Hoag Provides $50,000 Matching Gift to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (August 3, 2021) – Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced a $50,000 matching gift to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley today as part of an effort to help the beloved clubs continue to offer their affordable programs to the community. The clubs provide vital childcare and other services to Orange County families, including those of Hoag frontline employees.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley have always been there for the community – and now it’s the community’s turn to be there for the Clubs,” said Robert T. Braithwaite, president and chief executive officer of Hoag. “As the only Boys & Girls Clubs in the county that remained open throughout the pandemic, they reassured Hoag parents – and many other families in the county – that they had a safe place to take their children as they continued to serve the community during a very difficult period.”
Braithwaite added: “The dedicated staff members at the seven locations of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley provide outstanding services and care, including high-quality affordable childcare, that our contribution will help to protect.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley has served the youth of Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley for more than 50 years. Today, the clubs’ seven locations reach more than 3,000 youth from throughout Orange County with programs including childcare, summer camps, preschool, sports leagues and more.
Club officials approached Hoag leaders several weeks ago with a request for a $25,000 matching donation that would serve as the lead corporate gift for the Clubs’ annual “Greatness Amplified” fund-raising campaign conducted by the various Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the county. This year’s online campaign takes place on Wednesday, Aug. 18.
Although executives with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley requested a $25,000 matching gift, Hoag officials quickly doubled the amount to $50,000 because of the critically important services they provide the community.
“We have enjoyed an amazing partnership with Hoag and the larger community for many years. We hope this extremely generous matching gift will allow that partnership to continue for many more years,” said Art Groeneveld, chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley. “Hoag is famous for its heart for the community, and this remarkable matching gift is one more example of what a true partner they are with the families of Orange County.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley are currently facing a significant financial shortfall that was created by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Clubs experienced a steep drop-off in attendance. Still, Groeneveld said he and his staff were determined to keep the Clubs’ locations open during the health care crisis, knowing how essential their services were to frontline workers such as police officers, firefighters and health care workers, including many at Hoag.
But the pandemic left the organization grappling with a dire financial crisis, as operating expenses far outpace the fees it collects from families for its programs and services. Yet the Clubs never turn away families due to an inability to pay. Groeneveld said the organization is committed to keeping costs affordable to enable children from all household income levels to benefit from them.
Hoag and Club officials noted the especially urgent need for affordable childcare as the health of the community depends on safe, quality programs and services. A recent analysis by First 5 Orange County, Children and Families Commission revealed a harsh landscape for Orange County’s working parents hoping to find affordable quality childcare.
Hoag employees are no strangers to donating to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley: Over the past year, many employees have participated in an internal philanthropic program titled “Powerful Pennies.” In the program, employees may elect to have $.50 to $5 withheld from each paycheck. The money, which quickly adds up, is then directed to community nonprofit organizations. Some of the recent proceeds from Powerful Pennies have benefited the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley.
To make a donation or pledge before August 18th please contact Laura Portier-LaLumiere, Director of Development at 714-309-4962. To make an on-line donation visit www.greatnessamplified.com on August 18th.
ABOUT HOAG
Hoag is a nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 30,000 inpatients and 500,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals – Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which opened in 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010 – in addition to nine health centers and 13 urgent care centers. Hoag has invested $261 million in programs and services to support the underserved community within the past five years, including areas like mental health, homelessness, transportation for seniors, education, and support for single mothers. Hoag is a designated Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and two ambulatory surgical centers. In the 2021-22 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Rankings, Hoag is the highest ranked hospital in Orange County and the only OC hospital ranked in the Top 10 in California. For an unprecedented 23 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as one of the county’s best hospitals in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.
ABOUT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF HUNTINGTON VALLEY
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley offer seven facility-based youth centers that serve more than 3,200 youth, from infants through teens. Key sites and services include:
Two licensed preschools serving children ages six weeks old to 6 years old.
Four school-age youth centers that provide before- and after-school programs and full-day programs during pandemic school closures, summer, and school holidays.
A performing arts and fitness center offering 60+ classes per week.
Year-round basketball, soccer, and volleyball leagues.
Family support programs that help whole families succeed.
Each day of the school year, the Club’s fleet of 18 yellow school buses transports children from 42 local schools in five local school districts to and from programs to help make the Clubs’ programs accessible to the families who need them most. While the majority of youth served come from Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, youth from more than 60 cities throughout the Orange County area are served by the Clubs each year.
###