Unidos South OC
OUR STORY
When John and Heather Chapman returned to South Orange County after eight years in Peru, one question pressed on their hearts: What does it look like to love your neighbor here?
What they found were stark contrasts; a majority-white middle class and a majority-Latino working community living side by side, yet worlds apart. They identified the Capistrano Villas in San Juan Capistrano as the neighborhood where those disparities were most acute and where genuine relationship was most needed.
They didn't arrive with a program. They arrived as neighbors. Residents opened their garage doors to host a Homework Club, the community's number one request. Starting with a handful of students in January 2017, the program grew one relationship at a time as trust was built. Rooted in the holistic development model of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), that trust became the foundation for resident leaders to organize, advocate, and lead.
Mission Statement
Unidos South OC is cultivating a resident-led movement toward a thriving neighborhood as a reflection of God's love.
Background Statement
Unidos South OC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017, serving the Capistrano Villas neighborhood in San Juan Capistrano. Our work moves through three interconnected pillars — Direct Services (academic support, enrichment, and adult education), Community Building (cultural events and mutual aid), and Resident-Led Initiatives, reflecting our belief that lasting change comes from a community that knows its own strength.
Impact Statement
FY25 Impact
This year, Unidos South OC ran 9 recurring programs, served 337 individuals directly, 161 children and youth, 176 adults, and reached 500+ more through community resource fairs.
50+ adult workshops, trainings, and community gatherings
600+ volunteer hours, majority from residents
947 participants at Día del Niño alongside 42 partner organizations
222 families served through our Christmas Store, raising $13,800 for our Crisis Fund
10 community members completed Community Health Worker training
70+ individuals reached through Homelessness 101, with 2 resident leaders trained as co-presenters
16 residents and staff publicly recognized by elected officials
1 new neighborhood property secured — the Unidos Clubhouse
Needs Statement
Clubhouse Youth Room Remodel: We recently purchased a second home in the Capistrano Villas neighborhood and are now raising funds to remodel it into a dedicated youth space. This clubhouse will expand our capacity to serve young people in a space that truly belongs to the community.
Technology & Database Infrastructure: We are building out Salesforce and other tools essential to managing our growing programs and donor relationships. Funding these systems and training staff to use them well is critical to our long-term organizational health.
Staff Training & Professional Development: Doing this work well requires ongoing investment in our team. We are seeking funding to support staff development, including annual attendance at the CCDA national conference, which grounds our work in the holistic community development model that shapes everything we do.
Geographic Areas Served
Unidos South OC is rooted in the Capistrano Villas, a housing development of 799 individually-owned condos in the historic downtown area of San Juan Capistrano (census tract 423.12), adjacent to the Los Rios District and situated between the train tracks and the Trabuco Creek canal. Approximately 4,000 residents live here, often in overcrowded conditions.
The Capistrano Villas has the highest concentration of equity challenges in all of South Orange County, including disparities in household income, environmental health, overcrowding, linguistic isolation, rates of uninsured adults, and educational attainment. The community is 98% Latino, 95% of Mexican lineage, with a significant foreign-born population and many mixed-status families.
Top Three Populations Served
- Households with limited English proficiency
- Immigrants and Refugees
- Latinos
Statement from the CEO/Executive Director
We are a neighborhood based community development organization. Our greatest asset is the voice of the residents. They lead, they speak into our actions, they are the best solution for their own neighborhood to flourish. We believe coming along side them will create a neighborhood where all will flourish.
CONTACT
Unidos South OC
PO Box 1874
San Juan Capistrano, California 92693
John Chapman
Phone: 949-326-0320