Making Ends Meet. Volume 4 Issue 2 Summer 2016

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1 Established in 1989 Volume 4 Issue 2 Summer 2016 Mission To alleviate and prevent hunger and homelessness. Vision We envision a community free of hunger and homelessness. Making Ends Meet Troy, Tunicia, and their three daughters were living in an apartment in Punta Gorda for over five years. Troy continues to work full time and Tunicia is attending school to pursue a degree in the medical field. Unfortunately, when the apartment management company changed, rent increased drastically and many of the tenants had The Prince family to find alternate housing. For Troy and his family, who were reliable tenants always paying their rent on time, this was devastating. For a while the family stayed with Troy s father but sadly his father passed away. This left the family looking for safe shelter and they called the Homeless Coalition for help. Soon after that call a family room was available for the family to move in to. Although it was tight quarters for this family of five, the Emergency Shelter is a safe place that provides hot meals and resources to assist the Princes to quickly move back into their own permanent housing. Even though they have more than one income, the Princes still struggled to find affordable housing, as do many residents of Charlotte County. There is also the obstacle of needing three times the rent, required by most landlords to move in. Struggling to make ends meet, the Prince family can save for their move by staying at the Shelter and working with case managers to find housing they can afford. While the Prince family continues to search for permanent housing, working with private landlords, they also have been referred to apply for Season of Sharing funding through the United Way for move in deposit assistance to move into their new home. Tunicia states Once we get out of this situation, I pray that I can return to the Homeless Coalition and help people in similar situations and that my story will help someone too. Summertime is busy here at our Food Pantry serving over 80 households every week. We need nonperishable items to stock our shelves!! Items most needed are canned proteins, such as tuna and chicken, as well as beans and pasta sauce. Please drop off any of these items Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm!!

2 Page 2 Summer 2016 From the ceo Angela M. Hogan CEO Physical Address: 1476 Kenesaw St Port Charlotte, FL Mailing Address: Box Murdock, FL Phone: Web Address: cchomelesscoalition.org Social Media: facebook.com/charlotte countyhomelesscoalition YouTube.com/ cchomelesscoalition Homeless Coalition Leadership Team Angela M. Hogan, Chief Executive Officer John Fanning, Director of Operations Tina Figliuolo, Director of Development & Community Relations Alecia Cunningham, Director of Social Services Karin Barbito, Shelter Director Understanding Poverty LIKE us on Facebook at In June, I was fortunate enough to go to Santa Fe New Mexico for Trainer Certification in A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne. I am grateful to the United Way for investing in their Executive Director, Carrie Hussey, and myself to bring these important concepts back to our community. There were two startling things I took away from the training. The first was the general lack of basic understanding the majority of the participants, mostly school teachers and administrators, had about living in poverty. While I was appreciative of those that were present trying to gain a broader understanding, my heart ached for the more than 30% of children in our country who come from poverty. Every day these children enter a system designed for and by middle class people, based on middle class expectations. The second thing that I still can t seem to shake is the crisis our boys are facing in education, employment and social relationships. Crisis is a gentle word, more than 80% of the jobs lost in the recession were jobs held by men and those jobs are not coming back. Boys make up the majority of dropouts, discipline problems and special education placement they are more likely to have poor grades and be identified as suffering from ADD or ADHD and in need of medication. When 84% of US school teachers are white, middle class, females, intentionally or not, normal boy development and behavior is discouraged and scrutinized. Pair these normal boy behaviors with a poverty background and school quickly becomes a recipe for potential failure. I was recently reading a 2003 study by Dr. Donna Beegle, Overcoming the Silence of Generational Poverty, in which she described her early experiences. I was born into a family where no one was educated beyond the eighth grade. For generations, my family subsisted on menial-wage employment and migrant work. Although we worked hard, we were constantly evicted, hungry, and struggling with poverty. Early on, I learned that education meant stress: the stress of trying to arrive on time; having the right clothing, shoes, and lunch; and completing homework projects. Like others born into generational poverty, I find that thinking of my early educational experiences evokes memories of violence, humiliation, and fear; school became peripheral to my family life and earning a living. Although there has been some progress made in diminishing the educational barriers of race, gender, geography and religion, poverty is the one barrier that has not been even partially overcome. Dr. Beegle I always used to think that creating diversity was simple, make sure you include people of other races, sexes, religions, and sexual orientations at the decision making tables, and whala! you have instant diversity. The older I get, the more I realize how hard it really is. Those in poverty need to be at the table when decisions are made about how they are served and children should have a voice in their own education. I learned a lot in Santa Fe, but I came home with an even longer list of the work that still needs to get done. Have you considered the Homeless Coalition in your Estate Planning?

3 cchomelesscoalition.org facebook.com/charlottecountyhomelesscoalition CCHC Voice Page 3 Making Connections Four years ago a group of human service agencies, including many food pantries, gathered to discuss hunger in Charlotte County. For most in this first meeting we had no idea how many people were actually hungry in our own community. We heard numbers ranging from hundreds to thousands to tens of thousands. But since no one had the real answer a task force was formed to find out, the Food Connection Committee set out to start data collection. Mid-way through the first year, more than half of the County s Food Pantries had agreed to share information in a shared database, dubbed the Community Information System (CIS). The group quickly began to see a picture of residents struggling with lack of food. By the end of the first year, the Food Connection Project had identified over 11,000 people who used more than 80,000 services throughout the community. These services included such things as; food pantries, rental & utility assistance, free clothing & furniture, and case management. These 11,000 made up 3,642 Households and they frequented food pantries more than 23,000 times. fe ature program We were surprised to learn that of these 3,642 households, only 37% received Food Stamp assistance (SNAP). This information gave the team an immediate needs gap that could be addressed through counseling and support. The project s second year was successful beyond our expectations. We were able to collaborate with more pantries than our initial goal and data really began to tell a story of hunger in Charlotte County. We realized that what we thought we knew and expected to see, we didn t. The things we had previously based our assumptions on, were not entirely accurate. What has been created from the Food Connection is Charlotte County s unique story of hunger and poverty. Although the literally homeless do not play a significant role in the data, the data told us that most people who were accessing services here were less than one bump in the road from becoming homeless. They are your neighbors, young and old alike. They are members of your congregation. They are members of your family. The examination of the data was telling, many people simply didn t know where or how to access help that could prevent them from being hungry. A major goal of the project was to identify the repeat high utilizers of food pantries and try to reduce their dependency on the services by addressing their deeper needs. Through the data we were able to identify those quickly and began to implement plans to find out why those households were so in need. Continued on page 6

4 Page 4 Summer 2016 volunteer spotlight The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Charlotte County (UUFCC) has been serving our community since Recently they have been generous in their giving to the Homeless Coalition. The UUFCC Men s Group has donated fishing supplies for the Homeless Coalition s Veterans Program, monetary donations for necessary equipment at the shelter, and numerous hours of volunteer service in the dining room, food pantry and special events. Their generosity in funding special projects and weekly volunteering is priceless to our community. LIKE us on Facebook at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Charlotte County Left to Right: Sue Burgess, Herb Levin, Gudrun Matthaus Thank You Women of Nielsen! Nielsen Media Research in Venice is a consistent supporter of the Homeless Coalition. For many years the Women of Nielsen have collected back to school & personal hygiene items and hundreds of pounds of food for the Homeless Coalition. Serving our clients dinner is one more way that Nielsen employees give back. Their dedication to the needs in our community is extraordinary. We are thankful for our neighbors to the north who volunteer to share their time and talents with us. Thank You Women of Nielsen! Save the Dates!!! 2016 Giving Challenge: September 20th - 21st from Noon-Noon givingpartnerchallenge.org Charlotte Idol Finals: August 27th at 6pm Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center Empty Bowls: November 3rd 4pm to 7pm New Day Christian Church Riverwood Golf Scramble: Saturday November 12th at 7:30am Riverwood Golf and Country Club

5 cchomelesscoalition.org facebook.com/charlottecountyhomelesscoalition 87 Freedom Club Angels We would like to send a very special thank you to owner Tom Beddia, Lisa Ahrens, and the entire team of The Greener Cleaner as well as everyone at the Pat Moran Foundation for their continued support of the Homeless Coalition. Since 2013, the Coalition s 87 Freedom Club Campaign has been working to reduce the organization s long-term mortgage debt. These generous grants of over $60,000 have been applied directly towards the principal balance on the Coalition s mortgage! When the 87 Freedom Club began, the mortgage stood at over $866,536 and with all of the support of the Pat Moran Foundation and individual donors has decreased to under $699,835!! This is an ongoing effort to decrease the Coalition s debt which allows us to increase services to clients. Their generosity and dedication to our mission is unsurpassed! Voice Page 5 office of development Tina Figliuolo Director, Community Relations & Development Pat Moran Foundation Publix Food For All!! Have you ever stood in the checkout line at Publix and wondered what those small colored slips of paper marked $1, $3, or $5 where? Where do the funds go? Who do they help? During each Holiday Season, Publix Super Markets run an annual Food For All Campaign. Customers and associates contribute by purchasing contribution cards at the checkout. The funds raised are used to support programs designed to fight hunger and advocate for self-sufficiency. In April 2016, the Homeless Coalition was a grateful recipient of $25,000, in support of our Hunger Prevention Program. Over 50 other agencies throughout the State of Florida also benefitted from the more than $4.4 million dollars raised. This generous contribution will allow us to continue feeding over 67,000 hot meals a year, especially during the summertime when hunger is prominent. Publix Super Markets are an amazing community partner from daily donations of bread, and employees volunteering monthly in our dining room to huge gifts like this through the Food for All Program. Thank you for your support and continued partnership! Have you considered the Homeless Coalition in your Estate Planning?

6 Page 6 Summer 2016 fe ature profile board of directors Joe Angelini III Corporal Punta Gorda Police Dept Teri Ashley, Board President Director of Business Development Riverside Behavioral Center Andrew Barco Owner Barco s Accounting & Tax Service Amy Biener Area Manager Local Customer Care CenturyLink Ashley B. Houseman Associate Broker Coldwell Banker Sunstar-Morris Realty Rick Ilmberger Owner Suncoast Glass and Mirror Polly Johnson Assistant V.P., Branch Manager Charlotte State Bank & Trust Steve Lineberry Senior Photographer Wise Choice Photography Events Julie Mathis Executive Director Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce Jill McBee Lieutenant Charlotte County Sheriff s Office Jason R. Miller, Treasurer CFO Medical Center of Southeast Texas Greg Novack Retired Restaurateur Lara Praizner Sr Personal Banker BMO Harris Bank W. Kevin Russell, Past President Attorney W. Kevin Russell Law Bob Segur, P.A. Attorney & School Board Member Charlotte County Public Schools Linda Simmons Design & Sales Busy Bee Cabinets Toni Simpson, Foundation Board Chair V.P. R. Simpson Plastering & Stucco Kay Tracy Business Development Specialist Olga Triola Managed Markets Business Planner - Merck & Company, Inc. Emeritus Directors Mark Martella, Past President Attorney Martella Law Firm Rick Ilmberger Owner, Suncoast Glass & Mirror, Inc. LIKE us on Facebook at After moving to Charlotte County in 1993 from the Chicago Illinois suburb of Fox Lake, where he grew up working in the family glass business, Rick started Suncoast Glass & Mirror, Inc. in Suncoast Glass specializes in shower & tub glass enclosures, mirrors and the repairing of broken or non- operating windows and doors. Rick is very involved in the community and non-profits including being the Associate VP for the Charlotte DeSoto Building Industry Association, Area VI Associate VP and Director of the Florida Home Builders Association, Trustee of the Future Builders of America, Board Member for the Homeless Coalition, and President of the Charlotte Players. Rick was also Rick Ilmberger President of Leadership Charlotte Rick and Suncoast Glass have won many awards over the 18 years in part to Rick s dedication and personalized service he offers. Rick is also an advocate for all animals, especially the Bully Breeds and in his downtime he enjoys spending time with his 4 legged rescue children, Trout, Pia, JaCee, MacLyn and BrynLee. Whether it is organizing a fundraising event for a non-profit, voting on the issues that affect the way we live and do business here in Florida or standing up for what he believes is right, Rick consistently tries to be the best he can for his family and community by learning, leading and being persistent in all that he does. Making Connections Continued from page 3 The first household identified was Sue and Joe. We found that Sue had visited food pantries 140 times over a one year span, that s over 10 times a month! When a case manager sat down with Sue, they were surprised to learn that her husband, Joe was ill and homebound. Sue had given up her manager job at a local medical office to help him. Sue explained that she had been visiting local pantries as a way to socialize with others since being home all the time was something she was not used to. Sue would use some of the food; however most would be given away to her neighbors and friends. She felt she was helping others and just thought she was sharing. The case manager referred Sue to volunteer at a local food pantry to meet her need for companionship and socialization. This proved to be a great solution and Sue is happy in her new role. At the beginning of the project s second year, the number of people identified as high service utilizers totaled 254 and today that number has decreased to only 52. What does all this mean? We as a community are making real progress in the fight against hunger. No question there is still a long way to go, but meeting with people one on one and addressing their real needs is working. We are so thankful to the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, United Way of Charlotte County, Mosaic and the Harry Chapin Food Bank for being our partners in this project.

7 cchomelesscoalition.org facebook.com/charlottecountyhomelesscoalition Voice Page 7 Welcome to Summer! I want to thank all of the amazing Volunteers who give of their time and their hearts to the Homeless Coalition s mission. The difference you make is incredible. The Homeless Coalition could not provide the services and programs to our community without YOU! If you have a little extra time to give this summer, we need your help. If you have not had a tour of the Homeless Coalition, please call me to schedule one. We have several new opportunities and would love your involvement! Our programs are expanding every day, which means the need for Volunteers is growing too! Here is how YOU can help! Housing Support Volunteers are needed to help Shelter Residents with housing searches. Days and times are flexible. Drivers are needed for our Veteran Program. Scheduling will be in advance and as needed. A Special Volunteer is needed to help with our E-Bay Store. Children s Helpers are needed to provide adult supervision for the children of parents attending evening classes at the Homeless Coalition. Monday and/or Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00. Donation Sorters are needed. They will help organize donations from the community to include folding clothing and small household items. Days and times are flexible. Kitchen help is needed from 1:00pm to 4:00pm every day. Front Desk help is needed in the office at the Shelter: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00am to Noon Monday through Friday 6:30pm to 9:30pm Saturday & Sunday from 11:30am to 2:00pm Administrative Assistant help is needed both in the Shelter: Monday through Friday 1:00pm to 4:00pm and in the Main Office on Tuesday afternoons. Vacation coverage is needed too. Homework Tutors are needed 6:30pm to 7:30pm starting in the fall. volunteer opportunities Robin Clark Volunteer Coordinator (941) Ext. 109 Robin.clark@ cchomelesscoalition.org For volunteer opportunities, go to our website at cchomelesscoalition.org and click on the Volunteer tab.

8 Established in 1989 Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Ft. Myers, FL Permit No. 803 Homeless Coalition P.O. Box Murdock, FL Address Service Requested Please help us to keep you informed and in the loop... Call Tina at (941) Ext 118 or your change of address to This will save us postage fees and will ensure your newsletter arrives on time. Whimsically Elegant Whimsically Elegant To benefit the Homeless Coalition