Families Forward

Referral services
If you need services or assistance that are not offered at Families Forward, call us at (949) 552-2727. The phone will be answered by a live person interested in helping you find what you need. We are part of an extensive referral network and will do what we can to help.

You can also call 2-1-1 from a landline phone (888-600-4357 from a cell phone), which will connect you to a resource specialist with information about services in your area.

List of local resources:
Rental Assistance
Utility Assistance
Clothing
Assistance For Families in Motels
Free Medical Clinics
Government Assistance
Shelters / Transitional Housing

Rental Assistance

The following agencies may have funds available for rental assistance. Rental assistance programs are very expensive, and most agencies have funding cycles. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that any of these currently have funds available.

SOS (Share Ourselves), Costa Mesa
Phone: (949) 642-3451
Website: www.shareourselves.org

SOS serves walk-ins only. Applicants must arrive at 7:30 AM to receive a lottery number. Numbers are called in random order. You may not apply for any kind of financial assistance more than once every 90 days. SOS also has some food and clothing available. Please call for information.

Mercy House, Santa Ana
Phone: (714) 836-7188
Website: www.mercyhouse.net

Mercy House has a shelter and other support services. Please call for program and appointment information.

South County Outreach, Lake Forest
Phone: (949) 380-8144
Website: www.sco-oc.org

South County Outreach used to be called Saddleback Community Outreach. It also has a Food Pantry, a Transitional Housing program, and computer classes. Please call for program and appointment Information.

Utility Assistance

The following agencies may have funds available for utility assistance:

Community Action Partnership, Santa Ana
Phone: (714) 839-6199
Website: www.communityactionpartnership.com

Please call for program information.

South County Outreach, Lake Forest
Phone: (949) 380-8144
Website: www.sco-oc.org

South County Outreach used to be called Saddleback Community Outreach. It has a food pantry, a transitional housing program, and computer classes. Please call for program and appointment information.

SOS (Share Ourselves), Costa Mesa
Phone: (949) 642-3451
Website: www.shareourselves.org

Clothing

Beach Cities Interfaith, Huntington Beach Phone: (714) 969-4462

SOS (Share Ourselves), Costa Mesa
Phone: (949) 642-3451
Website: www.shareourselves.org

Working Wardrobes, Fountain Valley
Phone: (714) 210-2460
Website: www.workingwardrobes.org

Working Wardrobes provides numerous services relating to professional wardrobing, employment, career, financial literacy, and life skills training.

Women Helping Women, Costa Mesa
Phone: (949) 631-2333
Website: www.whw.org

Women Helping Women provides professional business apparel, image consulting, and employment search support to women.

Assistance to Families in Motels

Project Dignity, Garden Grove
Phone: (714) 534-4271
Website: www.projectdignity.org

Project Dignity distributes donated food and personal hygiene items to the adults and children they serve. An arts and crafts program is offered to children on Sundays, along with story telling and a play and toy share program. Project Dignity strongly supports children remaining in school by providing school clothes and supplies. A mobile school and library provide much needed assistance and support to children's educations.

Orange County Rescue Mission, Santa Ana
Phone: (888) 946-4673
Website: www.rescuemission.org

Orange County Rescue Mission provides assistance through counseling, education, job training, shelter, food, clothing, healthcare, and independent living communities. They have an emergency shelter for men, a women's transitional shelter, and job training for motel families.

Free Medical Clinics

SOS (Share Ourselves), Costa Mesa
Phone: (949) 642-3451
Website: www.shareourselves.org

Hurtt Family Health Clinic
Phone: (949) 642-3451
Website: http://www.rescuemission.org/needhelp/hcs/hcs.htm

The Hurtt Family Health Clinic, formerly Casa de Salud Family Health Clinic, is a low-cost, family primary care clinic that serves individuals by appointment and on a walk-in basis. Services include well-baby and well-child checkups, well woman exams and clinical breast exams, physical examinations, management and treatment of diabetes and chronic illness, provision of medication when applicable, low cost referrals for specialized needs, and patient education classes including chronic illness management, personal hygiene, and nutrition. The Clinic also contains a laboratory where patients can receive immunizations and vaccines.

Laguna Beach Community Clinic, Laguna Beach
Phone: (949) 494-0761
Website: www.lbclinic.org

Laguna Beach Community Clinic offers quality medical, dental and health education services to low-income and uninsured residents of Orange County by utilizing a sliding fee scale and public support funds for care reimbursement. Please call or visit website for more information.

WIC
Phone: (714) 834-8333
Website: www.calwic.org

WIC is a supplemental food, nutrition education and breastfeeding support program. It serves low to moderate-income pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, and infants/children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk.

Government Assistance

Social Services
Phone: (714) 541-7700
Website: www.ssa.ocgov.com

Food Stamps
Phone: (714) 834-8899
Website: www.ssa.ocgov.com/Cash_Food_Stamps/Food_Stamps/

HUD/Section 8 Housing
Phone: (714) 796-5577

OC Health Care Agency
Phone: (714) 796-5577
Website: www.ochealthinfo.com

WIC
Phone: (714) 834-8333
Website: www.calwic.org

Shelters / Transitional Housing

Shelter For Anyone

Armories
Santa Ana, Fullerton
Call 2-1-1 for Information
Available during cold-weather months.

Salvation Army
Santa Ana
(714) 542-9576
Shelter For Single Women

WISE Place
Santa Ana
(714) 542-3577
Shelter For Women

O.C. Rescue Mission
Santa Ana
(714) 258-4450
Shelter For Pregnant Women