ABOUT US

OUR IMPACT

A.L.'s Story

When my mom found out about me harming myself, she took me to the emergency room and that's how I was referred to OCAPICA. I self-harmed as a way of punishing myself for every little mistake that I made... I couldn't imagine any sort of future for myself and thinking too much about it made the feeling of wanting to give up worse. When I was first introduced to the idea of joining OCAPICA I was scared and hesitant because it was all very new to me. I wanted to give it a try and I am thankful I did. My therapists and case manager from OCAPICA were by my side throughout my last three years of high school and persistently supported me through the most difficult period of my life so far where I felt completely hopeless. My time with OCAPICA has definitely been an amazing one to say the least. They have helped me, along with many other people in the community, by bettering our mental health along with making us feel we have a safe space to go to and be ourselves.

MARDIE'S STORY

AJ'S STORY

A big part of the ROOTED experience is building bonds with one another and our mentors. My ROOTED mentor was fun to be around, and her bubbly personality never failed to cheer me up when I was having a bad day. She made me feel important and cared for. She also made me feel worthy of success. Before ROOTED, I felt like my voice wasn’t important and that I should just stay quiet. But now, my confidence has grown immensely and I am empowered in my own voice. I overcame my inner fears and pursued leadership opportunities at school. I’m proud to be a leader in Key Club, Hallyu Club, and Kababayan club at my school.

Through OCAPICA, I also had the opportunity to be involved in voter canvassing in Anaheim during the 2022 fall elections. I went door-to-door to talk to community members about voting and what issues were most important to them. We discussed issues such as mental health, homelessness, access to community resources, and what mattered to them and why. These conversations and what I learned from ROOTED inspired me to find ways that I can work on tackling these issues.

I’ve always had an interest in activism, but never had the opportunity to learn more. During the ROOTED sessions, we explored issues related to identity, expression, and social injustice which I feel are so important in order to build a healthy and strong community. I gained both the knowledge about important community issues and the confidence in my own voice. I am encouraged and emboldened to educate and advocate for what I believe in, and believe that I can be a part of enacting change.

Reflecting on the 2022 midterms, it felt extra rewarding to have conversations with community members to encourage them to vote. I never would have considered policy work prior to my civic engagement experiences at OCAPICA. Now, I am constantly trying to advocate for policy change and taking more risks to develop my leadership skills. It was really empowering to not only be part of the change, but also see the direct change: more young voters came out during midterms, and our efforts helped to encourage and inform other young people and residents in our community.

Kevin was a high school senior when he learned about Project HOPE, an OCAPICA mental health program. Returning to school after the COVID quarantine and thinking about his future post-high school had caused feelings of anxiety and depression for Kevin. Feeling a lack of motivation to complete his daily tasks and assignments, Kevin stayed home, missed school and was consistently behind on homework. When Kevin first attended weekly counseling, it was a space just for him. With the support of his counselor, he learned breathing and relaxation techniques, mindfulness meditations, and imagery exercise skills to cope with his initial stressors. Kevin’s parents were invited to join the sessions, and learned how they could help support his efforts at home.

After five months, Kevin is now more resilient than ever. He has healthy coping mechanisms, is able to make hard decisions with a calm mindset, and has hope for his future. He attends school regularly and is caught up on school assignments with a plan of action towards graduating. Kevin has been working hard and feels confident that he will be able to accomplish his goals towards graduation. Kevin’s family feels proud of the progress that Kevin has made during his time with OCAPICA, and Kevin is excited to return to his final semester of school as a more resilient, capable, and confident person.

INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY

Our work would not be possible without the support of our community. Please also consider making a donation to ensure the longevity of our services and programming. Your support will go directly towards ensuring that hate crime survivors receive healing and justice, that children are able to see a counselor who looks like them and speaks their family’s language, ensuring that the most vulnerable in our community have a roof over their heads, and much more. We appreciate your partnership and support.