For Immediate Release  
Date: 12/3/2024

Board of Supervisors Approves Chairman Wagner’s $115,000 Grant to Families Forward for Refurbishment for its Food Pantry

Orange County, CA – Today, the Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Chairman Don Wagner’s $115,000 grant of Third District Discretionary funds to support the refurbishment of the Families Forward food pantry in Irvine.

“Families Forward has been instrumental in providing meals for families in need across Orange County since 1984,” said Chairman Wagner. “This grant will help this dedicated nonprofit to expand its facilities to address the growing need of Orange County’s families facing food insecurities.”

Chairman Wagner’s grant will be allocated towards an upgrade to Families Forward’s existing warehouse into a palletized storage facility with a new walk-in refrigerator and cooling fans. It will also transform its backroom, currently a volunteer workspace, into a food pantry shopping area where families can select items.

“We are so grateful to the support of Chairman Don Wagner and the Board of Supervisors to help bring our reimagined food pantry program to life, where families will have the dignity of choice to select items specific to their preferences,” said Madelynn Hirneise, Families Forward CEO. “Homelessness and hunger often go hand in hand and our food pantry is one of the first touch points for a housing insecure or unhoused family. This remodeled space will be a completely new experience and has the potential to connect families with additional supportive services.”

The total cost of this project is $200,000, with Families Forward already securing $85,000 of the funding. This allocation of $115,000 will address the remaining funding gap for the project.  

This allocation of funds underscores Chairman Wagner’s ongoing commitment to supporting organizations that uplift vulnerable communities and ensure that no family in Orange County goes hungry.

To learn more about the Third District office, please visit donwagnerca.com and follow him on social media @donwagnerca for the latest updates.

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