1 Corinthians 10:31b "Whatever you do, do to the glory of God."

"You Are Special" (YAS) is an ongoing non-profit program that serves the needs of the homeless and low income families in the City of Orange, California. We are a local food bank that distributes roughly 15,800lbs of food every month to approximately 5,000 people monthly (approximately 1,300 children and families weekly). YAS began in 2002 as our volunteers went to the local area of Hamlin Street and to Highland Apartments distributing school backpacks to K-12 students, giving out groceries from a mobile truck filled with 5,000lbs of food, providing Thanksgiving Dinners and handing out Christmas toys for low-income families.

YAS has enjoyed significant growth within the last six years. In 2009 YAS had five programs, including fresh rescue (the collection of fresh, unused food from local grocers and restaurants), weekly food distribution, a community Back-to-School backpack program, Thanksgiving Dinner outreach and a community toy drive at Christmas. In 2008 we distributed a total of 155,750lbs of food to over 17,800 low-income families and homeless people in our community. From January 2009 until November 2009, we fed over 59,075 people with approximately 173,800lbs of food; which is a 232% increase of what we did in the last year alone! We currently run a full volunteer organization which has tripled in an effort to effectively administer our programs, as well as keep pace with our organization's growing administrative responsibilities.

Fresh Rescue

Our primary responsibility as an organization is to collect good nutritious food from the community that otherwise goes to waste and make it available to feed those in Orange County that we know of whose need is tremendous, as well as those that are at the greatest risk including children, seniors on fixed incomes, single-parents, and homeless, low-income or below poverty, the disabled and the temporarily unemployed.

Back to School Backpack Program

We began with the giving away of backpacks to the homeless. We filled the backpacks with non-perishable food items, water and a Bible. Congregant members took the backpacks in their cars and whenever they see someone in need, they give them the backpack. Also, at the end of the summer, we provide backpacks for school aged children K-12 stuffed full of school supplies so they have the necessary supplies to start school. From summer 2008 to August 2009 the number rose from handing out 300 backpacks to 750 backpacks to children in need of school supplies that is a 150% increase.

During the month of November, we start collecting Thanksgiving food. The week of Thanksgiving, we pack grocery bags full of the food that we collected for low-income families. In the year of 2008, we distributed over 400 full holiday dinners to low-income families and group homes in our local community for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. In 2009 we gave away 650 dinners which is a 75% increase. Each bag of groceries includes a frozen turkey, canned vegetables, potatoes, yams, marshmallows, as well as a pie for each family.

Christmas Toy Community Outreach

We close out the year with an annual Christmas Toy Giveaway. We volunteer by handing out toys to low-income families.

Undaunted, we are an organization committed to excellence, with a clear vision and a passion for delivering food and other needs in the City of Orange.

Thank you for taking an interest in our program. May we always lift the Scriptures above our personal self interest and serve those in need.

Michelle Hensley

Director