Establishment
Friends of DSS (FRIENDS) was launched by five Orange County women in 1992 in order to help the staff of the Orange County Department of Social Services (OCDSS) meet the needs of their clients. FRIENDS is a private, nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance to clients of the Orange County Department of Social Services when funding resources cannot be obtained elsewhere.
Mission Statement
The mission of Friends of DSS is to help prevent and address human crisis by providing supportive resources to meet the immediate needs of individuals and families who are clients of Orange County Department of Social Services.
Forms of assistance provided include:
- Camp scholarships
- Emergency pharmacy expenses
- Emergency rent or security deposits
- Emergency utility assistance
- Food distribution
- Household items
- School supplies for students
- Thrift store vouchers for clothing
FRIENDS is not a part of OCDSS and is governed by a board of 10 directors, all of whom are volunteers. Clients of OCDSS do not contact Friends directly. To preserve the anonymity of clients, Friends interacts only with social workers to learn what resources are needed by clients. Financial resources come from donations and membership fees, as well local grants.
To learn more about FRIENDS, please visit their website.