LW Cares Fund

The Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC) has been working in Orange County for over 60 years to end and prevent poverty. At its inaugural Anti-Poverty Summit on Oct. 2, local advocates and community stakeholders met to strategize and collaborate on tangible solutions to end poverty in the region. The Leisure World Cares Fund was in attendance. The keynote speaker was Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton, California. In 2019, he initiated the first trial of providing a cash subsidy to poor residents. That successful trial was the inspiration for the housing cost subsidy now offered to Leisure World’s most vulnerable residents by the Leisure World Cares Fund.

Tubbs described pushback he received when initially promoting his idea. Critics were skeptical about how the poor would spend the extra money. In the end, it turned out that the poor spent the money to get better jobs, get an education, reduce debt and other wise uses. “They don’t have a problem managing money, they just don’t have money to manage,” said Tubbs. Mayor Tubbs’ experiment has now spread to 80 other cities nationwide and is having an impact on poverty in America.

The Leisure World Cares Fund is looking to those who are not financially stressed to donate and help their neighbors who are. Those who may be a potential candidate for an award are encouraged to apply. Both donors and applicants can contact the fund through its website www.lwcaresfund.org, emailing lwcares@lwcaresfund. org or calling 562-262-8280. —Nick Massetti The LW Cares Fund is not affiliated with the Golden Rain Foundation or LWSB in any way.