Share Ourselves

Santa Ana Volunteers

By Katrina McDowell on Aug 30, 2024 in Giving, People

Share Ourselves, a Yardi-supported nonprofit, believes everyone deserves access to quality healthcare.

Share Ourselves was established in 1970 in Newport Beach, Calif. and is a healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health and support services for the entire Orange County community. From serving as a comprehensive healthcare provider to offering social services like financial assistance and food distribution, their approach considers everything it means to be healthy and live the best life possible. Share Ourselves also has a mobile unit in Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach.

“Because when we uplift and prioritize the health of every individual, we become stronger as a community,” said Christy Ward, chief executive officer of Share Ourselves.

The impact of Share Ourselves’ services is profound, as they provide healthcare and empower individuals to lead healthier lives. The Food Pantry is a crucial segment of its Social Services Department, which includes homeless navigation services, assistance with short-term housing resources, utility assistance, Case Management and other linkages to other community organizations. Share Ourselves is also involved in many community events, including Adopts A Family, Back to School Backpack Distribution and Thanksgiving Food Distribution. These services meet immediate needs and inspire hope and a brighter future for the community.

“Share Ourselves has been working across every sector of the organization to expand our capacity to meet our commitment to provide access to care and support services for underserved populations in Orange County,” said Ward.

This past June, Share Ourselves doubled its ability to provide health care and treatment to patients at its Mission Viejo clinic site, increasing the number of exam rooms from four to eight and adding dental and behavioral health services. This month, Share Ourselves will officially cut the ribbon at BESST Center, partnering with Newport-Mesa Unified School District to start a school-based community clinic on District grounds in Costa Mesa. BESST will be open to the community and provide medical and behavioral health services. In December, Share Ourselves will add vision/optometry services as part of an expansion for its Diabetes Care Program.

“We have applied for funding that would increase universal screening for depression, anxiety, and substance use with all patients and for early childhood development screening for pediatric patients. Our goal is to achieve true integration with an onsite behavioral health consultant at each location,” explained Ward.

Teamwork makes the dreams work

The food distribution is where our office in Santa Ana has stepped in to volunteer. #TeamYardi helped bag groceries and school supplies and handed out those bags to the visiting clients. Share Ourselves can end up bagging 400 or more a day and over 2,000 bags a week of fresh and nonperishable food items with the help of volunteers. In addition to food, Share Ourselves also hands out clothing, hygiene items, dog food and dog treats.

In addition to their volunteering efforts, the office has donated 100 hygiene kits, over 100 wrapped utensils, and over 30 pounds of non-perishable snacks. Yardi funding also allows Share Ourselves to make much-needed repairs to its Mobile Health Clinic. Additionally, it helps them commit to providing care to all in the community regardless of their ability to pay.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received as we continue our work to care for individuals and families in the community that are experiencing health and social disparities, and we do all that we can to help them achieve an improved state of wellness,” expressed Ward.

Get Involved

Share Ourselves has several volunteer events based on need throughout the year, such as Back to School Preparation and Sorting, Family Service Night for preparation for Thanksgiving Food distribution events and its largest annual fundraising event, Wild and Crazy Taco Night. Those interested can email them at [email protected] to learn more and sign up for one of these events.

Find future non-profit profiles at https://www.yardi.com/blog/category/giving.

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