As Hope Builders celebrates its 30th anniversary, we asked some of our founding partners and changemakers to reflect on the legacy of the organization. Father Christopher Smith—the pastor of St. Joseph Church in Santa Ana when Hope Builders’ founder, Sister Eileen McNerney, moved into the neighborhood—recalled the vision for a brighter future for young people…

Hope Builders exists to help young adults overcome obstacles to entering the workforce. One of the most common barriers our trainees face is transportation. Without a driver’s license and a reliable vehicle, a young person’s job opportunities are limited to locations in their immediate neighborhood or accessible by public transit, and where transportation is not…

Left to Right: Shawna Smith, Jon Storbeck, Mimi Cora, Katie Storbeck, Jannette Ingardia, Jill Ortiz, Pat Ortiz. Front: Sister Eileen McNerney On Sunday, April 6th, the beautiful grounds of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Mother House in Orange welcomed a very special gathering—our Founding Families Luncheon. This heartfelt event, celebrating Hope Builders’ 30th anniversary, brought…

For three decades, Hope Builders has been dedicated to unlocking the greatness of young adults in our community. We remain laser-focused on empowering youth with the skills and mentorship needed to open doors to rewarding careers and more hopeful futures. With over 7,000 lives transformed, we’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible impact of the right tools…

Hope Builders bridges the gap between employers seeking skilled, reliable workers and young people who are motivated to start their careers. In Orange County, there are 30,000 young adults who are disconnected from the workforce. Many of them are actively seeking stable employment, but face significant barriers to finding or maintaining a job. A gap…

Hope Builders’ Winter Advancement Ceremony brought together young adults from Hope Builders’ construction and healthcare training verticals to celebrate their significant milestones on the pathway to prosperity.  The event highlighted the empowering impact of a strong community-comprised of trainees, instructors, families, and supporters-to remove roadblocks and build bright futures. Among the highlights were speeches from…

In conjunction with Clark Construction’s annual Week of Service, Clark employees and other members of the construction industry joined Hope Builders for its quarterly Connect Over Coffee speed networking event. Volunteers first heard from Anthony, a trainee currently enrolled in Hope Builders’ Construction Training Program. Anthony was referred to the program by a friend after…

Hope Builders is proud to announce that our fall fundraising campaign, 10 Days for Launching Careers, has once again been awarded a spot in Orange County Business Journal’s “Top 5 Unique Events” list. This recognition highlights the exceptional creativity, innovation and impact of our campaign, and is a testament to our community’s commitment to building…

As you may recall from the Q1 update, Hope Builders remains laser focused on launching young adults on pathways to prosperity through the four distinct stages of the Student Journey – Applicant, Trainee, Career Builder, and Hope Builder. From July 1st through December 31st, we’ve continued to make progress across each stage: Applicant: In this…