Agency Details:

Friendly Center

Friendly Center is a comprehensive family and community resource center dedicated to improving the lives of children, adults, and seniors by helping them move toward self-sufficiency through immediate aid and a variety of educational and life skill programs.

Description:
The Friendly Center is funded by individuals, grants, businesses, churches and the Orange County United Way. Friendly Center is a member organization of the Families and Communities Together Program, and receive federal and state funds which are administered by the County of Orange Social Services agency.

Friendly Center offers more than 25 free programs and services to low-income families, providing assistance to more than 4,000 individuals every year.

Friendly Center is a 501c3 nonprofit agency.

History:
The Early Years

The Friendly Center was built as a labor of love by the Men’s Community Bible Class of Orange. These were men of all denominations and were led by the late Rev. M. L. Pearson, a Presbyterian minister in Orange. They met for many years in the old Colonial Theater on South Glassell. The Center was built on land North Cypress Street donated by the late J. F. Lewis, with the Cornerstone Laying Ceremony held on April 8, 1924. This area, known as the Cypress Street Barrio, had come into being a few years before the turn of the century. In November, 1893, a packing house for citrus fruits was established in that area. Mexican workers were hired and settled nearby, with families and friends coming later. A settlement grew, and although conditions were primitive and needs many, the atmosphere was reportedly reminiscent of one big happy family.

The first twenty five years, the Center was operated as a Mission Chapel on Sundays by the Latin Methodist pastors. The Friendly Center minutes state that the ministers helped residents with food, family problems, health and legal problems; they worked with the nationals and also counseled ex-offenders. The Center was also used extensively weekdays as a Community Center. Public Health nurse used the Center to hold health clinics and classes in child care. The Orange School District used the Center for Citizenship and “Americanization” classes and other classes in sewing, cooking, and learning to speak English. Ministers and volunteers provided groups, trips and experiences for the young people and helped the people bring to their new home their traditional Mexican festivals.

Contact people:

Janis Lopes, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email) Cathy Seelig, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Marissa Dinsdale, Event Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (714) 771-5300
Office fax number: (714) 771-7627

Address:

Post Office Box 706 Orange, CA 92856 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.friendlycenter.org

Directions:

Physical Address: 147 West Rose Street Orange, CA 92867

Last updated on August 3, 2009