COVER STORY 29 AUGUST 2024 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition volunteers served individuals and families. The services are critical; however, it’s the relationships built while providing these services that really make a difference toward sustaining lasting change. This is because the one underlying factor across all cases of homelessness is a profound loss of family and community. In fact, Katy Mills, executive director for communications and engagement at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, pointed out that 50% of the people who are now experiencing homelessness have spent time in foster care. “These were our children,” said Mills. “They aged out of the system and maybe they weren’t supported. They didn’t experience stability early on in life, so they never had it, and HOPE might be their last opportunity to achieve it.” The team pointed to a few common myths they’d like to dispel. The first myth is that people are homeless because they want to be. McKenzie said he’s never found this to be the case. “Often when you tell someone they need to be in a shelter, they’re saying, I don’t want to go into a shelter because I don’t think I’m going to be safe. It’s not that they want to be homeless. It’s that the options they have before them aren’t palatable, so they take living on the street over options they feel could cause harm.” The second myth is that all homeless people have an addiction, mental illness or have made a choice that led to destructive behavior. While that may be true in some cases, Denise Trio, director of development for HOPE South Florida, said, “The families we see are working and their rent just doubled. We’re in a housing crisis in South Florida, and we’re finding that it costs us $10,000 to move a family into a home because they’re requiring first, last and double security where the average rent cost for a two-bedroom is $2,500 a month. You need to make a lot of money to sustain that. For a single mom who makes $12 an hour, she just can’t afford her rent anymore.” In many cases those experiencing homelessness have had their bridges burned, Trio added. “Either they did it by a bad mistake or somebody did it for them. We just want to come along side to help repair those bridges back into society out of poverty into resilience and independence.” That’s where the mission of HOPE South Florida comes in. “We want to be that hope filled community that keeps those families together because we know that’s going to be the real solution,” said McKenzie. “It’s not just come in for a meal, come in for an overnight shelter, but rather how can we help you make a holistic life change? That’s our mission and what we do.” Looking to the future HOPE South Florida is based in a church building located at 1100 N. Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. “It’s a wonderful piece of property that was gifted to HOPE South Florida more than seven years ago,” said McKenzie. However, the structure is underutilized and in need of renovation. So, HOPE is launching a capital campaign in order to renovate the first floor of the building for shared meals, supportive services, multi-purpose classrooms and the mailroom. They plan to build out the second floor of the church building for family advocate offices. Currently families are moved into transitional housing from unsafe situations where they may be living in their car, and typically stay there no longer than four weeks while more permanent housing can be arranged. However, McKenzie said, “Our family advocates are convinced that if we can house a family for up to three months and really get to know them, offer stability, guidance and crisis management services before transitioning them to permanent housing, their success rate two years from now is almost 100 percent.” They also plan to renovate the exterior areas, adding a beautifully landscaped courtyard with shaded areas for outside activities, a playground for youth and families, and a more dignified café experience. “We want this to be a beautiful refuge, for the parking lots, landscaping and signage to align with our core values and for the neighbors to be really happy with the work we’re doing here,” said Mills. While the total cost of the project is still being determined, HOPE South Florida anticipates it will need to raise 7 to 10 million dollars to fund the project. They are also seeking business and construction partners who may offset some of those expenses with in-kind contributions. A community-wide project Located in the 33311 zip code, HOPE South Florida is positioned in the middle of Fort Lauderdale’s greatest point of need, according to Mills. Because of this, they believe it has the potential to be developed into a place for the community to provide holistic care through multiple nonprofit organizations and services collaborating to provide all of a family’s needs in one central location as more of a one-stop-shop. It could eliminate the need to travel to five different bus stops, traversing across Broward County to get a basic care plan in place. “Could we partner with other organizations to offer support groups and care?” Mills asks. The possibilities are endless, and they continue to seek creative partnerships. Of course, there are many churches that have been long term partners, helping HOPE South Florida provide a HOPE-filled community, keep families together, provide compassionate care and equip those experiencing homelessness to make a holistic life change. For example, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church has provided financial support, volunteers to help facilitate mail services and help with special projects at HOPE South Florida for years. Duane Mellor, director of outreach at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, said, “We felt that as a church we should be inclined to help with the areas that can really bring light to the city. At one point, when I asked Mayor Dean Trantalis what the city’s most pressing need was, he said the homeless issue. So that really compelled us to work with HOPE South Florida.” Mount Olivet Seventh Day Adventist Church has been a long-time partner with HOPE South Florida providing meals and previously mobile showers. “We serve a hot meal every Wednesday from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., which adds up to about 300 to 400 meals per month, said Cynthia Holmes, community service ministry director at Mount Olivet. She said their involvement has allowed them to develop relationships with those coming for meals that has resulted in ministry opportunities. Chris Reney, senior pastor at Church by the Sea, said HOPE South Florida is one of seven ministries they support financially and with time and talent because “their focus is obviously on Jesus Christ and trying to help the least of these. And as a small church with great desire but limited resources, we want to support them as the experts who are helping a segment of our population that is often overlooked.” Nic Merchant, pastor of First Presbyterian Church Fort Lauderdale, said he remembers HOPE South Florida since its creation as The Shepherd’s Way. The church has supported the ministry and been involved in a variety of capacities since the beginning. However, one creative initiative inspired by their youth is the tradition of “Socktober.” Every October the youth lead a sock collection drive that has resulted in thousands of pairs of socks being donated to HOPE South Florida over the past few years. Merchant said, “It all started when we asked what items are often needed, and the answer came back – socks.” How can you help? Homelessness is a community-wide issue that requires the entire community pulling together each one’s unique giftings to resolve it. How can your group, business or organization get involved? Consider the following needs, knowing that your time, talent or treasure will have an eternal impact. • Volunteers – Beyond serving meals, volunteers are needed at the facility to build hygiene bags for the mobile showers, to organize mail, greet guests, to serve at special events and more. • Partnerships – Church, ministry and business partnerships are welcome. • Financial Contributions – Funds are currently being raised for the capital cam- paign and to meet the growing need for services. Your contributions could pay for a bus pass for a month, a week of meals, an electric bill for a family in need, an emergency hotel stay for a family in crisis, or to help furnish a new apartment for a family • Prayer – It can be a violent, tough world on the streets, so please cover the staff, leadership, clients and families with prayer. For more details, visit hopesouthflorida.org Jason Mann, Director Meals and Showers; JoNese Bird, Director of Food Services and Outreach, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale; Juan Polidoro, Kitchen Volunteer, HOPE South Florida; and Lucy Polidoro, Kitchen Volunteer, HOPE South Florida.
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