Illumination Health + Home celebrates 10 years of keeping families together. By GlobeNewswire October 17, 2026 Sixth annual Women's Philanthropy Luncheon raises more than $278,000 and marks a decade since its Family Emergency Homes program started, now Orange County's largest provider of emergency beds for families Illumination Health + Home Women's Philanthropy Luncheon 2026 Attendees gather at Illumination Health + Home's sixth annual Women's Philanthropy Luncheon HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Oct. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Illumination Health + Home (Illumination), an Orange County-based nonprofit committed to disrupting the cycle of homelessness, raised more than $278,000 at its sixth annual Women's Philanthropy Luncheon on Oct. 9, 2026, at The Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach, Calif. Approximately 150 community philanthropists attended the event, which marked the 10th anniversary of Illumination's Family Emergency Homes program. The program began in 2016, when Illumination opened Theriault House in Stanton, Calif., a nine-bedroom family emergency home with space for up to eight families at a time. Theriault House was built through a partnership with HomeAid Orange County | Los Angeles (HomeAid), the Southern California building industry's nonprofit arm. Illumination brought HomeAid a specific need: more emergency space for families with young children. HomeAid delivered it through donated labor and materials, turning what began as a planned renovation into a ground-up rebuild. A decade later, Illumination operates six Family Emergency Homes across Orange County and is the county's largest provider of emergency beds for families, all in home settings rather than typical shelter facilities. Staff work alongside families toward stability and self-sufficiency through intensive case management, housing navigation, parenting classes, developmental screenings for children, behavioral health care, and academic enrichment, all aimed at helping children and parents heal from trauma and at disrupting the intergenerational cycle of homelessness. AT-A-GLANCE: Family Emergency Homes, 2016-2026 * Family Emergency Homes in operation: six - one in Stanton (Theriault House), three in Anaheim (Murphy House, Gilbert House, and Plumeria House), one in Lake Forest (Shah Happiness Home), and one in Santa Ana (Children and Family Recuperative Care) * Families served: 540, including 1,096 children (1,883 individuals total) "Ten years ago, we knew families needed a different kind of environment, one where children could feel safe, and parents could have the time and support to get their families back on their feet," said Dr. Pooja Bhalla, CEO of Illumination Health + Home. "What began with that belief has grown into a program that has walked alongside families through some of the hardest moments of their lives. This anniversary belongs to those families, our staff, and the community that made the work possible." The Children and Families Recuperative Care Home in Santa Ana, Calif., opened in 2024 as the nation's first recuperative care home for children and families experiencing homelessness. Recuperative care, also called medical respite, gives children a safe place to recover from illness or injury after hospitalization, with their families by their side. CalOptima Health supported the development of the home by funding Illumination's purchase, renovation, and expansion of the property. The impact of Illumination's Family Emergency Homes was brought to life during the luncheon by Latasha Bridgemon, a mother of six and survivor of domestic violence who shared her family's journey from homelessness to stability through the program. After surviving a near-fatal attack and more than a dozen surgeries, Bridgemon fled an unsafe environment with her three youngest children and worked three minimum-wage jobs while moving between hotels to keep her family sheltered. By the end of 2025, she and her children had become homeless. They entered one of Illumination's Family Emergency Homes shortly after. "Illumination gave us more than shelter. It gave us space-space to rest, think, heal, plan, and rebuild," Bridgemon said. "It became the key that opened the door for my family to begin the process of restoration." While living in the home, Bridgemon worked with her case manager and completed a peer support specialist certification. She has since taken a position as a case manager at a residential treatment facility and moved with her children into a home of their own. She is now an author and runs a life-coaching business focused on helping women heal from trauma. The luncheon also honored West Coast University, a private health care university headquartered in Irvine, Calif., for its longstanding partnership. West Coast University dental hygiene students provide periodontal care at Illumination's Fullerton Dental Clinic, while nursing students gain hands-on experience caring for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Students and staff also volunteer at events such as Carnival for Kids, and the university has supported the Women's Philanthropy Luncheon since its inception. The sixth annual luncheon was co-chaired by Nancy Valeri and Dorothy Cobb and presented by the Bickerstaff Family Foundation and West Coast University. Additional sponsors included City of Hope Orange County, F&M Bank, Marc Carlson and Jacqueline Dupont-Carlson, Cooper Housing Institute, Jim and Laurie Allen, Coleen Cunningham, the Grover Family, and the Matros Family. About Illumination Health + Home Illumination Health + Home, founded in 2008, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides targeted, interdisciplinary services for the most vulnerable homeless adults and children to disrupt the cycle of homelessness. The organization provides a full continuum of care from street to home, including case management, medical coordination, behavioral health and substance use counseling, and housing navigation to our vulnerable clients in shelters/navigation centers, family emergency homes, recuperative care/medical respite facilities, and permanent supportive housing. Learn more at https://illuminationhealthhome.org/. MEDIA CONTACT Andy Vernier 970-987-4512

Illumination Health + Home creates joyful Carnival for families experiencing homelessness. Annual Carnival for Kids brought rides, entertainment, and connection to Orange County. SANTA ANA, Calif., July 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Illumination Health + Home (IHH), an Orange County-based nonprofit disrupting the cycle of homelessness through integrated housing and healthcare services, hosted its annual Carnival for Kids on July 11, bringing together 400+ guests for a day of family-friendly fun. The free community event celebrates IHH's Children and Families Program, which provides emergency housing, recuperative care and trauma-informed services to families experiencing homelessness. Guests gathered at the Heritage Museum of Orange County for carnival rides, live music, clowns, magicians and food from Chef Troy Hashimoto of Branded by Compassion. IHH leaders and community partners - including CalOptima Health CEO Michael Hunn, Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza, Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza, and a representative from the Office of Congressman Lou Correa - offered remarks and presented IHH's 2026 Kids Champion Award, honoring an organization that has made a lasting difference for families experiencing homelessness in Orange County, to School on Wheels. "Carnival for Kids is a reminder that community and connection are essential to ending homelessness," said Dr. Pooja Bhalla, CEO of IHH. "When the community comes together, it gives people a sense of normalcy, and it allows us to keep expanding access to the housing, health care and critical services they need to rebuild their lives." The carnival reflects IHH's broader commitment to meeting families where they are. That same approach guides the Children and Families Program, which includes five Family Emergency Homes and one Children and Family Recuperative Care program for children with medical needs. Services include developmental and behavioral health screenings, counseling, connections to medical and behavioral health care, parenting education, and educational support - helping families address immediate needs while building toward stability and permanent housing. School on Wheels, founded in 1993, provides free one-on-one tutoring and mentoring to K-12 students experiencing homelessness across Southern California, working alongside families in shelters, motels, and temporary housing to keep children on track in school. "Education is one of the most powerful tools a child can have, and for students experiencing homelessness, support can change the course of their lives," said Maegan Mattock, Chief Regional Officer of School on Wheels. "We are honored to be recognized by an organization that understands how housing, health and education work together to give children a chance. Being part of Carnival for Kids is a reminder of what we can accomplish when we show up for children together." Community partners helped bring the day to life, including Fisher & Phillips, Extraordinary Lives Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank, Civic Soul, Prospera Hotels, Karina's Backpack Project, Clinic in the Park/AAP-OC, West Coast University - OC CNSA, Highschool Inc. Academies Foundation, The Dragon Kim Foundation, and Girl Scouts of Orange County. About Illumination Health + Home Illumination Health + Home is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides targeted, interdisciplinary services for the most vulnerable homeless adults and children to disrupt the cycle of homelessness. The organization provides a full continuum of care from street to home, including case management, medical coordination, behavioral health and substance use counseling, and housing navigation to our vulnerable clients in shelters/navigation centers, family emergency homes, recuperative care/medical respite facilities, and permanent supportive housing. To learn more, visit www.ifhomeless.org. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: Illumination Health + Home Carnival for Kids. Illumination Health + Home Carnival for Kids face painting. Illumination Health + Home Carnival for Kids magician. Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.