SOARing to Better Access

In addition to providing direct assistance to individuals and families in need for things like rent, utilities, & medical prescriptions, we also strive to increase access to other services that may be useful. We realize that our emergency assistance is a safety net for people in crisis and only the beginning of a journey back to stabilization. Individuals need information about many different topics including job training, childcare, substance abuse treatment, etc. 

We at the Southwest Florida Outreach Ministry continue to broaden the scope of our services for community members. House of Hope Director, Ted Stringer, will be taking SOAR Training to further this mission. SOAR Training stands for SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, & Recovery. SOAR is training to provide technical assistance and training to increase access to Social Security disability benefits for people who are homeless. SSI/SSDI benefits can increase a person's access to housing, treatment, and other supports. The application process is complicated, detailed, & can be difficult to navigate so having a helpful hand with completing the paperwork can be invaluable to actually qualifying for benefits.

SOAR training will allow us to help individuals determine their eligibility for disability benefits right at our outreach center when a person walks through our door instead of trying to send people to other destinations. This is especially important with clients dealing with homelessness who often face difficult barriers such as lack of transportation, mental health issues and more.

SOAR will help us provide more help to some of our neediest clients. Remember we are located at 3309 South Broadway in Fort Myers, Florida. Our operating hours are Monday-Saturday 9am-12noon. Call our office for more information.

Coordinating Assistance for Medical Need

Medical issues can be one of the biggest sources of stress and financial trouble for individuals and families. At Southwest Florida Outreach Ministry Outreach Center we encounter many individuals and families who are unable to get medically needed prescriptions. People will call us and ask for assistance with purchasing their prescription drugs because they need their money to pay the rent or buy food instead. Depending on the situation, we may offer a one time contribution to help them pay for the prescription or connect them with fantastic partners like Publix who have a list of commonly prescribed drugs they provide to customers with a prescription for FREE!

However, often the medicine our clients need are not on the "free" lists or are ongoing prescriptions that need a more long-term solution. In these cases we work to help people find other programs that can be of help. Several programs are available that offer free or reduced prescription drugs. Some have eligibility requirements and some do not. Clients may also be eligible for public assistance with medical insurance. We will help you work through the process by assisting with paperwork or applying on-line and ultimately find the best solution for each individual. Please call for assistance or for more information at 239-275-1141. And remember-our Food Pantry is now open six days a week from Monday-Saturday 9:00am-12noon. All are welcome!

Three Cheers for Volunteers!

We could not keep up with the recent skyrocketing of people in need and the numerous requests for assistance if it were not for the giving nature of our volunteers.  As a small non-profit organization we depend greatly on the help of those willing to donate their time to help us help others. We are indebted to the ten to twelve volunteers who show up on a regular basis each week at the food pantry and outreach center. It is not a glamorous job lifting boxes of food, filling bags of groceries, sorting through donated clothing, assisting with benefits paperwork, answering phone calls and other tasks as needed. 

It is not glamorous but it provides immeasurable service to people in need of a helping hand. It is not glamorous but it can make the difference to a person on a certain day, in a certain moment of need that changes a life for the better.  Thank you, THANK YOU, to all our volunteers for everything you do. We plan on bringing volunteer spotlights to our blog in the future to honor and show appreciation for our volunteers. Stay tuned to put faces on the Southwest Florida Outreach Ministry Food Pantry and Outreach Center of Fort Myers, Florida. Remember, we are now open SIX days a week from Monday-Saturday 9:00am - 12 noon. Welcome!

Coalitions & Individual Service Help Hungry

This year has started out very busy for our food pantry. In January we served 484 families and in February, 536 families. This equates to 2955 individuals. Now that March is coming to a close, we project to have served around 1500 families in three months.

Our numbers correspond with the high amount of homeless residing in Lee County, Florida. New homeless numbers came out the end of last month and the count is up from last year. According to an article in the Fort Myers News Press, an annual homeless census identified 937 individuals and 75 families homeless. Of course, these are only the people that were actually found and counted. Numerous other people are living with family or friends in overcrowded housing and considered at-risk of being on the street. Officials predict around 3000 individuals to be homeless. 

Southwest Florida Outreach Ministry is a member of the Lee County Homeless Coalition that has pledged to end homelessness. This broad based coalition includes county, municipal, nonprofit, law enforcement, faith-based and social services leaders who collaborate on strategies for combating homelessness.

Through collaboration and direct assistance, our Outreach Center is here to provide a helping hand to those in need. Our Food Pantry is now open from Monday-Saturday 9am-12 noon. We conduct intakes with all clients and make referrals to other programs and agencies when needed. Staff can also assist people with applying for public assistance. As a faith-based program we feel strongly that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and strive to positively change lives one day at a time! Through coalition building and direct service we get closer to this goal.

House of Hope

The House of Hope is our Southwest Florida Outreach Ministry's addiction recovery program. We offer affordable, comprehensive addiction support and recovery services including temporary housing, food, clothing, counseling, case management, referral, and follow-up. This program is available to men over a nine month period of time. Participants come from a variety of backgrounds and are referred to us from partnering organizations or simply on a walk-in basis. House of Hope currently has space for six individuals and is operated in a safe environment by the Director, Ted Stringer.

The House of Hope is a faith-based program and provides weekly Overcomers meetings which are group support meetings. Individual counseling is also provided. We are currently researching funding opportunities for expanding the program's services to cover program expenses for participants during the initial transition period of the program. This allows the individuals to become familiar with expectations, gather paperwork, and secure employment in order to contribute the program fee and achieve success. However, the current economic conditions have made it more difficult for participants to secure employment and as a result, more pressure to cover the program costs has fallen on Southwest Florida Outreach Ministry.

Learn more about House of Hope by calling our office at 239-275-1141 or make a donation by clicking the Donate button on the top of this post. Check out our website at http://www.swfloutreach.com/. Thank you for your interest in ending substance abuse and providing support for addiction recovery.

Florida's Homeless Children

Discussion has been prevalent this week about the rise of homeless children in the United States. A report was issued by the National Center on Family Homelessness that ranked states according to factors affecting children including well-being, risk and state policies @ http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/. According to this report, Florida ranked 43rd with 50th being the worst ranking. In Florida, about 50,000 children have been listed as homeless or without permanent housing and almost half of these children are young school children ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. Locally, 115 percent more homeless families have been recorded in Lee county than a year earlier. Children's lives are severely impacted when living in these conditions and not surprisingly children living without a permanent home are more likely to have problems with emotions, health, academics, and violence.

Here at Southwest Florida Outreach Ministry this report really comes as no big surprise. We serve children and their families at the Outreach Center and Food Bank every day with things like food, clothing, and emergency assistance for housing and utilities. Over the past eighteen months we have watched the need for our services skyrocket. Children are a large and important part of the population we serve. Last month we served 824 Adults and 577 Children. We also provide referrals to other services in the community. Although our organization is small, we are determined to do our part in changing lives one day at a time for children and families in crisis. Contact us anytime if you are interested in volunteering or making a food, clothing ,or financial donation toward ending childhood hunger and homelessness.

Business of Giving-Deliciously.

We at Southwest Florida Outreach Ministry would like to start this week's post off with a HUGE thank you to all those who contributed to the FirstGiving Marathon Fundraiser. The event was held last weekend and we raised $504 for our food pantry. We are in great need of donations and this money will allow us to purchase difficult to find food items to fill our shelves and freezer. Our pantry accepts donations from individuals and we also work hand in hand with the Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers by receiving food donations and also purchasing food at a discounted rate from them. We then act as a distributor of this food to our community individuals and families in need.

Not only do we partner with non-profit organizations like Harry Chapin, but we also look for opportunities to connect with local businesses who are interested in community good works. For instance, Panera Bread, located on Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers operates a program called Operation Dough-Nation. This program donates their leftover bakery products at the end of the day to selected non-profit organizations for delivery to those in need including the ill, the needy, and infants. Panera Bread states they believe the "Universal Spirit of Bread is Sharing" and as a result they are committed to the communities they share. We appreciate this commitment and are happy to collaborate with them on this project.

We always welcome food donations and please spread the word about our food pantry. We are open Monday through Saturday 9-noon--And, if you want to dine at a yummy restaurant that supports our community, check out Panera Bread at: http://www.panerabread.com/ located at 5037 S Cleveland Ave.