Accomplished journalist and filmmaker Dan Beckmann and colleague Liz Vargas capture the touching story of Pastor William Andrews in 5 minutes that will surely bring tears to your eyes.

From years of drug addiction and homelessness to Senior Pastor of The Heart of Mercy Community Church of the Nazarene, Pastor Andrews is just one of the many lives YOU help transform every day.

For more information about how you can help our neighbors in need, visit our website.

Coalition for the Homeless is constantly impressed by Central Florida’s students and their interest and involvement in our mission. Homelessness is an issue that affects our entire community. And as Rollins College student Sarah Bishop knows, the first step toward a solution is awareness.

That said, please take some time to watch Sarah’s senior capstone project. Her documentary tells the story of Orlando’s current homeless population. The film includes interviews with Coalition clients, Director of Communications and Community Relations, and former Board Member Jim Wright, among others.

Thank you, Sarah, for including the Coalition in your project and for using your talents to promote an issue that so desperately needs attention.

Quandella, Margaret, Grace, and Rosa with Coalition Case Manager Jennyfer From

Coalition client Charles proudly showing his graduation certificate

With several Coalition staff and fellow residents amongst the crowd cheering them on, Coalition for the Homeless clients (four current, one former) proudly walked across the stage at The Jobs Partnership of Florida’s Life & Work Class graduation ceremony.

The Life & Work Class is a 12-week course which focuses on topics such as self-esteem, attitude, communication, individual career plans, professional resume preparation, and interviewing techniques.

Through a lot of hard work and the community’s support, these individuals accomplished a lot – and their smiles show it.

As graduates of this program, our homeless participants have improved their performance and attitudes toward work, ultimately increasing their employability and moving them one step closer to self-sufficiency!

Coalition client Rosa after receiving her graduation certificate

Please join us in congratulating Charles, Grace, Margaret, Quandella, and Rosa.

Coalition President/CEO Brent Trotter

The opening of Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida’s Men’s Service Center (MSC) is rapidly approaching! Please read on for some words of enthusiasm from Coalition President/CEO Brent Trotter…

Brent Trotter (right) “topping off” the MSC

Very soon we will celebrate the grand opening of the Coalition’s Men’s Service Center. With this new facility will come a seismic shift in the way we deliver services to the most underserved of the homeless population in Central Florida, the single male.

Currently, single homeless men receive the most meager of services – a meal, a night’s shelter, and access to shower facilities. After their evening’s stay, men are flushed back out to the streets, only to return the next night and repeat the experience.

It has been said that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting a different result.” It’s time for the insanity to stop. Our goal is to offer men meaningful, life-changing services to bring an end to their situation and move them to self-sufficiency.

Our Mission Statement says it best: to transform lives…by providing crucial services to end their crisis of homelessness. We’re not content with the current level of services we provide for men. We’ve got to do better. And we can…but it won’t be easy. Many of these men have been homeless for years.

While some will talk about the building itself, the real story will be the countless men whose lives will soon be changed because of the services the new building will allow us to provide.

It’s a new day. It’s a new way. And we’re leading the charge.

The Coalition’s upcoming Men’s Service Center

With a volunteer family more than 18,500 individuals strong, Coalition for the Homeless has a lot to be appreciative of. The support we receive from our amazing volunteers is priceless.

Help us celebrate these wonderful supporters this month by getting to know them a little better. This week, meet recent University of Central Florida graduate Jordan Treco.

How did you get involved with the Coalition?  During my junior year at UCF, I was looking for an organization to get involved with. A friend of mine, Jennifer Grippin, had volunteered at the Coalition with a church group and told me about it.

How often and in what capacity do you volunteer?  As consistently as I can… When I first started, I was mainly working with the children and families (birthday parties, reading, events) and also in the donation closets sorting through donations. Over the course of the years, I have become more involved with the children and teenagers (flag football, field trips, game/movie nights). I also assist with volunteer orientations, data entry, ops desk, fundraising events, and very recently, accounting work.

Why do you continue to support the Coalition?  In a way, the Coalition has become my second home; I’ve gotten to build relationships with a number of people. I know, personally, how influential another’s investment in my life was and would like to be that influence for the generations behind me.

What has surprised you most?  The array of people I’ve met. There’s always a new story, character, issue, or joke…it’s never boring.

What is your fondest memory of volunteering at the Coalition?  Taking the teens to an Orlando Magic game. There were activities that day, including a live DJ and an open space to dance. Some of the Coalition’s teens went right out onto the dance floor, but some were a bit shy/embarrassed. I went on the dance floor with them to get them to relax and have a good time.

What do you wish other people knew about homelessness?  That their mental image of homelessness is often incorrect. A lot of homeless people have full-time jobs, children, cars, education, and are hard-working and very caring, but can’t afford rent due to circumstances. Life can throw curve balls…don’t judge too quickly.

Tell me about some of the people you’ve met while volunteering at the Coalition…  Where to start? A few years ago, the Coalition had a number of kids whose idea of a good Saturday was going to the library. On Saturday afternoons, we’d take them down to the library and it was like going to a theme park to them. They would ask to stay longer, bring each other books, comics, and manga, and just make a day out of it. One girl would take a book, find a quiet spot, and read on her own until it was time to go.

Around that same time, there was also a family of artists staying at the Coalition. The kids loved to draw, paint, etc. They were very talented. The eldest daughter caught the eye of an art professor who wanted to make sure she would be set for college later in life. I got close to that particular family. It was a happy/sad day when they moved out.

What do you do when you aren’t volunteering?  Up until last December, I was a full-time student and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at UCF. I’m part of Summit Church and was involved with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship throughout my college years and maintain a connection with them. I like to dance and am a part of Swing Knights at UCF and Orlando Blues and enjoy Latin dances and Hip-Hop. I enjoy Mixed Martial Arts and train at home. I enjoy sports, namely soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, racquetball, ultimate frisbee, track & field, and swimming. As of recent, my time is spent looking for work.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?  I was born and raised in The Bahamas. I moved to the United States without my parents when I was 16 years old in order to further my education.

David Cross, Walter Nason, Fred Kittinger, and Brian Wilson

This past Friday, 29 golfers teed off with a purpose at the Doug Spencer 17^th Annual Golf Challenge, raising over $75,000 to benefit Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida! Racing around Falcon’s Fire Golf Club in Kissimmee, the golfers challenged each other for the most holes played and the most money collected for the Coalition.

Highlights from the event:

• Event namesake and chair, Doug Spencer, President of Spencer Consulting Services and Coalition Board member, single-handedly raised $12,390 for his 102-hole afternoon.
• Mike Schiappa of Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) was next, raising $8,210.
• Other major fundraisers included Neil Peroga, also of HGV; Brian Wilson, partner at Dellecker Wilson King McKenna Ruffier and Sos law firm; and Tony King of Zerion Group.
• Kevin Aust of AECOM topped the charts by playing 168 holes in 5 hours!

Golf Challenge namesake Doug Spencer and Coalition President/CEO Brent Trotter

We are so grateful to Golf Challenge corporate sponsor Hilton Grand Vacations; event sponsor Zerion Group; event and lunch sponsor, Spencer Consulting Services; dinner sponsor Stephens-Barrios; beverage cart sponsor Tews Company; and the golfers, supporters, prize donors, and hole sponsors (particularly Thomson Environmental who manned their hole all day)!

The funds raised at this event will support the programs and services that provide homeless men, women, and families with children in Central Florida the tools to return to self-sufficiency!

Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida could not exist without our dedicated team of volunteers. The valuable time and skills given so freely by our supporters make a huge difference for our residents.

This month, we are saying “thank you” to all of you who have helped make an impact! Please take a minute to meet one of our fabulous volunteers, Canadian snowbird Mary Hamel.

Why do you support the Coalition?  I began supporting the Coalition because I totally believe in its mission of empowering people that are in a temporary position of homelessness… I continue because I am impressed with the dedication of the staff and fellow volunteers. Through a common sense of purpose, everyone works together as an extended family, reaching out to each other and the Coalition’s clients.

How often and in what capacity do you volunteer?  I have been a volunteer for the Coalition since November 2011… Currently, I volunteer one day per week in addition to helping out at Christmas and other special events/activities.

What has surprised you most about working with the Coalition?  How easily I have been welcomed into the fold and the amount of enjoyment I derive in collaborating with the staff.

What is your fondest memory of volunteering?  Children hold an especially special place in my heart, so I thoroughly enjoy normalizing holidays and special times for them. Perhaps I am still a kid at heart. While setting up for one particular Christmas, I remember unloading and stacking the boxes of donated gifts and toys while children and their parents were making their way in and out of the building. The glee and excitement in the children’s faces and voices is something that lives in my memory.

What do you wish other people knew about the Coalition?  I would like people to understand that the Coalition is not a place that provides handouts, but rather an organization that has extensive case-managed programs such as job skills training, substance abuse recovery, and transitional housing to help those in need.

If you weren’t volunteering, what would you be doing instead?  I probably would have explored working part-time as a Social Worker or Human Resources Specialist – my professions before retiring.

How would someone describe you?  I like to think that those around me think I care about others and that I am mostly upbeat and positive.

What do you do when you aren’t volunteering?  Oh my, there are so many things I enjoy doing.  I love spending time with my grandchildren; I get great pleasure from gardening, especially when I see the fruits of my labor; I golf occasionally, mostly because of the exercise and surroundings; I thoroughly enjoy nature and have recently taken up birding; and I explore Florida with my husband on his motorcycle.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?  I am a Canadian snowbird with a home in Seminole County. I have vacationed in Florida for over 35 years and continue to love being here.

Yesterday, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) released The State of Homelessness in America 2013. This report uses the most recently available national data to examine trends with regard to homelessness between 2011 and 2012.

The report shows that, overall, the homeless population decreased by 0.4% between 2011 and 2012. There was a decrease in all homeless subpopulations, with the exception of persons in families.

The 56-page report takes a close look at homelessness data and the associated economic and demographic factors.

Here are a few major findings:

• At a point in time in January 2012, 633,782 people in America were experiencing homelessness.
  • Although the national homeless population slightly decreased, it increased in 29 of the 50 states.
  • Florida, specifically, experienced a 2.7% decrease in the overall homeless population.
• The largest decreases were among individuals identified as chronically homeless (6.8%) and veterans (7.2%).
• The number of people in homeless families increased by 1.4%.
• 20 people out of every 10,000 in the general population are homeless.
  • 29 veterans out of every 10,000 in the general population are homeless.
• 38% of persons identified as homeless were unsheltered, living on the streets, in cars, in abandoned buildings, or in other places not intended for human habitation.

The NAEH stated that, “decreases…indicate that, with federal, state, and local investment in strategies proven to end homelessness, progress can be made.” We couldn’t agree more and are so grateful for the support from our community.

Please read the full report and share your thoughts below.

Mark (right) with his 15-year-old son, Mark

More than 18,500 volunteers generously gave their time and talents to Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida last year, proving to be the muscle power behind our mission. Throughout April, Volunteer Appreciation Month, we are showing our gratitude to these wonderful supporters by sharing a few of their stories.

This week, we’re pleased to introduce you to Mark Aylward, who donates his professional services and Saturday afternoons to make a difference in our clients’ lives.

Why do you support the Coalition?  I feel honored to be able to give back in small ways, and I can’t think of a better place to directly impact lives so quickly and profoundly.

What was your first impression?  That there were so many people that needed help and so many people willing to help.

How often and in what capacity do you volunteer?  I play flag football every Saturday for a few hours with my son and a bunch of kids and volunteers from the Coalition. I also conduct a class every other Thursday around the topic of re-employment, resume writing, and interviewing (my core profession) for the First Steps Substance Abuse Recovery Phase II men.

What has surprised you most about working with the Coalition?  The amount of good they do with the resources they have. Also how positively it has impacted my son.

What is your fondest memory of volunteering at the Coalition?  One Saturday, a young girl approached me on the football field and tapped me on the shoulder to show me a piece of paper. It turns out that it was her report card and she had received straight A’s. We hugged and I fought back tears just appreciating the fact that she would want to show me.

Tell us about some of the people you’ve met… The other volunteers are kind, caring, giving, and fun. The Coalition kids are just a joy to be around. They make me feel more appreciative and hopeful about things. And the First Steps guys are living, breathing examples of how close success and failure are and how anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it. Nothing is over until you quit trying.

How would someone describe you?  Honest, kind, and funny.

What do you do when you aren’t volunteering?  Work; spend time with my son; try to visit my girls, other family, and friends; exercise; and read. I’m hoping to do more traveling soon.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?  I like romantic comedies way more than I’d like to admit.