HOUSING & HEALTHCARE
I just want to say thank you. You’re all really special for helping out families, supporting people in need, and giving hope to people who really need the help.
Rebecca
Received case management, parenting classes, and staff support alongside her husband and three children (served by family emergency shelter)
It’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves at Illumination Foundation, and we’ve spent this year answering it. 2023 was a journey of hope and resilience, marked by tangible and profound changes. By combining housing and healthcare, we’ve revolutionized the way we drive change in our most vulnerable communities. The results?
Approximately 7,000 unhoused people have found help through our expanded housing and healthcare services and strategic partnerships.
The initiatives introduced this past year were designed to offer solutions for the vulnerable. From providing shelter to focusing on client-centered care, we’ve witnessed stories of transformation serving as a powerful reminder: With compassion and community, we can disrupt the cycle of homelessness. For example, we further integrated housing and healthcare while expanding. We now have facilities and offices in four counties. In addition, Illumination Foundation Medical Group (IFMG) continues to expand its medical and behavioral health services throughout Orange County.
And, looking forward to what’s to come in 2024, we’re expecting to increase our impact in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire as we leverage a growing partnership network to serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness. We also have plans to open two more emergency family shelters in Orange County, adding on to the four we have in place.
None of these remarkable achievements would be possible without the support of generous donors; local, state, and national partners; selfless volunteers; and our board of directors. And of course, we are in awe of the dedicated staff who work together seeking excellence each day in the care of those we all strive to serve. Thank you for joining us in this endeavor as we continue our undaunted efforts to disrupt the cycle of homelessness.
Your commitment to our mission has been the driving force behind the positive impact we’ve achieved, and we are deeply grateful.
Dr. Pooja Bhalla, DNP, RN CEO, Illumination Foundation
Our clients are often those facing socio‑economic challenges, residing in marginalized neighborhoods with insufficient resources, limited access to education, healthcare, housing, economic opportunities, and suffering trauma.
The journey to permanent housing is paved through an intentional effort of our teams. Our most vulnerable community members come to us through multiple channels. Our system provides the help they need, where they need it; placing them on a path to permanent housing with resources and care along the way. We are here to make everyone feel seen, heard, and supported throughout their journey. Only through community can permanent transformation occur. Together, we are shaping a future where every individual and family can thrive.
We operate in tandem with local social services, healthcare providers, government agencies, and community organizations.
These walk-in centers provide resources and connections to people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
Our Navigation Centers help us serve the most vulnerable homeless individuals, including families and children. Clients are able to stay 24 hours a day and receive services to help address medical and behavioral health issues, increase income, and connect to other resources while they wait for permanent housing.
Our Family Emergency Shelters are homes that are ready to welcome families who need a safe place to stay as we work with them to address their specific needs on their journey to self-sufficiency. Clients are connected to on-site parenting classes, counseling, tutoring, enrichment activities, and more. We partner with CHOC to provide them with same-day pediatrician visits and specialty care.
For those referred to us by hospitals following their discharge, these centers provide a safe place to recover and heal.
Supportive Services
Case Management
Housing Navigation & Retention
Behavioral Health Services
Healthcare
Dental Care
Regardless of clients’ entry point to our services, the next step is access to Permanent Supportive Housing in 21 micro-communities (shared living homes), 197 scattered housing units (such as apartments), and a modular housing community (LifeArk).
Long-term housing solutions for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Support from our wrap-around services continues to ensure long-term success.
6,947 clients served
959 BY THE NUMBERS 2023 clients
They helped me see things in a different way like reenrolling in school again and focusing on my objectives. I do feel confident when I do get my own place, I’ll be able to retain it.
Freddie A former client
At Illumination Foundation, we believe every journey toward stability begins with compassion. Our mission is to disrupt the cycle of homelessness by providing not just housing and healthcare but transformation.
Our integrated model of housing and healthcare leads people to a path of transformation through comprehensive services and genuine care. This model includes supporting people in increasing their income, connecting them with medical and behavioral health services, and placing them into permanent housing, where they can continue to focus on their growth and long-term stability.
These organizations have helped to make home possible for those we serve:
We meet people where they are at in their journey from street to home. We’re proud to serve Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties through our integrated model to support the community in need, providing a beacon of hope through our Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing Programs. HOUSING
Our Medical Respite/Recuperative Care Centers provide short-term post-hospital residential care for those who need a place to recover from an injury or illness—including behavioral health conditions—and whose condition would be exacerbated by an unstable living environment.
We work with partners within the Department of Health Services and managed care plans in all four counties to provide this much-needed support:
MANAGED CARE PLANS
BY
2023
1,638
clients received Medical Respite/Recuperative Care services.
We operate seven Recuperative Care centers with more than 500 beds (and growing!), spanning across the four counties we serve.
Ensuring comprehensive, 24/7 care for physical health needs.
A comfortable space to recover, coupled with the warmth of compassionate care.
Personalized support to navigate the complexities of life post-hospitalization.
Our Family Emergency Shelters are more than shelters; they are homes. We are creating spaces where families can heal, grow, and envision a new tomorrow.
Our Children and Families Program, rooted in compassion and traumainformed care, unfolds right on site, addressing the unique needs of children and parents navigating homelessness.
Within these spaces, we offer a spectrum of support for transformative experiences by:
• FOCUSING on the well-being of children with developmental and behavioral health screenings and walking families through case management and housing navigation.
• CONNECTING families to essential medical and behavioral health services.
• EMPOWERING parents with valuable insights through parenting education and supporting children in their education journey with tailored services.
• ENRICHING the lives of every family member with diverse and engaging programming.
During their stay, families will work toward attaining permanent housing and gaining employment.
Illumination Foundation is different from any other homeless organization because they said they would help me and my family and they actually did!
Korina A former client
Our Children and Families Program partners play a crucial role in transforming lives and communities, working hand in hand with us. These partnerships are the threads that weave together a safety net for families in crisis. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of our dedicated partners who go above and beyond to support our mission.
We could not drive change for the families we serve without the unwavering support of these incredible organizations:
MENTORING AND TUTORING
PARENT SUPPORT CLASSES
As a pediatrician, I know that when families struggle to afford housing, healthcare, and the healthy nutrition needed to provide children with a strong start, these deprivations leave a lasting imprint on their developing minds and bodies with lifelong implications, ultimately perpetuating the cycles of poverty and homelessness. This is where Illumination Foundation comes in. I have had the privilege to see first hand how Illumination Foundation’s housing and healthcare services can have a transformative impact on individuals and families. I am humbled to support Illumination Foundation’s dedicated staff that works tirelessly to help the most vulnerable individuals, children, and families in our community with compassion, respect, and dignity.
Dr. Geeta Grover Illumination Foundation Board Member, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician at The Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at UCI
million
Four-Star Rating by Charity Navigator 47%
Program Expense Ratio 97%
90%
Audited financials are from July 1, 2022–June 30, 2023.
I spent almost eight months at Illumination Foundation and they saved my health and well‑being. Not only do they provide around the clock medical staff, they provide case management to help guide clients into suitable housing. I was matched with an apartment and am truly thankful for Illumination Foundation. I still see the primary care providers available upstairs which are outstanding too.