Project Hope Alliance

Project Hope Alliance's mission is to end the cycle of homelessness, one child at a time. We deploy a long-term model of care for kids and youth experiencing homelessness. We have full-time case managers who work alongside kids and youth to eliminate barriers brought on by homelessness that could impede their ability to learn and succeed in school. Our team builds trusting relationships with students and offers individualized support in the form of transportation, technology, basic needs, and social-emotional mentorship from Kindergarten to age 24.

Project Hope Alliance was formed in 1989, as Project HOPE (Homeless Outreach Program in Education) to provide after-school tutoring for children facing homelessness and a lack of transportation. In 2013, an established trial lawyer and partner in her firm, Jennifer Friend, accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer of PHA. Under her leadership, PHA expanded its reach from serving 65 children at one school annually to serving over 400 children annually. Our methodology utilizes a place-based model, providing a range of services directly on school campuses in order to meet the children where they are and permanently disrupt the cycle of homelessness.

In FY25, our youth achieved a 95% high school graduation rate far surpassing the State of California's graduation rate for students experiencing homelessness (77%). In addition, 95% of youth reported feeling better prepared to plan for their future, 96% improved future planning skills, and 100% of transitional-age youth remained enrolled in school and/or employed. Case managers provided one-on-one support with FAFSA/CADAA completion, college applications, resume development, interview preparation, financial literacy, career exploration, and connections to workforce training. We also increased workshop offerings beyond our annual goal, delivering 13 workshops per site. While demand continues to grow—particularly in high-need communities such as Santa Ana and Huntington Beach—our greatest opportunity is expanding individualized support so more youth can successfully transition into higher education, training, and meaningful employment. In FY25, we supported 413 youth in our case management program along with their family members impacting the lives of 1,191 individuals.

The Orange County Dept. of Education has reported that there are more than 32,000 homeless school-aged children – 5.8% of total school enrollment in the county. Nationally, high school graduation rates are less than 25% for children experiencing homelessness, and not graduating from high school makes a youth 346% more likely to be homeless. Despite its aggregate wealth, Orange County is an under-resourced community as far as its most vulnerable residents are concerned. When looking at homeless school-aged children as a percentage of total school enrollments, Orange County (5.8%) exceeds the state average (4.3%), as well as its southern California neighbors, San Diego County (4.4%) and even Los Angeles County (4.0%).

Orange County, California

“The effects of youth homelessness are devastating, ranging from chronic emotional stress and physical malnourishment to significant academic gaps and difficulty making friends. In comparison with their peers, children experiencing homelessness are nine times more likely to repeat a grade, four times more likely to dropout of school, and three times more likely to be placed in special education programs, according to The Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness. But there is hope. At Project Hope Alliance we start with the kids. Our goal is to make sure that every child experiencing homelessness in Orange County succeeds academically. Our impactful, two-generational approach ends homelessness today by rapidly rehousing the families we serve and helping them achieve financial independence. We end the cycle of generational homelessness tomorrow by empowering our kids with a unique academic program lovingly tailored to their skills and strengths.” -Jennifer Friend, CEO Project Hope Alliance