A wonderful non-profit with a high rate of philanthropic return for our investment. Great leadership team as well. Impressive investment for any donor...
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My wife and I are always on the lookout for organizations that have a lot of bang for the buck and My Safe Harbor is that. We get a tremendous amount of value and many people are helped. We will continue to support My Safe Harbor for a long time.
I can't say enough good things about My Safe Harbor and its impact on the community it serves. Moms who have been through the Strong Families Institute program are not only making a difference in their families but also at the PTA organizations in the local schools. I heartily recommend My Safe Harbor as a great non-profit.
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The vast majority of family social service agencies in Anaheim are focused on crisis intervention or other short-term projects. My Safe Harbor, however, occupies a special niche as it works with single moms over the long haul through electives, Mother's Clubs, Strong Families Institute and additional programs for alumni. My Safe Harbor empowers and equips these women to make changes in their own lives as well as their children's lives; it also expects women to participate both through finances and volunteer work in this challenging growth process.
I support My Safe Harbor financially and in as many other ways as possible; I encourage you to do the same. Your gifts will be carefully managed and put to the best possible use!
I especially appreciate the work My Safe Harbor is doing; so much so that I have volunteered at several events. I see first-hand in the smiles of the ladies and children that My Safe Harbor is making a huge difference in the community in which it serves and I am proud to be a small part of what they are doing. Keep up the great work!!
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For almost 10 years, My Safe Harbor has made a significant difference in its community by helping families survive and thrive. Our family is an enthusiastic supporter of their important work!
My Safe Harbor is a great nonprofit! Strategically located in Anaheim, MSH caters to mothers who are in need of a little extra help: budgeting advice, self-confidence training, meal planning, disciplinary methods, etc. with a range of programs that are long-term and more formal to short-term/drop in, often with free childcare! Their curriculum is comprehensive, training mothers to embrace their role as parents while feeling empowered to change their own situations for the better. MSH works hard to keep transparent financial records, is good to their volunteers, and has a dedicated staff whose heart is in their program. As a donor and a volunteer, I strongly believe that MSH makes a world of difference, first with each individual mother, and then with her family, and then with the community. My family and I confidently support MSH's work and consider it one of the most stable, well-designed NPs we have worked with. Most importantly, the women who have participated in the program consistently testify to its value in their lives, and can show positive change due to their participation in My Safe Harbor programs.
I volunteered with kids and moms here for years, so I got to observe firsthand the nurturing, empowering support provided to struggling families. These are life-changing programs, and our city is better for them!
We have consistently given to My Safe Harbor for the past 3 years and fully support their mission of building up families. We are inspired by their commitment to the surrounding community; they are there in the trenches making a difference!
Every charity has it's story. The personal stories being made by Safe Harbor touch so many hearts. The ladies this organization helps are not receiving charity, they are becoming model Mothers and exemplary citizens. Giving back to the community and helping in schools. These ladies are learning, giving and stepping up. We need more programs like this.
This program has helped dozens of women in their quest for personal growth
And their desire to be better partners/wives and more effective parents to their children. Graduates of the year long program usually come back to volunteer
their time and energy to teach and support the next group of women. Life
long friendships are forged. It is truly a unique and amazing program in Orange County!
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My Safe Harbor has one of the most unique programs in Orange County for underprivileged, sometimes undereducated, single mothers who are struggling. After preparing for the year long program through attendance at Mother's Club, these mothers are ready to work very hard to look at how they are interacting and communicating with their family members, how they were parented and how they are currently parenting, how they handle their finances, and taking a good long look at their heart/soul/mind. The graduates come back (part of the requirements of the program is to give back) and help the new cohort prepare for the year long journey. It is a truly transforming program with many alumni now. We need volunteers and donations. As a Board member for a few years, I am proud to ask. It is a program very worth supporting!!
My Safe Harbor is one of the best non profits I have ever been involved with. I have been blessed to be a part of MSH from it's inception, to a graduate of the SFI program, and now as a donor. I know that the money I give is being used to change the lives of the women that go through this program and their families. MSH is a catalyst for the change we all want to see in this world. So proud of the staff and many volunteers that make this place run each day.
At the inception of My Safe Harbor, I was a member of Anaheim First Christian Church and serving as an elder. We had for some time been casting about for the best use for the building where it is housed. After-school club, the Ethiopian language group of our church, several training agencies, had run their course and closed or found other facilities. Then an effort began to look outside the direct operation of the church to begin to better serve our immediate neighborhood and the city of Anaheim. An unusual approach was used. We asked around, the city, schools, and other agencies, “What do you need most? Who is hurting around here?” The answer was single mothers. With that focus, study and thought was addressed to answer “What can a small church do to change such a hard, problem.” It started small with the intention to build carefully and become a stable, secure place where women could find caring support to learn about themselves, their strengths and goals, and also learn useful skills. The curriculum was developed by competent educators who were also mothers. It looks to the long term, so that friendships and mutual support are ongoing. The place of faith in doing the self-evaluation is not neglected. It is exciting and rewarding to attend the graduation exercises and see these confident women express how they have changed to be better parents, better able to seek jobs, escape abusive relationships, experience seeing a child enter college, and know they can face a future where they are not alone. Now more women are seeking to enroll in a Strong Familes Institute cohort. Scaling up to meet that need is challenging. The staff and volunteers are giving their best. My Safe Harbor is a faith-based organization, so a lot of that faith goes into trusting resources will be available.
This group does amazing work transforming the lives of mothers and their families. The volunteer staff are so dedicated and talented. Please support this great group.
All that you'd hope for in a non-profit -- amazing, committed staff, visionary, engaged board and results clearly seen in the actions of the lives changed through this program. Every community needs a My Safe Harbor!
MSH is quietly making a difference in the lives of women and their families in central Anaheim. It's a long term, on-going investment by MSH in the women who commit to the program, and a long term investment by the women in themselves and the future of their families.
Though I wrote long ago about My Safe Harbor, couldn't miss the chance to give an annual update! MSH is getting the notice of those who know non-profits well! They are getting invaluable coaching from those who have "been there, done that" and are increasing their scope and vision! Mothers' Clubs, the prequel to the MSH Strong Families cohorts are blossoming! So nice to see the changed lives of the women who go through this program, to hear their children talk about the changes they've seen in their own homes, and to see graduates of the program returning to assist and mentor new cohorts!
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We all want to MAKE A DIFFERENCE...contribute to something that effectively turns the tide of "bad" to "good" ... And to be useful in the process. My Safe Harbor's mission and method are tightly woven with strands that make a difference. I was privileged to watch as MSH took shape...I was exposed to the intention of the curriculum for those it was intended to teach. As a donor I was encouraged to invest more of myself than a check and was amazed to see a woman's life changed as she grappled with attitudes, habits, inner resources, and a new- found group of peers, mentors and friends. I was invited to her home to meet her family and heard their testimony of praise...her investment in the program made a difference for her family as well! She was not alone. Because I was a mentor I was invited to hear the stories of the women who were graduating alongside my mentee. Though every story was different, every story bore the mark of the process of taking responsibility, determining to change where change was needed, listening and learning from people who truly care and encouraging and being encouraged by others who are on the same journey. But it doesn't end there! Graduates of the program are invited to return, and many have, to form an encouraging host for those who will come after them. My Safe Harbor is WELL WORTH a DEEP LOOK if you or your club, church, or philanthropic organization are looking to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I continue to be amazed and uplifted by the women's stories at My Safe Harbor. The long range objective of changing society by changing mother's lives is being seen each year as women tell of the changes in their families, their children's behavior and values (including completing school and aspiring to college). The self-respect that has added confidence to women who had none is heart wrenchingly wonderful to observe. I am so grateful for the vision of the leadership and the dedication of the staff. It is an honor to share in their work by supporting them financially.
This organization makes huge differences in the lives of women empowering them, helping them to achieve things they never thought they could in themselves, for their children, and for their families.
My Safe Harbor changes lives. It is a great place for women to get valuable skills for parenting.
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My Safe Harbor has made an important contribution to strengthening families in Anaheim. I have had many students in my ESL class participate in the programs and they find a safe place to learn skills that benefit themselves as well as their children. My Safe Harbor educates mothers over a wide spectrum of relevant topics. This is an organization that has had many successes in equipping women to change their lives.
It is great to find an organization that makes a permanent positive change in the lives it influences. My Safe Harbor is an asset to its community and I look forward to continued results. I'm picky about where I give, My Safe Harbor passes the test.
This is one of the most unique non profits in California. No other agency has this type of tier service delivery that allows clients a range of services. The year long program is affordable, well structured, and life changing for participants. Strong leadership at the top filters down in this agency. Wonderful programming by wonderful people.
This organizatin is doing wonderful work with single mothers in the Anaheim, CA area. Children of single mothers represent the highest percentage of gang members, and My Safe Harbor is helping to reduce gang membership by providing single moms with skills and attitudes to be better parents. They hold Mother's Clubs (to get women together to learn skills and crafts), Electives (to teach specific skills), and the Stong Families Institute, which is a certificate program that deal with all elements of raising a family. In just three years, they have already graduated 22 women from SFI. These graduates have then been able to mentor following classes. All in all, over 150 women and 300 children have been positively affected by the programs of My Safe Harbor.