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Our Impact

Higher Ground's Community Needs

Non-medical factors influence social, emotional, and health outcomes. These are the conditions in which people are born, live, and grow, and all of these factors shape the conditions of daily life.  Things like safe housing, education level, access to nutritious food, literacy skills, and exposure to violence and discrimination all follow a gradient. Less advantaged people have more negative health outcomes and, consequently, shorter lives.  

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Higher Ground's work is designed to positively affect some of this inequity.  Families complete program applications that help assess overall health determinants such as economic stability, the need for educational support, and overall family wellness. The answers to these questions allow us to extrapolate and prioritize risk to be proactive with our approach to impacting healthy youth and family development.

Our
Neighborhood

health and safety in the places where people are born, live, learn, work, and play

Healthcare
Access

increasing access to medical services, mental health services, and more 

Education 
 

providing high-quality educational support for youth and helping them do well in school

Economic
Stability

increasing preparation for careers or employment as well as providing employment oppurtunities

Social &
Community

caring for the relationships and interactions with family, friends, co-workers, and community members

Our Neighborhood

Working with the City of Anaheim over the last ten years, Higher Ground has:

 

  • Revitalized Lincoln Park and reduced gang and drug activity 
     

  • Created a multi-building campus with space for STEM, video production, and culinary activities
     

  • Added a vegetable garden and fruit orchard that is shared with our participants' families 
     

  • Developed fields for youth sports leagues and provided buildings for enrichment programs
     

  • Created an inclusive environment  so that all are welcome to participate free of charge 

Healthcare Access 

The creation of our Family Wellness Center means that access to critical counseling and behavioral therapy is always available. Today our behavioral health team consists of marriage and family therapists and social work interns working toward their licensure. Higher Ground provides the following services at no cost to the community...
 

  • Group counseling for every Higher Ground participant 
     

  • Individual counseling for anyone in need
     

  • Mental health services for families in crisis
     

  • Ongoing community health fairs offer education, basic needs giveaways, and access to essential healthcare workers and services 
     

  • Assistance with health care literacy ensures our community members have the ability to understand health care information to make appropriate decisions regarding care 

Education

Higher Ground broadens the base of support for educational experiences, ensuring that after-school hours continue to be learning hours as we engage our youth in various enriching activities.
 

  • A Literacy Program developed in 2022 in response to decreasing literacy rates provides individualized language and comprehension support
     

  • HG works closely with the Anaheim Elementary School District and parents to synchronize academic support, IEP needs, and unique software platforms for reading and math that enforce their everyday learning.
     

  • Vocation training is part of our regular job fairs.  Bringing in experts in trades, community vocations, and a variety of careers allows our youth to see themselves in various professions. 
     

  • University tours allow youth to see themselves in the future. College tours include first-generation student guides and financial assistance information for parents.

Economic Stability

  • Our Teens2Work program began early as we realized families depended on teens' summer income to help support their basic needs. Each summer, we hire over 30 local teens for our summer camp.  Some of these teens work all year round, and others become full-time employees after graduation 
     

  • The Scholars2Work program is funded by a special donor who pays HG teens a generous hourly rate sent as tuition to schools for their higher education
     

  • We have had the privilege of hiring several of our parents who work on our campus 
     

  • For those most vulnerable members of our community, Higher Ground has a family assistance fund that provides support during times of crisis
     

  • Every effort is made to provide a safe and useable space for children so parents/guardians can work to provide for their families

Social & Community

Our focus never wavers from providing support systems and community engagement in a multitude of formats.  
 

  • Family dinner night is a monthly event with free food, activities, and a strong sense of community
     

  • Our parent advisory board encourages social integration and stakeholder engagement to better serve our youth and community
     

  • Our teen leadership committee serves to give ownership to our adolescent community to have a voice at Higher Ground and feel empowered
     

  • Support systems are at the heart of our mentorship program for all ages

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