Parentis Foundation Partners With Orange County Community Foundation To Host Third Annual Igniting Potential Giving Day To Support Orange County Youth

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Sept. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 23, Parentis Foundation will partner with the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) and 10 fellow nonprofits to host the third annual Igniting Potential, a Giving Day to support the youth of Orange County. Igniting Potential aims to raise $125,000 in 24 hours for aligned nonprofits, working to provide vital services to the community in the midst of financial and operational challenges brought on by COVID-19.

Please take this opportunity to support children's academic success during this critical time when they need us the most. To give online during the Igniting Potential Giving Day, please visit https://igniting-potential-giving-day.ocnonprofitcentral.org/organizations/parentis-foundation

"Childhood illiteracy is a predictor of adult poverty: If a child is not reading proficiently by the fourth grade, they are four times less likely to graduate high school," says Executive Director Janice Frechette-Artinger. "Thanks to our older adult volunteers, these students continue to improve their reading skills, while also benefiting from their tutor's patience, wisdom, and mentorship."

The 11 participating organizations include: Assistance League Irvine; Helping Others Prepare for Eternity (H.O.P.E.); Irvine Public Schools Foundation; Kid Healthy; KidWorks; MOMS Orange County; Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America; Pretend City Children's Museum; Parentis Foundation; Scholar's Hope and The Youth Center.

"We are proud to support Igniting Potential for the third year in a row—but this year with a new motivation and urgency to serve youth throughout Orange County in the midst of challenges related to the pandemic," said Shelley Hoss, president and CEO, OCCF. "We are confident our community will, once again, rise to the challenge and support these outstanding nonprofits with passion and generosity."

This Giving Day is the latest of a series that, to date, has raised more than $10 million for Orange County nonprofits. OCCF first challenged Orange County residents to "give where their heart lives" during the inaugural i©oc Giving Day in 2015, raising more than $1.8 million for 347 participating nonprofits in just 30 hours. In 2018, OCCF restructured i©oc as an expanded opportunity for nonprofits to connect with one another in support of their shared missions.

Parentis Foundation is a non-profit that pairs older adult volunteer tutor/mentors with at-risk youth using a proven intervention strategy to increase literacy. Parentis Foundation changes lives by positively and significantly impacting both our older adult volunteers and the future generation of young readers. It is the Orange County affiliate of AARP Foundation Experience Corps and a non-profit entity of Parentis Health Corporation. Contact: Parentis Foundation Executive Director Janice Frechette-Artinger at [email protected].

About Orange County Community Foundation 
Founded in 1989, the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) works with donors, strengthens the local nonprofit sector and works to find solutions to community needs. Since its inception, OCCF has awarded more than $730 million in grants and scholarships and ranks in the top one percent in grantmaking activity among more than 780 U.S. community foundations. For more information, visit oc-cf.org or call 949-553-4202. Be a part of our conversation on Facebook  Twitter and Instagram. View OCCF's 2019 annual report here. 

SOURCE Parentis Foundation