HOPE BUILDERS BLOG
Summer Advancement Ceremony
On Thursday, June 20th family, friends and staff gathered to support 189 Hope Builders trainees as they reached significant milestones along Hope Builders’ student journey over the past six months. In addition to celebrating those who successfully completed our Construction, Clinical Medical Assisting or Child Development Careers training programs, we applauded the 51 individuals who…
Maria: A Journey of Hope
Maria joined Hope Builders’ Child Development Careers training program with the hope of launching a new career she would enjoy. Growing up in Santa Ana, Maria describes her childhood as “not the best.” Her mother passed away when she was 4 years old. After years of tension with her dad and step-mom, at 13, she moved…
2024 Builder’s Luncheon Highlights
On May 9, leaders in the Orange County construction industry gathered for Hope Builders’ annual Builder’s Luncheon, raising over $144,000 to help prepare the future construction workforce to launch their careers. Nearly 100 attendees joined up to support Hope Builders’ mission and network with industry peers. Upon arrival, trainees led guests on tours of Hope…
Trainees Share About Their Mock Interview Experiences
You recently heard from William Vu, a volunteer Hope Builders’ mock interviewer about his experience helping trainees prepare to launch their careers. To better understand the impact of mock interviews as a crucial confidence building exercise and culmination of months of intensive coaching and interview skill preparation, we asked Luis and Lesly, current Clinical Medical Assisting trainees,…
Volunteer Spotlight: William Vu & State Farm
Hope Builders is proud to recognize State Farm as a partner in its efforts to help Orange County’s young people realize their dreams. Since 2021, State Farm has supported the mentorship, life skills and job skills training of Hope Builders’ trainees through its Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants. Additionally, State Farm team members like, William…
The Future is Working
Hope Builders is proud to announce that, in collaboration with 17 other organizations, the Orange County Community Foundation’s March 21st “The Future is Working” Giving Day raised over $415,000 to develop a stronger workforce for Orange County. We are grateful to those who gave in support of Hope Builders, exceeding our goal to raise nearly…
Ana: A Journey of Hope
Ana first applied to Hope Builders in 2021. A survivor of domestic violence, Ana, shares “I was not confident in myself and felt like I had no motivation or goals since I couldn’t afford college.” Even though Ana never set up an initial interview, Hope Builders stayed in touch with monthly emails to encourage her…
Winter Advancement Ceremony
On Thursday, February 16th, Hope Builders celebrated 148 young adults who achieved significant milestones—ranging from training completion to long-term career retention—along Hope Builders’ student journey at the Winter Advancement ceremony. Construction program graduate, Fredi, served as a keynote speaker to commemorate his successful completion of training and career launch. Prior to learning about Hope Builders,…
Unlocking Greatness: Q1 and Q2 FY 24 Update
Hope Builders exists to unlock the greatness of young adults in our community. In the last 6 months: By June, we expect to: Under the strategic leadership of Shawna Smith, Hope Builders’ Executive Director, and Alex Calabrese, CEO of RSI Equity Partners and Vice Chairman of the Board and Chair of the Operations Committee, Hope…
In Good Company
This week, the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ) named Hope Builders’ 2023 10 Days for Launching Careers event as a top 5 Unique Event in their 2024 Charity Event Guide (page 54). Cheril Hendry, CEO & Owner of Brandtailers, and Tim Blett, CEO & Partner of eMaxx Partners, led Hope Builders’ creative and fundraising efforts…
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