Hope Builders recently hosted its Annual Investor’s Breakfast—an inspiring morning celebrating the impact of our work today and the vision guiding our future. Executive Director Shawna Smith shared an update on how Hope Builders is advancing its mission by accomplishing the following over the most recently completed fiscal year: Transformations that Inspire Martha, Carlos and…

Hope Builders is grateful to the Ceres Foundation. Their grant support helps drive real impact and encourages continuous improvement of our training model. With their partnership, we are strengthening our framework to ensure trainee completion rates continue to rise and that more graduates secure and retain employment in career pathways that offer long-term economic mobility….

Corporate volunteers play an important role at Hope Builders, preparing young adults to step confidently into the workforce through mock interviews and speed networking sessions. By sharing their real-world expertise and offering constructive feedback, volunteers help trainees refine their communication, strengthen their professional presence, and build the connections that open doors to career-launching opportunities. Their…

Hope Builders is honored to recognize Banc of California for their dedication to empowering young adults. For more than a decade, their partnership with Hope Builders has created opportunities for success for young people who are disconnected from the workforce, helping them gain the tools and confidence to build meaningful careers and achieve financial stability….

Turner Construction Company recently hosted our Construction Training Program trainees at the Cal OES job site in Costa Mesa, where they toured the new project currently being graded and prepped for construction. Trainees learned firsthand about the extensive work involved in starting a project—from design approval, permitting, demolition, hazardous-materials abatement, land preparation, grading and more….

Hope Builders is deeply grateful to The Palmer Family Foundation for their continued support. Since 2001, Greg and Sally Palmer have championed Hope Builders, inspired by the resilience of the young adults the organization serves. They continue to raise awareness and funds so hundreds of Orange County young adults can find direction and build stable…

Hope Builders is proud to recognize DreamCraft, along with Steve and Shelly Amato, for their generous support of the Heroes of Hope celebration that kicked off this year’s 10 Days for Launching Careers campaign. Thanks to the production and in-kind donation of DreamCraft’s museum-quality displays, attendees experienced an immersive, inspiring environment where they could explore…

Hope Builders proudly recognizes Walt Disney Imagineering for their partnership and investment in workforce development. Their steadfast commitment has helped more than 200 young adults each year gain the technical skills and professional readiness to meet the needs of local employers. Walt Disney Imagineering has strengthened Hope Builders through board participation and generous financial contributions….

This morning, Hope Builders welcomed an incredible group of volunteers to support our construction trainees through a speed networking workshop. In just a few hours, they helped turn nervous handshakes into confident introductions. Professional communication is essential to launching successful careers, and today’s workshop gave trainees the chance to practice sharing their strengths, refining their…

As Hope Builders celebrates 30 years of transforming lives, we take this milestone as an opportunity to revisit the guiding principles set forth by our founder, Sister Eileen McNerney. These words, passed onto us at her retirement in 2008, remind us why we first opened our doors in 1995: to meet young people where they…