Our Mission

Project Access assists low-income families and seniors in affordable housing to achieve self-sufficiency through access to onsite services in education, health and social services.

Special Thanks to UPS

Thank you to the UPS Foundation for granting $25,000 to Project Access in support of our After-School Tutoring and Enrichment program! UPS is an exceptional partner of Project Access as the company also donated two trucks, drivers, and volunteer services for a day to assist in delivering many of the Holiday Adopt-a-Family presents which benefited 120 needy families this year throughout Southern California. We are grateful for your involvement and look forward to a continued partnership!

Donor Highlight

We’d like to offer a special thanks to Dan Neyenhuis for his recent $21,000 donation to Project Access! Mr. Neyenhuis is underwriting the cost of the Project Access AmeriCorps (domestic Peace Corps) program. The AmeriCorps who work with Project Access are involved in the After School Tutoring and Enrichment program for the Orange County Family Resource Centers.

Dan is an avid athlete who participates in triathlons, marathons, and many other adventure sports. He works as a Venture Capital CFO of De Soto Sport and is CFO/Chairman of Full Coverage Irrigation. As shown in his work and play, Dan loves a challenge. Now, he is taking on a new challenge to help give children of affordable housing a leg up to succeed in school, and ultimately in life.

Thank you Dan for believing in the Project Access mission and sharing your resources with those who are less fortunate!

Thank You Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega is a national co-ed service fraternity that provides the opportunity for college students to be proactive by providing volunteer service work while simultaneously building close bonds with their “brothers and sisters.” The UC Irvine chapter of Alpha Phi Omega has been a great support to Project Access. Over the past year, the group has helped with a spring cleaning event at Golden West Tower (Senior) Apartments where they went door to door asking the residents, whose average age is 80 years old, if they would like help cleaning their apartments. Alpha Phi Omega provided a delicious lunch to more than 100 Golden West Tower residents during their “Healthy Eating; Healthy Living” event. Most recently, Project Access hosted a “Thanksgiving Lunch” event for the residents at Golden West Tower. Alpha Phi Omega also hosted a food drive for this event which consisted of donations of approximately 200 servings of stuffing, mashed potato, cranberry sauce, and gravy mix to Project Access. Additionally, the group has volunteered at some of the Project Access Family Resource Centers providing after-school tutoring help and more. Project Access has developed a special relationship with Alpha Phi Omega and we look forward to our continued partnership for years to come.

Holiday Adopt-a-Family Program Thank you to everyone who adopted families, individuals, and to those who hosted toy drives on behalf of Project Access! In all, we adopted 120 families and handed out approximately 1600 toys to children in need this holiday season. We would like to extend a special thanks to Honeybee Hyatt and all the PATRONS for Project Access Auxiliary members for all of their hard work coordinating the program, organizing and wrapping presents, and making this year’s Holiday Adopt-a-Family program a success. And, to Toys for Tots in both Southern and Northern California for their generosity of collecting and distributing toys. Thank you also to UPS for delivering all of the gifts to the Orange County Family Resource Centers. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Thank you to Joey Rubin and the Basket Brigade for donating thanksgiving baskets that included turkey and all the fixin’s to 58 needy families. These families were so grateful to be able to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for their families. One of the recipients cried and said that a few minutes before we dropped the basket off to her she was telling her children that they would not have a Thanksgiving dinner this year. She was so happy to see the basket full of food and was very thankful.

Keys to Success Update

Before a crowd of 200 guests, Project Access presented Leigh Steinberg with the Keys to Success Award for his lifelong commitment to community service and The Velasco Family with the 180 Turnaround Award for choosing to access resources and services to better their lives. The awards were given to the recipients at the inaugural Keys to Success Awards Dinner held by Project Access at The Island Hotel on September 23, 2006, which net nearly $50,000 to support Project Access’ services and programs.

Established in 2006, the Keys to Success Award was created to recognize individuals for their generosity of spirit, who have become an inspiration through their humanitarian service efforts and leadership in encouraging others to give back to the community. Leigh Steinberg was chosen as the recipient because he has dedicated his career encouraging the athletes he represents to make a positive contribution to society.

As a result, more than $100 million has been donated to numerous charities by Steinberg’s clients. Additionally, Steinberg contributes extraordinary amounts of his own time, talent and resources to causes such as the Spirit Walk, the Leadership Institute at Soka University and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC).

“Organizations like Project Access help give underprivileged people hope and opportunities for a more promising future,” said Leigh Steinberg. “I am proud to be associated with Project Access and encourage others to become involved with their mission whether it’s giving their time or financial support.”

The Velasco Family received the brand new 180 Turnaround Award for overcoming obstacles in their lives by taking advantage of Project Access’ programs and services at their Family Resource Center in Santa Ana. Through the center, Nirvana, the mother, gained employable skills such as learning to speak English. It led her to find a full-time job to help support her family. The Velasco children, Jonathan and Lizzeth, participate in after school programs such as the homework club and arts and crafts activities. The children have learned the importance of educational opportunities; Lizzeth wants to become a teacher when she grows up. The family has received medical screenings, taken computer literacy classes and learned about nutrition and healthy food. The Velasco's also volunteer their time to help other families at the Family Resource Center. By making positive choices to create a better life, the Velasco's have become a role model for other families.

Roy Firestone, acclaimed broadcast journalist, donated his time to serve as master of ceremonies and provided a wonderful evening of entertainment.

Mixer with a Mission Project Access hosted a Mixer with a Mission at Aire Global Cuisine on November 6th. It was a great evening of cocktails, appetizers, and friends. The Project Access Holiday Adopt-A-Family program was kicked-off and Lance Ungerman of UPS participated in a check presentation of $25,000 in support of the After School Tutoring and Enrichment program. Thank you to Aire Global Cuisine, www.AireGlobal.com, for hosting the mixer and to all who attended!

Board News

		Ben Medvitz joins the Project Access board of directors! Ben is a Senior Engineering Manager and Technical Director at Rockwell Collins – Airshow Systems in Tustin where he leads the Airshow Systems division. Mr. Medvitz received his Executive MBA as well as his B.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of California Irvine. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society as well as a member of the Eta Kappa Nu Engineering Honor Society. Ben’s technical background and project management expertise will be a great asset to Project Access. Welcome Ben!
		Congratulations Danielle Nava, Project Access board member, for being awarded the prestigious Marshall Memorial Fellowship for 2007. Danielle will spend 23 days in Europe visiting institutions, societies, and cultures and learning about economic, political, and social issues facing the United States and Europe. Now entering its 25th year, the MMF program currently includes Fellows from 21 European countries and the United States. We are grateful to have individuals like Danielle leading Project Access.