Hope Builders celebrated the grand opening of its new facility in Anaheim on April 28. By expanding into Anaheim, Hope Builders expects to double the number of young people that it serves annually and address local workforce demands for skilled, entry-level employees. Guests toured the nearly 10,000 square feet of space that houses Hope Builders’…

Hope Builders will be participating in the second annual iheartOC Giving Day, a 30-hour fundraising event for over 400 local non-profits hosted by Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF). Giving Day 2016 runs from 6:00 AM April 27 through noon April 28. Every dollar earned will be leveraged by bonus awards and prizes from OCCF to…

Hope Builders works hard to prepare trainees to find employment. In 2015, 77% of Hope Builders youth who complete our training found employment. One major focus within employment readiness is interviewing skills. Since many trainees have not experienced a professional interview, Hope Builders sets up a simulation of a job interview where our trainees get…

Nilton grew up in a small agricultural town in eastern California. His parents worked their way up from nothing to give Nilton a better life. When Nilton was 20, he moved to Orange County on his own in hopes of finding more opportunities. Things didn’t work out how Nilton had hoped. He was forced to…

Derek recently shared that he enrolled in Hope Builders to “show my family that I can become something, so that they can be proud of me.” Growing up in Anaheim, Derek made choices he now regrets. As a young child, his father was incarcerated and his mother struggled to support Derek and his three siblings….

Nationally, more than 6.7 million youth, between the ages of 16 and 24, are both unemployed and out of school. These youth suffer high rates of chronic poverty, exposure to violence, and diminished health and well-being, contributing to a future lifetime taxpayer burden of $1.56 trillion. In Orange County, Calif., more than 55,000 youth, ages…

How long have you been volunteering with Hope Builders? “My friend who was a local carpenter volunteered with The Benchmakers 20 years ago and introduced me to Hope Builders and Sister Eileen. I saw the young adults work very hard to learn new skills and be productive with their time so that they could change…

Twelve of the sixteen youth in Hope Builders’ most recent business training cohort found employment within 30 days of training completion! Employers include H&S, American Alarm, Revenue Cycle Services at St. Joseph Health, Open Door Centers and Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County. One of these trainees, Mariate, came to Hope Builders looking for…

Before coming to Hope Builders, Celeste struggled with her self-confidence and longed to find her path in life. At 4, she was removed from her mother’s custody and placed into foster care. Eventually, Celeste’s paternal grandparents adopted her and raised her in Anaheim. She excelled in school, but struggled to maintain healthy relationships. In High…

Kyle has always been a hard worker, but some of his past decisions have limited his opportunities. He started working in a local muffler shop when he was 11 years old. It was here that Kyle realized his love for construction. He excelled in math in high school and was on track to a successful…