Erik Weigand

Thank you, Matt Szabo for highlighting the impact of our new Community Market in the Daily Pilot! ?? We’re extremely grateful to everyone who made this possible, including San Diego Gas & Electric, Orange County Supervisor Donald Wagner, Harvesters—The Community Food Network, C.W. Driver Companies, all of our wonderful in-kind donors, our incredible volunteers and food partners. Together, we’re creating a more dignified, choice-filled experience for families in need.

Now Hiring: Operations Manager Extraordinaire! Are you the kind of person who thrives on keeping everything running smoothly? Do you love problem-solving, coordinating all the moving parts, and making an impact in your community? Then we’ve got the perfect role for you! Families Forward is looking for a rockstar Operations Manager to lead our facilities, IT, vendor relationships, and logistics—all while supporting our food pantry and seasonal programs. This is your chance to play a vital role in an organization that helps families on their journey to stability. What’s in it for you? - A mission-driven team that makes a real difference - Hands-on leadership of key operational functions - A dynamic work environment where no two days are the same - Competitive pay, full benefits, and opportunities for growth If you’re a detail-loving, solution-finding, operations guru with a passion for making things happen, we want to hear from you! Apply now and help us keep Families Forward running at its best. Know someone perfect for the role? Please repost to your network.

Calling all helpers with big hearts! We’re looking for energetic, passionate volunteers to join our team at the NEW Families Forward Community Market and warehouse! From welcoming families at check-in, restocking shelves like a pro, to unloading donations and keeping everything running smoothly - there’s never a dull moment here. This is your chance to lend and hand (and maybe a smile) to families experiencing hardship. Please email [email protected] if you’re ready to turn your time into IMPACT.