our story
starts in 1989

Ultimately, the number of students experiencing homelessness needing support grew so much that the community needed to do more. The First Presbyterian Church of Orange donated their basement to house a food & hygiene pantry and a classroom specifically to serve the students living in motels.  A group of caring residents formed the Project HOPE School Foundation to raise funds for Project HOPE.

At the time, Project HOPE School Foundation served 35-60 students annually; however, our vision became bolder, and we knew we had to do more for our kids.

Project Hope School Foundation changed its name to Project Hope Alliance to align with our new, bolder vision to make a transformational difference for the thousands of kids experiencing homelessness in Orange County.

Our current CEO, Jennifer Friend (at the time a partner at a major law firm) joined the Project HOPE School Foundation Board as the Secretary. Having experienced homelessness as a child growing up in Orange County, she was compelled to support kids facing similar challenges.

Jennifer shared her personal story of child homelessness with the community as the front-page feature of the Orange County Register Jennifer became the Board Chair of Project HOPE School Foundation and immediately hired a search firm to find its new Chief Executive Officer.

In January of 2013 Jennifer Friend answered the call and left her legal profession to become Project Hope Alliance’s new CEO.  At the time, Project Hope Alliance’s operating budget was $800,000. In May, Jennifer and 2 additional employees opened a new office in Costa Mesa, our current headquarters.

Project Hope Alliance operated several programs to support kids and families experiencing homelessness including providing motel vouchers, rental assistance and case management. A significant funding source for the rental assistance program ended which prompted Project Hope Alliance to evaluate and identify the white spaces and gaps in service for our kids. While transitional housing and rental assistance are vital needs, Orange County has several well-respected and established housing programs (including Families Forward, SPIN, and Illumination Foundation) to meet this need.

We determined the best way to support students experiencing homelessness was to meet them where they are every day: school. We knew if our kids received the support, encouragement, and resources they needed to excel in school, they would be more likely to end the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

Project Hope Alliance established our first school partnership with Newport Harbor High School. Principal Sean Boulton (Project Hope Alliance Board Member 2018 -2024) welcomed our team to Newport Harbor to support Newport Habor’s students experiencing homelessness. Many residents and parents were shocked to learn homelessness existed in the affluent Newport Mesa community. Our grassroots community building and fundraising efforts led to additional schools in Newport Mesa inviting Project Hope Alliance onto their campuses to support their students. 

The COVID pandemic has a disproportionate impact on our kids and their families. Together with support from trusted nonprofit partners and countless donors, we mobilized a motel outreach program to provide food and other vital resources to families and opened our community space (at our headquarters) as a study center for our students that did not have access to Wi-Fi and safe spaces for online learning.

As word of our relief efforts circulated throughout Orange County, Huntington Beach and Santa Ana invited Project Hope Alliance into their communities to support their students in need. With significant investments from private philanthropists and support from the federal American Rescue Plan funds, we expanded our model of care onto 5 Huntington Beach High School campuses, 2 public schools in Santa Ana, and one charter school in Santa Ana to support more students experiencing homelessness.

In May 2023, the Orange County Grand Jury also released the report (The ABCs of student homelessness – link to the report on the grand jury website) detailing the scope of student homelessness in Orange County. Project Hope Alliance and Jennifer Friend supported the Grand Jury’s year-long investigation.

In October 2023, Jennifer Friend was selected as Orange County Business Journals’ Innovator of the Year for her visionary leadership and impact in the community; the first time a nonprofit organization was selected in the award’s history.

In April 2024, Project Hope Alliance was awarded a three-year $2.1 million grant from CalOptima (our county’s largest insurance provider for low-income residents) to change the system of care for the 29,000+ students experiencing homelessness in Orange County. CalOptima’s recognition of Project Hope student homelessness as a public health crisis was a pivotal moment not only for Project Hope Alliance but helped to shine a light on all kids experiencing homelessness in our community.

36 years after Anne Robinson drove her car to the motel to teach her students, our commitment to students experiencing homelessness throughout Orange County is stronger than ever. Today, Project Hope Alliance serves 400 children, teens, and young adults along with their families, experiencing homelessness annually throughout Orange County. We believe anything is possible for kids experiencing homelessness because we witness their strength and determination every day. Please join us in our mission to end homeless one child at a time.