Project Dignity is a 501c3 non profit organization that began serving Orange County’s homeless population in 1991 when founders Linda and Dave Dunlap produced a series of self-help videos for local homeless shelters.   These videos contained valuable information about food, shelter, education and survival and were provided free-of-charge to organizations working with the homeless.  Within a year, Project Dignity added food and clothing distribution services to accompany the videos.

In 1996, due to the greatest need Dave & Linda saw in their own community, Project Dignity redefined its mission to address the needs of the families and especially children living in residential motels.  It has been our experience that people living in motels are the most misunderstood and underserved of all homeless.  In 1998 we added children’s educational programs, medical assistance, increased emergency services and financial assistance to supplement its food and clothing distribution. 

In its first year of focusing its attention on the county’s low-income residential motels, Project Dignity provided services to 35 families each week at two motels. In 2011, this has increased to 500 families at 22 motels Anaheim, Garden Grove, Stanton & Buena Park and 2 in Long Beach, California.