Rooted in
Service
Growing in
Impact
For over three decades, South County Outreach has been rooted in the belief that when we serve with dignity, empathy, and intention, we create lasting change. In 2024, that belief took deeper root—and bore remarkable fruit.
This past year, we more than doubled the number of households served through our food program. We opened a second client-choice pantry to meet growing need across Orange County. And we continued to evolve our poverty prevention program to address housing instability and financial hardship before they become crises. At every turn, our growth was guided by the same purpose that’s anchored us since 1989: helping people help themselves.
Behind the scenes, we’ve strengthened the systems that make sustainable impact possible. From expanding our team to welcoming more volunteers and increasing food recovery efforts, we have begun laying the groundwork to evaluate which prevention strategies move the needle most for those we serve.
This is growth with intention. Growth fueled by community. Growth that honors our roots.
Thank you to everyone—donors, volunteers, partners, and neighbors—for trusting us to serve. Because of you, we are not just growing. We are growing in impact.
With gratitude,
LaVal Brewer
President & CEO
South County Outreach
Brandon Stillman
Board Chair
FINANCIALS
Income
Your Donations at Work
IMPACT
1,111
NEW households served
2,637
Clients served were children under age 18
1,129
Clients served were seniors over age 65
Clients by Cities
MILESTONES
Volunteers
Thrift Store
Laguna Niguel thrift store voted Best Specialty Shop 2024 in “Best of Laguna Niguel”
Upscale Resale Thrift Store celebrated 25 years in 2024
ROOTED IN SERVICE
Honoring Frank Hathaway
South County Outreach honors the life and legacy of Frank Hathaway—a former Board Member, visionary leader, and unwavering advocate for our mission.
With deep expertise in supply chain management and a heart committed to giving, Frank played a vital role in strengthening the sustainability and reach of our programs. His guidance helped lay the groundwork for long-term impact, ensuring that help would continue to flow to those who need it most.
Frank’s service was more than strategic—it was soulful. His wisdom, warmth, and signature laughter left a lasting imprint on everyone who had the privilege to work alongside him. His roots run deep in the heart of South County Outreach, and his spirit continues to inspire us each day.
“Frank believed in building systems that served people—and he did it with humility, brilliance, and heart.”
We are forever grateful for his legacy of service, and we remain rooted in the values he championed.
Read the full statement at www.sco-oc.org/honoring-frank-hathaway/
Celebrating
Bunni Ickes
after 35 years
From volunteer to Upscale Resale Manager to Community Outreach Manager, Bunni Ickes served with heart and strength for more than three decades. Her leadership helped launch SCO’s most impactful programs and partnerships. In retirement, she continues as a volunteer ambassador—rooted in service and still growing our reach.
Read more at:
www.sco-oc.org/bunni-ickes-retirement
Growing Forward:
Michelle’s Path to a Brighter Future
When Michelle lost her husband, she faced more than grief—she faced the impossible task of raising two young daughters alone while struggling to put food on the table. Unsure where to turn, a neighbor pointed her toward South County Outreach.
What Michelle found wasn’t just groceries. It was dignity. Compassion. A lifeline. Michelle received more than food assistance. She received school supplies, backpacks, holiday gifts, and Thanksgiving meals that helped her daughters feel supported and seen. She also joined SCO’s financial education classes — tools that empowered her to build a future with confidence.
Today, Michelle is working from home, budgeting with purpose, and saving for tomorrow. Her daughters are thriving—one is in nursing school, and the other recently graduated from the University of California, Irvine with dreams of attending law school.
Michelle’s transformation is living proof: when service takes root, impact grows.
“South County Outreach gave me peace. It gave my kids a future. Thank you for helping families like mine find hope again.”
Growing Impact Through Partnership
For Ofelia and her family, life changed in an instant with a devastating cancer diagnosis.
As Ofelia’s health declined, her husband took on extra shifts to cover medical costs while their eldest daughter, Victoria, stepped away from college to care for her mother and manage the home. Despite their strength and sacrifice, the family was quickly overwhelmed—physically, emotionally, and financially. With rent payments slipping out of reach, they faced the threat of eviction during the most fragile time of their lives.
That’s when Ofelia found South County Outreach.
Thanks to the vital support from the Samueli Foundation, SCO was able to provide the family with five months of rental assistance, allowing them to stay in their home and focus on what mattered most: healing and holding each other close. During ongoing case management, the daughter Victoria was also connected to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), enabling her to earn income for the care she was already providing—easing the financial burden without compromising her role as caregiver.
Today, this family is no longer facing a crisis alone. They are moving forward with strength, stability, and hope for the future.
“The help we received gave us time, space, and the ability to focus on what mattered most—each other.”
Each year, South County Outreach expands its reach to meet families where they are—growing in depth, breadth, and compassion. With every new partnership, like the one with the Samueli Foundation, we are growing in impact—and so are the families we serve.
Partnership With
The Samueli Foundation
Rooted in Prevention.
Growing in Impact.
Thanks to a generous investment from the Samueli Foundation, South County Outreach expanded its Eviction Prevention Program, offering critical support to families on the edge of homelessness.
In 2024, this partnership helped:
“The Samueli Foundation’s commitment ensures families don’t just stay housed — they stay hopeful.”
Together, we’re not only preventing eviction — we’re strengthening families when they need it most.
Partnership With
The Samueli Foundation
Rooted in Prevention.
Growing in Impact.
Thanks to a generous investment from the Samueli Foundation, South County Outreach expanded its Eviction Prevention Program, offering critical support to families on the edge of homelessness.
In 2024, this partnership helped:
“The Samueli Foundation’s commitment ensures families don’t just stay housed — they stay hopeful.”
Together, we’re not only preventing eviction — we’re strengthening families when they need it most.
OFFICERS & BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
LaVal Brewer – President & CEO
Brandon Stillman – Board Chairperson
Brian Farrell – Past Board Chairperson
Greg McClure – Board Vice Chair
Jim Petros – Board Vice Chair
John Mark Jennings – Board Secretary
Blaine Nelson – Board Treasurer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Andrew Cummings
Annie Gregory
Caroline Wong
Cathy Medeiros
Cheryl Flohr
Elizabeth Pianalto
Hunter Bingham
Jasmine Hethcote
Kourtney Harrison
Laurie Sicaeros
Liz Jergensen
Mark Etner
Mary Seto
Rob Eres
