Good News - May 2019

Hope South Florida Helps Homeless Veterans and Families Get Back on Their Feet When families and veterans are facing homelessness, some- times all they need is a little hope, someone to come alongside them and a hand up to get back on their feet. Since 1995, Hope SouthFlorida, formerlyTheShepherd’sWay, has been that beacon of hope, providing sharedmeals, a listening ear and access to crisis and rapid re-housing. In February they were able to open the Vi- sion of Hope Family Center, a day respite center for families in a church building located at 1100 N. Andrews Ave. The building was acquired due in large part to a $300,000 donation facilitated byOperationLift Hope and contributions fromthe business com- munity. “Now homeless families no longer need to hang out in their cars all day with their children in the heat; they can come here and get breakfast, get lunch, get case management, employ- ment services, whatever their needs are,” explainedDr. TedGreer, executive director of Hope South Florida. According toBrowardCounty’s Point inTime Survey, there were about 2,300 homeless people in Broward on a given night in 2017; about 130 of those are families and 190 are veterans. HopeSouthFloridaworks collectivelywithover 50 local churches to provide a holistic response to homelessness with a focus on rapid re-housing. Through rapid re-housing, families and veterans receive short termrental assistance and support services to quickly end their homelessness and get themback in permanent housing. They also provide shared meals, mobile showers, crisis housing and family support teams. The faith-based nonprofit ministrywas started as The Shep- herd’sWay byVeterinarianDr. FredScarbrough onThanksgiving Day, 1995, withnomoney, staff or formal plan.After encountering God at a time of crisis in his own life, Scarbrough said he kept re- turning toMatthew 25:40 in the scriptures: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Scarbrough began talking with homeless individuals as they lined up for meatloaf during Christ Church United Methodist’s Feeding Ministry at “Tent City” in Fort Lauderdale. He was moved with compassion when he saw a mother with a five-month-old baby girl who had no place to spend the night, no diapers and no baby food. Using rooms at various hotels, paid for by volunteers, The Shepherd’s Way began housing families. TodayHope South Florida provides rapid re-housing, nego- tiating with landlords from the business community and congre- gations who are willing to partner with them. “Because of our grant funding from the County, UnitedWay, family foundations, donors, we pay the first, last and security, giving our landlords that assurance they are going to be paid. We are not looking for any- thing free or reduced necessarily – unless God moves upon their hearts to do so – but we apply for the dollars because homeless families andveterans in their conditiondon’t have themeans.They are not walking around with $5,000, and that’s the average move in cost.WithHope South Florida coming alongside that family or veteran, there is a trust factor there, so they take a chance. Depend- ing on the grant, sometimes they can also get up to 70 or even 80 percent subsidy on their monthly rent while our team is working on helping them increase their income,” Greer explained. A housing specialist coordinates with case managers to make that happen. If their income is not at a level where they would be able to sustain themselves, a jobs specialist assists the individual with resume development, mock interviews, clothing, and transportation. By partneringwith churches, Hope SouthFlorida is also able to provided crisis housing as an emergency overnight shelter for those familieswhowould otherwise be forced to sleep in their car or on the street. Working with 211 Broward, families are first screened and prioritized according to need.When shelters such as the Salvation Army or Broward Partnership are full, partner churches house families or veterans for a week at a time. Some churches also provide Family Support Teams who stay in contact with these families for a year or more, devel- oping a mentoring relationship with them, encouragement and practical assistance. Astrong church network and community volunteers has also helpedHope South Florida expand their sharedmeals program to seven days a week in January due to an $80,000 donation from the business community. Meals are hosted at a different local church each day where guests enjoy a meal along with time for devotion and prayers, and transportation is provided. “GreggWallick, the owner of Best Roofing, provides the bus and we provide the driver,” said Greer. “That bus goes around town where homeless are congregated and brings them to wher- ever the meal site is for that given day then brings them back.” Churches hosting the meals include St. Christopher’s Epis- copal Church, Vision of Hope Family Worship Center, Mount Olivet S.D.A. Church, NewMount Olive Baptist Church, Christ Community Church, Christ Church Pompano, and FifthAvenue Temple Church of God. For a complete list of feed dates, times and locations, visit www.hopesouthflorida.org or call PeryCanan at 954-812-3882. Volunteers are welcome. In addition to a warm meal, homeless individuals can also get a hot shower in Hope South Florida’s Mobile Shower Unit. “We bring that alongside our meal site,” said Greer. “Folks are able to get a hot shower, a change of clothes, whichwe provide as well, and a bag of toiletries.” Over the years, Hope South Florida has provided hope to hundreds of families and veterans. Ramon, a veteran and single father, displays his testimony on a wall in the new facility. After leavingGeorgiawith his two young sons due to their mom’s sub- stance abuse and mental health issues, he called 211 looking for daycare assistance and was referred to Hope South Florida’s Hope4Vets program. They helped himget a referral for childcare, placed them in the crisis housing programuntil an apartment was secured and even helped themwith furniture. “I now have a per- manent home; the boys are in school, and I can be the kind of fa- ther my boys can look up to,” said Ramon. “I discovered hope and a home, and you can too!” To learn more about Hope South Florida and how you or your church can get involved, visit www.hopesouthflorida.org . If you are homeless, call the Homeless Helpline at 211 or 954-563-4357. Shelly Pond Good News Dr. Ted Greer, executive director, and Fred Scarbrough, DVM, founder of Hope South Florida and Scarbrough Animal Hospital Carolyn Oliff a volunteer from Rio Vista Church, leads a Bible study at the Vision of Hope Family Center Children decorate Easter eggs while staying at the Vision of Hope Family Center.