Waymakers is celebrating 50 years of driving impact and change for youth, victims, and families across Orange County. Our focus is on sheltering, supporting, counseling, resolving, and educating those in their most vulnerable moments to find their way past conflict and crisis to strength and stability.
EDUCATING COMMUNITIES Necessity often breeds creativity. Waymakers adopted an inventive approach when we could no longer conduct our research based,…
RESOLVING CONFLICTS When Waymakers board member and trained mediator, Joe McCarthy, met roommates, “Courtney” and “Rebecca”, their relationship was tumultuous….
SUPPORTING VICTIMS “Karina” was sexually assaulted from age 11 to 13 by her mom’s ex-boyfriend and his brothers. As a…
COUNSELING FAMILIES “Manuel” was referred to Waymakers because he hadn’t attended school for over a year. His struggle with depression…
SHELTERING CHILDREN Due to repeated suicide attempts, fourteen-year-old “Annalise” had been hospitalized three times, spending over 40 days away from…
“Abby” had a horrible start to the year! Being away from friends and having to learn online was definitely taking…
Dr. Arnold Binder, professor emeritus of criminology, law and society at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), founder of the…
During May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, the Newport Mesa Collective Impact group, overseen by Waymakers, worked in partnership with the…
At Waymakers, we think of ourselves as caregivers. We advocate, we stand up, we advise, we counsel, and we most…
Waymakers’ Victims’ Rights Awards Zoom was held during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Our…
Women. They are educators, entrepreneurs, scientists, healers, physicians, caretakers, affecting every aspect of our society. Our history is replete with…
Teen Dating Violence (TDV), a type of intimate partner violence that occurs between two people in a close relationship, is…
We’re making an important statement during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Knowing the facts about human trafficking is…
By Ronnetta Johnson, Executive Director Without question, we will look back on this year and note the historic crises. We…
Celebrating Waymakers Executive Director Ronnetta Johnson! This year marks Ronnetta’s 25th anniversary with Waymakers—a milestone to be sure! Now in…
Stay at home. These are words of comfort to some people. But for victims of domestic violence, the words “stay…
The Quarantine Zine is a collaborative project showcasing our youth’s strengths and imagination. It was created with the intention of…
We live in unprecedented times and life, as we knew it, has changed. Everyone is carrying an extra measure of…
The pandemic has presented challenges for everyone. Major adjustments have been made as families navigated sheltering in place together. While…
Yes, it is a reality—summer break is here. It’s a hard pill to swallow for parents and students alike, as…
One thing that has been at the forefront of all of our minds lately is health. Keeping ourselves physically healthy…
Every day on our social media feeds we see picture-perfect families—even more so now during the COVID-19 pandemic as we’re…****
As always, our shelters provide a safe respite to struggling children. We have implemented all of the best practices for…
You can embrace the healing power of art right in the comfort of your own home with art therapy. By…
Talking to our children is easy when they are little. You can play together, go on trips together and spend…
Written by Lita Mercado, Director of Victim Assistance Programs “No one is free when others are oppressed.” During Human Trafficking…
The holidays are a magical time of year—the lights are twinkling, the stores are buzzing and friends and families are…
A sudden epidemic that involves hundreds of illnesses and deaths grabs our attention. When the epidemic involves our children and…
20 people per minute. 10 million women and men per year. These are the average number of people who are…
As students head back to school this season, kids are dealing with the stress of grades, expectations to succeed, the…
Photo by Ranggin Hedayat After navigating his way as an immigrant to the United States, Chef Leo Razo knows how…
By age 23, Maxwell Fields had already experienced far too much loss: His father had died from a drug overdose,…
Overwhelmed by difficult family circumstances, stress, and emotional pain, Anabel felt she had no support and didn’t see the light…
With an estimated 13,000 documented gang members in Orange County, and some of the highest rates in recent years reported…
The #MeToo movement has created an atmosphere where survivors are more likely to be seen, heard, and believed. Sexual harassment…
Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer With all the struggles children are facing today, including stress of grades, expectations to…
