In 2003, Lina Lumme was scared, pregnant and alone. But she made a phone call from a number in the Yellow Pages and ended up finding the Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos, a residential shelter for homeless pregnant women. Thanks to the support and services from Precious Life, Lina was able to create a new life for herself and her daughter. She is now
the Executive Director at The Youth Center, married, mother of Cassandra, 15 and Daniel, 6, and she and her family continue to be a part of the Precious Life network.

Cristina Flores minces no words: “I was pregnant and completely overwhelmed.” That was in 2009 when she was pregnant with her first baby. Thanks to the support she received from MOMS Orange County, including monthly home-visitation services, she now has two healthy, happy children – Allison, 8, and Richard, 6. Last year, more than 3,300 women, like Cristina, received needed support to ensure healthy pregnancies and early childhood health.

When her son started missing some typical developmental milestones at an early age, Gabriela Velasco reached out for help. Without delay, Help Me Grow Orange County connected Gabriela and her son Jair to The Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Jair, now 11, is high-functioning and happy, and nurtures dreams of becoming a scientist or game developer.