On Thursday, January 24, 2008 over 50 community leaders met to discuss the future of the City of Santa Ana Federal Empowerment Zone (FEZ). This all day event not only helped recognize the Santa Ana Empowerment Corporation's (SAEC) work throughout the years-which includes job creation, workforce development, economic incentives, community-building projects, and improvements in education-but clearly identified new ways to remain sustainable past its designation which ends December of 2009. The event served as a way for the community to directly influence the future of allocated funds and in doing so focused on two main topics: (1) identifying, as a group, what are the most pressing needs and or promising opportunities that exist in Santa Ana today; (2) of those needs and opportunities, what mission and or goals should this organization focus on? Touching on anything from childcare and education to entrepreneurship and job creation. This event helped inspire the development of a more sustainable community-based strategic vision that increased awareness about the community's well being and future needs. They did this by separating into revolving groups, allowing participants to really hone in on their ideas and personal perspectives in order to enhance the development of a sustainable strategic plan for the SAEC.

The results of this meeting will be a major contribution to the SAEC's Team on sustainability. This team will then use the recommendations obtained during the meeting along with other data to develop recommendations for continuing the SAEC beyond its designation. These recommendations will then be shared broadly throughout the Santa Ana community for one last round of feedback. The final feedback will be incorporated into a final document that will serve as a strategic plan for the board. The SAEC Board of Directors will make a final decision of how to proceed in presenting this decision to the City of Santa Ana for approval and endorsement.

To view the outcomes of the SAEC Vision Event please click on the following link:

Outcomes of the SAEC Vision Event

Over the first eight years of its existence the SAEC has had a tremendous impact on the community of Santa Ana as exemplified by job creation to "bricks and mortar" projects. Below is a more detailed description of the impact the SAEC has had in the FEZ community. Included are examples for: Infrastructure, Economic, and Business Development, Workforce development and Education.

October 20, 2005 - The New KidWorks Donahue Center, located within Zone 4 of the Federal Empowerment Zone, has scheduled its grand opening on Thursday, October 27, 2005 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. KidWorks executive director, Ava Steaffens, realized the potential for a community center at the 1902 West Chestnut Avenue property and utilized a $628,564 grant/loan from the Federal Empowerment Zone, along with donated private funds, to renovate a vacant industrial building and operate a new community center for Santa Ana and Empowerment Zone residents.

The new 10,000-square-foot center will have a licensed preschool, tutoring lab, library, two computer labs and a health center. The Donahue Center will provide both youth and adult services to anyone living in the 92703 and 92704 zip codes for a monthly fee of $5. The list of services available include: ESL, adult literacy, financial literacy, health screening and workshops, community advocacy, job readiness, career development and small business training workshops.

KidWorks, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, has been part of the Santa Ana community since 1993 and has been operating learning centers from two, 900-square-foot apartments on Myrtle and Townsend Streets. The new KidWorks Donahue Center expects to serve over 500 Empowerment Zone residents, along with the greater Santa Ana community.

“This would not have been possible without the generous financial assistance of the Empowerment Zone and the support of many private individuals and corporations who saw the same potential as we did,” said Steaffens. “The Donahue Center will become an integral asset to the development of a greater Santa Ana for years to come.”

On January 13, 1999, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designated a four square mile region of the City of Santa Ana as a Round II Urban Empowerment Zone. The Empowerment Zone is one of the most innovative and exciting approaches to urban community revitalization initiated by the Federal government. The major philosophy of the program is to assist in the establishment of sustainable economic development that starts from the ground up.

For more information on the Federal Empowerment Zone Program or to receive more information regarding the KidWorks Donahue Center, please contact the Santa Ana Federal Empowerment Zone at (714) 647-6550.

For more information on KidWorks, please visit www.KidWorksonline.org.