NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 25, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Junior League of Orange County, Calif., Inc. (JLOCC) is hosting "A Spring Celebration of Kinship Families," 10 a.m. - Noon on Saturday, April 4, at the Magnolia Park Family Resource Center, 11402 Magnolia Ave., Garden Grove. The event is designed to offer relative foster parents, caregivers and children a morning of fun-filled activities and a chance to connect with others who are sharing the kinship foster family experience.
Approximately 4,000 youngsters in Orange County are currently being cared for through the foster care system. Close to 60 percent of those are living with relatives such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle, and are referred to as receiving "kinship care," which is typically better for the child than other types of foster care situations. However, relative caregivers often have special needs linked to age, poverty, poor health, social isolation, and inadequate access to information and services.
A JLOCC committee led by member Megan Matt will set the stage for games and relaxation at the event. "We plan to celebrate the importance of the family while raising awareness of the kinship program and offering a morning of fun and leisure," says Matt. Giveaways to attendees will include food certificates and tickets to Angels baseball games. A package of resource materials will also be distributed to the caregivers.
The JLOCC's partnership with the Orangewood Kinship project is a continuation of its long history with Orangewood Children's Foundation. The JLOCC contributed all of the proceeds from its largest annual fundraiser, The Christmas Company, in 1980 as part of the challenge grant to build the Orangewood Children's Home, which opened in 1986.
Funds raised annually by the JLOCC directly impact the community through collaborative projects with partner organizations and support JLOCC's mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community. This year's projects include the Kinship Project and Bridges to Higher Education, two programs offered through Orangewood Children's Foundation; Higher Education Mentoring Program (in partnership with the Orange County Bar Foundation); Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Emancipated Youth Program; and Bear Hugs, a JLOCC project supporting emancipated teens in Orange County.
About the Junior League of Orange County, California, Inc.
The Junior League of Orange County, California, Inc., is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and the leadership of trained volunteers. JLOCC has contributed to Orange County by helping found organizations such as Orangewood Children's Home and the Volunteer Center of Orange County. As a solely educational and charitable organization, the JLOCC's trained volunteers actively support the community through collaboration with organizations that promote and support the health, safety and education of women and children. A 501(c)(3) organization, the JLOCC reaches out to women of all races, religions, and national origins. Originally founded in 1956 as the Newport Harbor Service League, the JLOCC is a member organization of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. To learn more about the JLOCC, call (949) 261-0823 or visit www.jlocc.org.