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 In 2006, Rick and Krissy Todd decided to reach out to a homeless family that approached them while they were attending their son’s soccer practice. While talking to them, they learned their story; the father had been laid off from his job in the construction industry and the mom lost her job after a prolonged stay in the hospital due to gestational diabetes. Subsequently, they lost their home, ended up living in their car, which was then repossessed, and as a result, lost all their personal possessions, which left them living on the streets.
By using their contacts and resources, they were able to rebuild this couple’s lives, by placing them into a temporary living facility, getting them clothing, food, assisting them in attaining their personal documents. In the end they were successful in getting this couple back on their feet.
In the process of assisting this family, Rick and Krissy discovered that despite the fact that there are resources available out there, it is extremely difficult for the homeless and poor to gain access to services. This experience revealed a serious gap in services, especially for families.
It was at this time that their vision became clear and they established HOPE.
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Our Mission...
...is to prevent and reduce homelessness in Central Florida by equipping individuals and families to become self-sufficient through Housing, Outreach, Prevention, and Education.
 Our Vision...
HOPE will address the issues facing individuals and families in crisis by networking with local agencies and organizations, partnering to become more effective, studying best and emerging practices, and developing innovative problem-solving ideas in a comprehensive, coordinated, and strategic fashion.
We plan to effectively make use of those services that exist and also establish new programs that are desperately needed to enable individuals and families to become self sufficient.
We will educate and transform the way people think about the poor and homeless, by publicizing the need, promoting the goal and providing the opportunity to create change. HOPE will engage communities to develop and plan long term solutions that address the problems facing those in crisis.
Together we will make a difference in the lives of those in our community. We envision a world where people know that there is HOPE.
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For 20 years, communities throughout the country have been managing the homeless problem rather than seeking to address the root causes. The Federal Government has spent billions of dollars on homeless programs since the McKinney act of 1987. Despite this investment, there continues to be millions of people who experience homelessness nationally. Recently, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has spearheaded a national effort to both prevent and end homelessness. But they feel that it is only through local community efforts that this type of plan will work. We want to initiate such a plan here in Central Florida.
It is actually a lot less expensive to prevent and end homelessness than to keep supporting it. We must implement prevention strategies that reduce the number of people who become homeless and increase supportive services and expedite placement into housing. The cost to provide one year of housing & supportive services to one homeless individual is approximately $9,000 a year. The cost to provide a family of four with a $300 monthly subsidy is $3,600. Waiting for at risk populations to fall into homelessness only creates more homeless specific programs, increases costs and deepens the human tragedy. The average person has only one picture of what homelessness is - but in reality, homeless people are men, women, children & families. Homelessness crosses all lines - and affects everyone.
Homeless people are not a monolith; in fact, a "one size fits all" solution does not exist. Homelessness is a societal problem that requires a partnership between private charities, government & active public support. Homelessness is a national problem with local solutions. We feel we should do everything we can to help those living in conditions unworthy of their human dignity. Together we can end this National disgrace. |
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Awareness Events - In line with our vision, we continually work on educating and changing the way people think about the poor and homelessness in a way that compels them to action. To accomplish this goal, we host large awareness events such as our annual OneNow event that bring to light the true issues that these families face on a daily basis.
Advocacy - We are continually networking with key business leaders, non-profits and faith based organizations to advocate for real solutions to the issues facing today’s families. As a result of these discussions, we have now formed the Alliance for Real Change. It is only through changing the attitudes and perceptions of the community that we can truly affect the way we deal with these issues in the future.
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ABOUT HOPE
