NEWPORT BEACH : Playhouse Sale to Raise Money for Homeless

Nine handcrafted children’s playhouses will be sold to the highest bidder this afternoon in a Fashion Island parking lot to raise money for the most desperate of children--those without a home.

The 5 p.m. auction--to be held next to the Hard Rock Cafe--begins Homeless Awareness Week in Orange County, sponsored by four county nonprofit organizations. On Monday, a panel of advocates for the homeless will meet at noon at the Lakeside Senior Center in Irvine to report on the state of homelessness in Orange County.

The week’s activities are coordinated by HomeAid, a five-year-old nonprofit organization founded by the Orange County chapter of the Building Industry Assn. HomeAid Executive Director Mike Lennon estimates there are between 12,000 and 15,000 homeless people in Orange County.

“Half of those are children under 17, and half of those are kids under 5,” Lennon said. “There are some real desperate situations out there.”

HomeAid has built 19 shelters in Orange County that provide temporary housing for homeless families, battered women and the mentally disabled.

Before Monday’s panel discussion, there will be an 11 a.m. groundbreaking ceremony at the Lakeside Senior Center for construction of a new, $1.3-million safe house in Irvine for battered women. The shelter will be built at an undisclosed location.

On Tuesday, HomeAid will hold a dedication ceremony for the ESA Beacon House in El Modena, a 12-bed shelter for the homeless mentally disabled. During Homeless Awareness Week, all Orange County fire stations will accept donated clothing through Nov. 19.

“It’s not hopeless,” Lennon said, “if people will just step forward and help.”

For information on how to contribute, call the Volunteer Center of Orange County at (714) 647-2600.