Coalition For the Homeless of Central Fl

Boy this place sure has changed. Brand-​new building going up to the men and another construction project in progress.
I went with the a church group to assist serving dinner one evening. The face of the homeless is not necessarily that angry man you see in downtown Orlando all the time. Face of the homeless this evening were women, children, and even senior citizens. Some appeared to have just gone there from work, they were very neatly and nicely dressed. All of the women and children we were serving were very kind and courteous and very thankful. The staff that works there they were equally very gracious and thankful that we were there to help that night.
We serve a meal of chicken, corn, fruit, and milk. for dessert they received some really fancy cupcakes, that were donated by one of the cupcake bakeries.
This evening for me and for all that were with me was definitely a reality check. We’ll do it again soon sometime.

Recently I read in the paper that Orlando’s largest homeless shelter was seeking blankets for the upcoming season. So after gathering what I could, I headed to their main campus (one of two) in order to drop off my donation.
The front area that boasts a playground is heavily gated due to the safety of the children who are staying there. Unfortunately, the location of the Coalition happens to be in a neighborhood with high crime and poverty rates. But with the help of fences and clear rules, this organization is able to help 650 each and every day. With 9 transitional apartments, 240 individual beds and the capabilities of serving 270,000 meals in one year, the Coalition seeks to give everyone a second chance.
It was started in 1987 by a group of local citizens wishing to do something about the population of people in Orlando who found themselves without a home to call their own. Over 20 years later, they are proud to be the largest service provider in Central Florida. Just to name a few, they offer healthcare, daycare, mental health counseling, Boys and Girls Club and addiction intervention.
And from time to time, they feature special events to bring awareness to their cause. In April of next year they are hosting their 16^th annual Hearts of Gold Concert at Hard Rock Live. REO Speedwagon will be performing and over 1,000 people are expected to attend.
So this holiday season, if you are looking for a group to help out, bring your blankets and/​or your checkbook to a quality Coalition whose main goal is to give back locally.