LOS ANGELES, March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern
California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has supplied a $30,000 grant to help 2-1-1 Orange County develop and launch an internet
site that will help Orange County
veterans and their families gain greater access to services, which
was announced today at the Orange County Supervisors meeting.
The new portal is connected to 2-1-1 Orange County's extensive database of regional
services that include housing, legal assistance, counseling, child
care and other services. The portal will serve as a central
location for the most current information and relevant services for
veterans and their families. 2-1-1 Orange
County is also working with the Orange County Veterans and
Military Families Collaborative to make sure that area agencies are
trained to work specifically with service men and women as they
transition back from deployment.
There are about 6,500 veterans returning to Orange County each year with a current total
population of 133,000. A recent study funded by the Orange County
Community Foundation and conducted by the University of Southern California's Center for
Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families found
that Orange County veterans face
significant barriers to finding services and support. The study
also highlighted the fact that 44 percent of veterans said they did
not know where to find help and that many veterans leave the
service without a job, housing and/or services for physical and
psychological needs.
"It is troubling to realize that many of the homeless are also
veterans," said Todd Spitzer,
chairman of the Orange County
Board of Supervisors. "Expanding the 2-1-1 services to veterans and
their families is a big step in the right direction in Orange County's effort to help end
homelessness."
"After military life, skilled and resourceful veterans find
themselves without health benefits, housing support, and sometimes
without a job," said Karen Williams,
president and CEO of 2-1-1 Orange
County. "There are services and employment opportunities for
veterans here at home; however, when re-entering back into society,
identifying and securing these resources can be challenging. 2-1-1
Orange County can help provide
veterans and their families with needed information to get
connected to employment programs, food and utility payment
assistance, as well as other resources they may need. Once the new
portal is launched, this will allow veterans and their families to
navigate the rich resource landscape in Orange County with confidence and
anonymity and place necessary information at their fingertips."
"Most people know a veteran who can be helped by services, so we
appreciate SoCalGas' help with this new way of providing this
information to the public," she added.
"We are proud to help support this access to important
information for our Orange County
veterans," added Bret Lane, chief
operating officer of SoCalGas and also a veteran. "For years,
SoCalGas has been a proud supporter of our veteran community. We
support our uniformed services employees with a variety of
resources and career guidance when they return to work after active
duty. We also take part in a variety of efforts to support the
veteran community including outreach events, career fairs and
training opportunities.
About Southern California Gas Co.
Southern California
Gas Co. has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to
its customers for more than 140 years. It is the nation's largest
natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 21.4 million
consumers connected through 5.9 million meters in more than 500
communities. The company's service territory encompasses
approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and
Southern California, from
Visalia to the Mexican border.
Southern California Gas Co. is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra
Energy (NYSE: SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services
holding company with 2014 revenues of $11
billion. The Sempra Energy companies' 17,000 employees serve
more than 32 million consumers worldwide.
About 2-1-1 Orange
County
2-1-1 Orange
County, a nonprofit organization serving over 56,000
contacts to individuals and families, is the comprehensive
information and referral system for the County. 211OC provides a
resource database of health and human services and support,
accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online and through a
multi-lingual hotline (dial 2-1-1 to reach services). For
more information on the Veterans & Family Portal or about
211OC, please contact Karen B.
Williams at 714-589-2343 or visit the website at:
www.211oc.org.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Co.