Our Partners

Lloyd Pendleton famously reduced homelessness in Utah by 91% over a 10-year period. He found that success based on 3 key ingredients:

1. Lead state, county, and city officials got on board.

2. He achieved efficient and communicative collaboration.

3. Compassion for the homeless was instilled at every level – governor, local mayors, council members, law enforcement, and the local citizenry.

Helping HandUps is proud to join the growing coalition of public and private agencies whose leadership is driven to end homelessness as we know it today. Leading the charge from the California central district federal bench is the Honorable David O. Carter. Judge Carter's passion and "big stick" has forced local cities to take a positive role in addressing the challenges of homelessness.  Joining his lead are Pastor Donald Dirmit, the Orange County Continuum of Care Board, various county and city agencies, as well as the growing force of public and private non-profit foundations, charities and faith-based ministries. Together, we are committed to saving lives. 

This fabulous ministry has been cooking and taking food out to the homeless for many years. Operating from humble means, they provide home-cooked dinners and lunches to the homeless living in parks, railroad yards, and bus stations. Her food and hospitality is legendary and often attracts a large crowd much to the chagrin of local city law enforcement agencies who try and discourage her efforts and disperse the crowd who are just hungry and in need of an opportunity to receive spiritual healing with a nutritional meal. Helping HandUps is proud to partner with this courageous ministry and together we've managed to take a few of her patrons off the street and reunited with family.  Donations we receive help to support this important work.  

By some estimations, up to 20% of the homeless population have care animals. Our partners at HEART for Pets is a non-profit organization that provides a mobile veterinarian service to the homeless that includes spaying, neutering, vaccinations, microchipping, and pet education. 
 

Their team has been extremely successful in improving the quality of life for companion animals and wildlife. Providing a means to enhance animal safety & welfare and improve habitats & other environmental situations has resulted in our continued achievements towards their ongoing mission to save lives.

The HEART team travels to many communities providing free and low-cost veterinary care, pet socialization and behavioral rehabilitation, domestic & wild animal rescue, adoption assistance, and emergency disaster relief. 

Donations we receive help to support this important work.  

Maintaining personal hygiene when you are homeless is nearly impossible. Most people experiencing homelessness will typically use the bathroom of a local business or bus stop to sponge bathe themselves. This practice is frowned upon especially by business owners.  Helping HandUps partners with Blessed showers to deliver showering facilities to where the homeless are. Donations we receive help to support this important work.  

Helping HandUps partners with the Orange County Public Defender. This court serves those who are homeless and have outstanding infractions and low-level misdemeanors. The goal of the court is to help you move forward from life on the streets by removing the stresses of fines that you cannot pay in exchange for you completing hours of voluntary community service and completing concrete steps to move out of homelessness. The court works with case managers and attornies from the public defender’s office, to set goals that help our clients move forward. They link them to the services they need, including shelter programs, food bank services, government benefits, employment, educational, medical and dental aid, and mental health counseling.  All these services are combined to holistically work to improve the life situation for each homeless client.

Helping HandUps partners with a variety of agencies like City Net  to help our clients find emergency shelter. This can often be a daunting task given the limited supply of available shelter beds.  

In order to alleviate or minimize the scrambling for bed space, Helping HandUps works with local communities to find space for our Intervention Care Staging Facilities when we can immediately house homeless and at-risk individuals and families. This will serve to address the immediate need for shelter while allowing time to work on our client's associated needs. 

Helping HandUps partners with The Solace Foundation of Orange County to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths by expanding access to the overdose reversal drug naloxone.  They also provide fentanyl test strips & other basic harm-reduction supplies as well as training. Donations we receive help to support this important work.  

One of the most important objectives to recovery from homelessness is finding a job and receiving the needed training to continue employment. Our partners at, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to creating a pathway to self-sufficiency for homeless and low-income individuals by providing the resources and support needed to find and retain employment. Our clients are referred to this unique and effective resource partner so that they can begin to restore their financial lives while maintaining the ability to be financially self sufficient . 

Transitional housing provides a more holistic approach to recovery from homelessness. Helping HandUps partners with a variety of organizations to deliver these services. Here are just a few of our partners in this area.

Illumination Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), provides targeted, interdisciplinary services for the most vulnerable homeless adults and children in order to disrupt the cycle of homelessness. They assess and identify needs and provide immediate relief when necessary, followed by the care that combines housing, case management, medical care, mental health, and workforce services.

His House Outreach Ministries provides transitional housing that includes; group homes that house women only; family homes that house women and their children; graduate homes that house women who are at or near the completion of their program but need additional financial support and therefore share household expenses while also giving back to the program. 

One of the fastest-growing segments of the homeless population are working families with children struggling to make ends meet. The high cost of basic living, including rent, transportation, and childcare, coupled with the significant lack of affordable housing, puts many families at risk. Families Forward help families in need to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency through housing, food, counseling, education, and other support services. 

Pathways of Hope is guided by two simple ideas: Everyone should have access to a safe quality home, and that no one in our community should go hungry. Since 1986, Pathways of Hope has led a community effort to end homelessness for our struggling neighbors in North Orange County through housing. Every year they provide over 200,000 meals and thousands of pounds of food through its HUB of Hope food distribution and resource center. 

One of the most difficult barriers to self-esteem and job placement is a working wardrobe. Our partner the Closet Guy provides suitable clothing to recovering homeless individuals in order for them to not only not feel homeless, but also be prepared for that all-important job interview. What's more, this partner supplies clothing that can help someone get through several days of employment wearing an appropriate wardrobe. Donations we receive help to support this important work.