County-wide effort to collect essential items begins April 30 at Irvine Spectrum Center®
April 25, 2011 (Irvine, CA) – The 4th Annual Essentials for Young Lives® donation drive kicks off Saturday, April 30 in honor of Mother’s Day, at Irvine Spectrum Center®. HomeAid’s Essentials for Young Lives is a community-wide effort to collect “essential” baby items for homeless mothers and their infants, in partnership with the Children and Families Commission of Orange County.
“Homeless mothers and their young children are among Orange County’s most vulnerable residents,” said Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, Honorary Chair, 2011 Essentials for Young Lives® Campaign. “Ensuring families in crisis have the proper nutrition and basic necessities for their infants and toddlers are community goals we all share.”
The afternoon family event will feature a performance by Kids Are Music and an arts and crafts station sponsored by the YMCA of Orange County. The public is encouraged to bring donations of diapers, baby wipes, baby food and baby hygiene products to the Giant Wheel Court from 12 to 3 p.m.
“This year we have over 30 companies and community organizations throughout Orange County who have volunteered to serve as donation sites for the 2011 Essentials for Young Lives drive,” said Sheriff Hutchens, “With wide-spread community support, we hope to reach our goal of collecting one half million items.”
As the rise in homeless families increases the demand for homeless services and the need for essential baby items continues to grow. Items collected will be distributed among HomeAid’s sixteen service providers who operate facilities built in partnership with HomeAid Orange County and serve homeless families across the county.
Donation drop off locations will be located throughout Orange County including select VONS grocery stores and YMCA of Orange County facilities. The list of public donation drop-off sites is available online at www.essentialsforyounglives.org. Online contributions can be made through registries at www.BabiesRUs.com and www.Diapers.com.