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On the Road to Self-Sufficiency |
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A critical component of HOPE's success is the productive work relationships we cultivate in our local community, including government, social services, business, and the faith community.
To this end, with the joint leadership of HOPE's Executive Director, Krissy Todd, Debra Groseclose, Director of Prevention at CBC of Seminole, and partners in government and local churches, the Pathways to Home collaborative was founded a little over 16 months ago.
Pathways to Home is a Seminole County Collaborative consisting of 16 partner agencies, supported by 50 additional agencies, with the express vision of solving the issue of housing in Seminole County. The approach is holistically based, coordinating services in an integrated manner in order to ensure that families who qualify for the program work with case managers and a network of personal support on their road to self sufficiency. All case managers receive solid and continuous support from the program's full-time program manager and case manager.
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Currently, the collaborative assists 32 families with a unified case management approach called Family Team Conferencing, and the case load is spread among the 16 partner agencies.
HOPE is proud to announce that, along with our current client base, we are successfully helping two families as part of the collaborative. A very important qualifier for the program entails the family's willingness to become self-sufficient within a period of two years. Both of the families that we are currently helping have displayed not only this willingness, but are also taking the first steps on their journey out of crisis.
Richard and Angelica*, our very first Pathways clients. Richard is a military veteran who has served this wonderful country for over twenty years abroad. Due to the recession Richard lost his job, and he and his family had to move into a low-cost housing unit to make ends meet with the savings they had left. This serves as a reminder to us all that the line between crisis and self-sufficiency is a very fine one, and it may only take a single job loss or medical emergency to place us - me and you - in the very same position.
Throughout the entire crisis, Richard, husband and proud father of 3 children, never lost his commitment to serving others: he continued volunteering with the Homeless Speakers Bureau in order to raise the level of awareness regarding the issue of homelessness in Central Florida. We are proud to announce that, through the efforts of Pathways in securing a working relationship with the Florida Manufacturing Extension Program's MOST (Mobile Outreach Skills Training) program, Richard took part in an intensive two week manufacturing-based skills training program, and is currently working at a company in Sanford (after finishing the training, it took two weeks to place Richard with the company - truly phenomenal). HOPE is also working with Richard in order to secure needed medical and dental services for his family, as well as car repairs to ensure Richard's upward journey.
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Our second Pathways family is Tina and Jack*, a Mom and Dad with 2 Year old son Brian, and a baby due in July. Due to unsteady employment the family had no income, and they have been homeless and living in their van. The mother wasn't able to work due to high risk pregnancy, and housing opportunities were not available to them.
HOPE and Pathways have been working with this family for about 6 weeks, as part of a year-long program to help them become self-sufficient. "It is not a quick fix or band aid, says Christine Wright, Resource Coordinator at HOPE, it is about taking the family and working hand and hand with them and guiding them through this process." Like Richard, Jack also completed the "MOST" program which helped him to learn a new trade and secure a job through Pathways in his trade.
HOPE assisted Tina and Jack with emergency housing at a hotel until suitable affordable housing could be found, their stay at the hotel ended up being for three weeks. HOPE also helped them with food and gas so Jack could get to his job training and finally to his new job.
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"We've worked intricately with Tina and Jack to find a home that would be affordable and HOPE helped the family with the move in costs. It was quite emotional for everyone when we were able to move this family into their new home this past week, said Christine Wright. With assistance from HOPE and Pathways we are taking this family from homelessness to self sufficiency, and will guide them over the next year", she said.
HOPE is blessed with the support from our community to be able to help many families like this throughout the year. Through the Family Team Conferencing process, HOPE will be working with both of these families and many others as true partners with them in their journey to self sufficiency. In a time of uncertainty and limited resources, HOPE is committed to solving the issues facing our community in new and innovative ways.
If you would like to learn more about the Pathways to Home collaborative, please contact me at 407-668-5039 or at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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A special message from our client Tina:
"without the Pathways program, my husband would still be unemployed and we'd still be living in our van. We are very grateful and thankful to receive the constant support from those at HOPE, especially Christine. We have received food, toiletries, items for our baby, financial assistance, and just knowing there is someone there to talk to has been so important and critical to our family in moving forward... thank you"
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MISS FLORIDA, RACHEL TODD, TO VISIT NCH OFFICES |
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Since winning the Miss Florida title in July 2009, Rachel Todd has been visiting homeless programs in Florida, meeting with the recipients of services, and lobbying members of the Florida State and Federal legislatures.
Todd, a 23-year-old University of Central Florida graduate, has made “Changing the Face of Homelessness” her pageant platform after growing up helping the homeless members of her community growing up. Todd’s mother, Krissy Todd, heads up the Hope Foundation in Oviedo which works to end homelessness. Staffed by a NCH AmeriCorps*VISTA Volunteer, the Hope Foundation hosts NCH’s Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau project in Seminole County.
Shortly after winning the Miss Florida title in July, Todd traveled to Washington, DC to attend a homelessness conference and to lobby U.S. House Members on the homeless hate crimes legislation (H.R. 3419). As Miss Florida nears the end of her reign, she is returning to Washington, DC the week of May 16 to continue her lobbying on H.R. 3419, along with its companion bill (S. 1765) in the U.S. Senate. With Florida enacting homeless hate crimes legislation on May 11, she hopes to convince the Florida’s Congressional Delegation to support this important piece of legislation.
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Heard in Central Florida Presents Seminole County League of Women Voter’s Hot Topics Luncheon “Homeless Students in Seminole County Florida Public Schools” |
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Carroll McKenney Public Media presents Heard in Central Florida (HCF) -- a collaboration with the Seminole County League of Women Voters presenting the league’s Hot Topics luncheon program on the issue of “homeless students in Seminole County Florida.”
Now on-line here, the presentation and follow-up questions from the luncheon audience of league members and guests was recorded Thursday, January 28, 2010. It features remarks from Beth D. Davalos, staff liaison for a Seminole County school system project known as Families in Transition, which provides services to homeless students attending Seminole County Public Schools. After Ms. Davalos’ presentation, she responds to questions from the audience. The luncheon was hosted by league president, Deana Schott. The program is 44:21 in length.
Ms. Davalos’ presentation notes that 904 students are considered homeless in the current school year. These students come from all areas of the county and from the 7 cities in the county. Each child must find some way to make it through the school year in a situation of insecurity and tension as their family struggles to find shelter. In 2003 only 3 students were faced with concentrating on academic achievement while also facing the anxiety and embarrassment of homelessness, according to Davalos.
In the current economic environment, Davalos repots that many families with school age children have lost their home and have struggled to find living facilities. Seventy six percent of these families end up in shared housing with all the attendant over-crowding and loss of privacy. The homeless shelter in Seminole county separates families by gender and has too few beds even then, but 9% of the students live there. Many other families live in temporary shelter in a single hotel room. As a result, these homeless students are performing 1.7 grade levels below other students. Twenty-one percent of homeless children become homeless adults. Their social life is almost non-existent because they can’t bring friends “home.”
Davalos presents these statistics and describes action taken by the schools to provide the unique services that these children in need. The passage of the McKinney-Vento Act set federal requirements and guidelines to meet this crisis. Services provided by Families in Transition include:
**Continuation in their school of origin no matter where they moved to find shelter so they don’t have to disrupt their school environment. Transportation provided.
**Free breakfast and lunch each day
**Some new clothing, backpacks and hygiene products.
**Counseling and tutoring to help with academics and behavior
**Coordinated assistance from community agencies at all levels of government.
**Pathways to Home, a pilot program to provide 30 case managers to serve 130 homeless families.
Many families are new to the economic crisis of homelessness and don’t know where to turn. Each year the school system sponsors a Families in Transition event at Winter Springs High school where 300 volunteers and social service agencies gather to provide information and services to 900 local families who find themselves homeless or in need.
For this on-line presentation, the Heard in Central Florida webpage offers a listener relevant and helpful information regarding homeless students in Seminole County. These helpful features include links to external Websites of organizations to which Davalos refers, a downloadable file of Davalos’ slide presentation as well as still pictures of the event. The site also offers an on-line comment section, and the ability to email the HCF link those who may be interested in the subject matter.
CMF has also collaborated with the Seminole County League of Women Voters on the previous Hot Topics lunches addressing youth substance abuse in Seminole County and a gavel to gavel presentation by county education leaders at the league’s recent forum on education funding priorities for Seminole County Public Schools and Seminole State College. Both features may be heard on-line here and here, respectively.
CMF has also launched a similar collaboration with the Oviedo/Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce. That Heard in Central Florida on-line presentation features the chamber’s annual “State of the Cities” luncheon address by the mayors of the cities of Oviedo and Winter Springs, Florida. It may be heard at here.
Heard in Central Florida’s Web portal and its collaboration with these important civic organizations is another step in CMF’s mission to reflect yet more local issues and voices that matter through the production of audio recordings of local events addressing important – and often little publicized – issues such as chamber of commerce luncheon speakers, voter forums, and civic club speeches on issues about which listeners may benefit from greater awareness.
Carroll McKenney Public Media also produces Central Florida Matters, its flagship program featuring a variety of local issues and voices that matter. Now on-line at http://cmfmedia.org, it features a follow-up discussion with the mayors of Winter Springs and Oviedo after their “state of the city” addresses. Additional segments also feature a report on the challenge and fun of the fast-paced sport of lacrosse, a walking tour of historic downtown Oviedo and commentary from Oviedo’s Miss Florida.
Carroll McKenney Foundation for Public Media, Inc., is a non-profit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) publicly supported charity. Located in Oviedo, Florida, CMF produces and distributes program content via the Internet, such as downloadable audio podcasts featuring local issues and voices that matter to Central Florida.
CMF’s Website provides additional information about Carroll McKenney Foundation: upcoming programming, history and future plans, governance and budget. While at the site, a visitor can subscribe to the CMF E-Letter. An on-line contribution opportunity is also available for visitors or listeners wishing to make a tax deductible contribution to non-profit CMF. The state of Florida recognizes CMF as exempt from state sales tax and approved to conduct charitable solicitations. |
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HOPE's Krissy Todd - Winner of Nationally Broadcast e-town's "Echievement Award" |
| Each year thousands of nominations are sent to e-Town for their Echievement Award, a nationally broadcast radio segment, which highlights those making a difference in their community. Over a year ago, Krissy Todd, Executive Director of HOPE Foundation, was nominated for her dedication to her community and work with HOPE. The interview process took place over several months in early 2009, which included additional requests for information, and numerous phone interviews. |
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Last month, HOPE was notified that Krissy was chosen as the winner for their March 2010 airing, which immediately followed with an on-air interview with a live audience.
Please take a moment to listen to the (8 min) interview which describes HOPE's beginnings and the continued work we are doing to help children and families in crisis in our community... or catch the interview on one of these stations in Florida this weekend |
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Click here to listen to the interview in it's entirety
Florida airing (this week):
Destin WKGC-FM 90.7 FM/1480 AM Saturday 6am
Ft. Walton Beach WKGC-FM 90.7 FM/1480 AM Saturday 6am
Gainesville WUFT-FM 89.1 FM HD-2 Sunday 1pm
Orlando WMMO-FM 98.9 FM & HD-1 Sunday 7am
Panama City WKGC-FM 90.7 FM/1480 AM Saturday 6am
Pensacola WKGC-FM 90.7 FM/1480 AM Saturday 6am
*Streaming available for all above stations.
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About e-town (from their website):
etown's mission is to educate, entertain and inspire a diverse audience, through music and conversation, to create a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable world.
etown is an exciting weekly radio broadcast:
We're heard from coast to coast on NPR®/public, commercial, and community stations. Like old-time radio variety shows, every etown show is taped in front of a live audience and features performances from many of today's top musical artists as well as conversation and information about our communities and our environment.
etown is a community builder:
By featuring diverse music and interviews with a wide variety of authors, poets and policy-makers, etown creates a constantly expanding "community on the air." With the addition of inspiring e-chievement awards, listeners all over the country are reminded that individual efforts really do make a difference. etown is a place where respect for each other and our natural environment go hand in hand |
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NEWS & MEDIA
