You Are Special

"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 and is supported by Covenant Life Christian Church. YAS is 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 complete Thanksgiving Dinners and handing out Christmas toys for low-income families. The current recession, with foreclosures, job layoffs & rising commodity prices is beginning to take its toll on families who never thought they would live at poverty level.

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. We run our food program with donated items and what is called "fresh rescue" for low income families, the disabled and homeless in order to provide 4 days worth of food at any time that includes fresh produce, milk, yogurt and eggs weekly.