Lee County Homeless Coalition Awards $28,000 to Member Agencies!
The Lee County Homeless Coalition is proud to announce awards to member agencies in the amount of $28,000. The mission of the Coalition is “to advocate, educate, and promote awareness of issues and obstacles facing homeless individuals in Lee County through community collaboration, planning, and implementing solutions.”
This grant opportunity was made available only to members of the Lee County Homeless Coalition. The Coalition works with individuals and agencies to identify potential gaps within our local continuum of homeless care. Members of the Lee County Homeless Coalition are individuals or organizations that are committed to advocating, educating, and promoting awareness of issues and obstacles facing the homeless in Lee County through community collaboration, planning, and implementing solutions.
We recognize that our provider agencies are being stretched to capacity and working harder than ever to deliver effective services often with diminishing funding. The grant funding went to support member agencies such as:
- Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc. (ACT) ($5,000) was awarded for their program “Breaking the Cycle, Bringing Back Smiles.” This program includes clients and their children currently living in safe shelters. Funding will be used to plan recreational activities and events to promote family unity and fun during stressful and trying times.
- All Soul’s Episcopal Church ($3,000) was awarded funding to support their Work Boot/Footwear Request and to support clients who are in need of obtaining legal forms of identification, which is needed to access available federal, state and local health and human services.
- Community Cooperative ($5,000) was awarded funding to provide services for crisis situations and then develop a plan with our clients that empowers them to end homelessness and move forward to self-sufficiency and a long-term solution. Clients are referred to direct services provided by Community Cooperative such as utility assistance, client ID replacement, mail delivery, and employment, health, and financial literacy classes.
- Lee County Housing Development Corporation($2,500) was awarded funding for laptops that will be used to provide financial education for individuals to improve their understanding of financial products, concepts and risks and be made aware of financial risks and opportunities, make informed choices to know where to go for help, and take other effective action to improve their financial well-being.
- The Midwest Food Bank ($2,500) was awarded funding for offset fuel costs in their delivery of food used to feed homeless, individuals, seniors, families, and children in need. Their objective is to provide easy access to food for those in the area who are facing food insecurities. This past month of July they served 500 children, families, homeless and seniors in need.
- The Salvation Army ($10,000) was awarded funding for three different programs: 1) to support their Dental Services Program ($5000) for the purchase of a dental chair, 2) to the Bob Janes Triage Center ($4000) for medication and bus passes, and 3) to Outreach Services ($1000) for bus passes.
To learn more about how you can help join the fight against homelessness, contact Janet Bartos at 239-322-6600. For more information on the Lee County Homeless Coalition, visit www.leehomeless.org.
