WILL YOU BE THERE?

Homeless Awareness Day at Florida's Capitol

YOUR voice is needed in Tallahassee on Homeless Awareness Day in Tallahassee on April 7.

This is an opportunity to educate Senators and Representatives about the needs of our homeless neighbors and how they can help by:

• Funding Local Coalitions and State Homeless Programs
• Supporting the 2010 Homelessness Bill
• Removing the Cap on the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund
• Protecting Homeless People from Violence

The draft agenda for Homeless Awareness day has been posted, along with all the issue briefs, information and bill tracking, on the Florida Coalition for the Homeless Web site - www.fchonline.org - advocacy page.

For more information and to sign up for Homeless Awareness Day, contact: Lesa Weikel, Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, Lesa@homelessofhc.org or (813) 223-6115.

Accommodations for Awareness Day: The Florida Coalition for the Homeless (FCH) has reserved a block of rooms at the Days Inn (3100 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, 32301) for April 6 and April 7, 2010 for the rate of $58.00 per night. To ensure this rate, reservations must be made by Friday, March 26, 2010 by calling 850-877-6121 and asking for the "Florida Coalition for the Homeless" rate. The hotel is just minutes from the Capitol Building. The Days Inn features a free continental breakfast and free high speed Internet.

Statewide Advocacy Efforts are:
Presented by the Florida Coalition for the Homeless
Funded by the Miami Coalition for the Homeless
Coordinated by the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County

Florida Coalition for the Homeless
P.O. Box 3764
Tallahassee, FL 32315
1.877.205.0021
admin@fchonline.org

NLCTB Grant Writing Series

This interactive and practical program is designed for those who seek to develop skills and effectiveness in the dynamic and rewarding field of grant proposal writing. This program is specifically designed to target those who have little or no experience in grant writing.
Participants will learn best practices for developing successful grant proposals in order to be in the best possible competitive position. This workshop includes tips on how to identify and approach funding sources well in advance; how to be ready once the deadline is looming and what to do once you've been awarded a grant.

The series includes: Grant Overview & Research, Narrative & Outcomes, Grants Management, Budgeting and Mock Review Panel.

This Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay (NLCTB) program is offered in five sessions leading to a Certificate in Grant Writing. Participants interested in earning the certificate of completion MUST attend all five sessions. Full Certification registration is $425 for all five sessions.

Scholarships are available. Please click here for scholarship information (scroll to middle of page). Click here for more information and to register. Registration must be made by April 15.

(Source: NLCTB)

Hillsborough County wants Your Input on Barriers to Fair Housing

Housing, and the lack of housing, is the largest cause of homelessness. Now is a great time for Hillsborough County residents to share their concerns with Hillsborough County about the availability and access to decent affordable housing and choice of housing. The County's Affordable Housing Office is conducting a survey to facilitate a better understating of Fair Housing Issues.

Any and all residents of Hillsborough County are encouraged to complete the survey. Service agencies are asked to post and distribute the survey flyer and ask their clients to participate as their feedback is important. To help reduce duplication, service providers are asked to complete the survey with their clients on April 1.

The Fair Housing Choice Survey is available in English and Spanish and online. To access the online survey go to www.hillsboroughcounty.org/affordablehousingoffice and click on 'Fair Housing Choice Survey.' Surveys must be completed by April 6. Paper surveys need to be mailed to Karen Collins, Senior Planner, Affordable Housing Department, 1208 Tech Blvd, Ste. 300, Tampa, FL 33619.

(Source: Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Office)

Young philanthropist kicks off walk to help homeless youth

By YVETTE C. HAMMETT
The Tampa Tribune

Flanked by hundreds of supporters cheering him on, young philanthropist Zach Bonner, a voice for homeless youth since age 6, stepped into a 2,478-mile March Across America to bring attention to the cause.

Bonner, 12, of Valrico, will travel through towns and cities across the nation, accompanied by a documentary film crew from now through September to raise awareness of the thousands of homeless children in America.

His trip will end at a Boys & Girls Club in a crime-ridden section of Los Angeles, where his foundation and sponsors will provide new school uniforms, backpacks and shoes to underprivileged and homeless kids.

"It seemed like a good place to send out the message," he said.

Zach started off his campaign this morning from Lazy Days RV Campground, where several hundred people, including 57 students from Carrollwood Day School who are studying poverty, joined him to walk the first mile.

The locally owned Lazy Days has contributed an RV for Zach and his family to stay in as they travel and has helped promote his cause locally and through employee gifts.

Dozens of other companies have also stepped forward, including the Office Depot Foundation, which is donating a backpack for every mile he walks. The 2,478 backpacks will go to needy kids.

"I don't get tired of it," he said prior to this morning's press conference. For Zach, his cause is just another part of his life. "Some kids just can't up and get out of homelessness," he said. "Sometimes, that's what keeps me going."

"He's the real deal," said Michael Guillen, a best-selling author and producer of an upcoming movie about Zach and his foundation.

The Philanthropy Project, which is producing the film, expects to start production in May. All box office proceeds will go back into the Philanthropy Project, whose goal is to inspire others to do good deeds for fellow human beings.

The screen play was written by Patrick Sheane Duncan ("Mr. Holland's Opus") and will be directed by David Anspaugh ("Rudy" and "Hoosiers").

Zach started his Little Red Wagon Foundation after Hurricane Charley roared through Port Charlotte in 2004, leaving so many without food or water. His first act of philanthropy was to spend four months collecting needed supplies for hurricane victims.

Since then, he and his sponsors have helped scores of homeless kids.

"Over 2,000 school-age kids are experiencing homelessness in Hillsborough County," he told the audience at Lazy Days. He urged the youngsters in the crowd to think of ways they can help, too.

People can track and help sponsor Zach's journey through a dedicated AOL Web site, www.MarchAcrossAmerica.com, and a variety of events will take place along the route with local homeless shelters, churches, politicians and others.

Homeless Awareness Day at Florida's Capitol

Join other service providers, advocates and concerned citizens from around the state on Homeless Awareness Day in Tallahassee on Wednesday, April 7. This is an opportunity to educate Senators and Representatives about the needs of our homeless neighbors and how they can help by:

• Funding Homeless Coalitions and State Homeless Programs

• Supporting the 2010 Homelessness Bill

• Removing the Cap on the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund

• Protecting Homeless People from Violence

Review the draft schedule for more information about the day.

The Florida Coalition for the Homeless (FCH) has reserved a block of rooms at the Days Inn (3100 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, 32301) for April 6 and April 7, 2010 for the rate of $58.00 per night. To ensure this rate, reservations must be made by Friday, March 26, 2010 by calling 850-877-6121 and asking for the "Florida Coalition for the Homeless" rate. The hotel is just minutes from the Capitol Building. The Days Inn features a free continental breakfast and free high speed Internet.

For more information and to sign up for Homeless Awareness Day, contact: Lesa Weikel, Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, Lesa@homelessofhc.org or (813) 223-6115.

(Statewide advocacy efforts is presented by the Florida Coalition for the Homeless; funded by the Miami Coalition for the Homeless and coordinated by the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County.)

How Can a Wiki Help the Homeless?

How Can a Wiki Help the Homeless?
Last year I had the privilege of working with the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County (HCHC) where I learned about the need for a ‘one-stop-shop’ – a central location where citizens in need could go and get direction on how and where to get help. Hillsborough County has the largest homeless population in the state of Florida. That translates to approximately 10,000 men, women and children in search of finding shelter, food, clothing, a hot shower, education, job assistance and more on a daily basis. With the huge obstacles like funding making it impossible to realize a physical location, I started wondering what a digital solution might look like.

That’s when I met Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia and Co-Founder of Wikia, who confirmed that a wiki platform could work to collect, organize and disseminate information about homeless services and that it was already being successfully done in San Francisco.

Rayme Nuckles, CEO of the HCHC, supported the idea saying, ““We are thrilled to be able to offer this new resource to the community, specifically for our homeless neighbors and those working to improve the quality of their lives. This wiki will provide up to date information that printed publications cannot.” The result is the Tampa Bay Homeless Resource Wiki.

Why use a wiki?

“The great thing about a wiki is that it provides a tool for quality organization without central planning or top down control. Anyone in the community who wants to help out, can help out. Every service provider can check and update their own entry to make sure the information is timely and accurate. Ordinary community members who are Internet savvy can help improve the wiki as a way to get involved.” – Jimmy Wales

How does the homeless resource wiki work?

The goal of the wiki is to provide a central point of collaboration and a channel to disseminate all types of information and tools to use in helping homeless citizens. Anyone can contribute to the wiki – it is a volunteer-driven resource that can be edited by any user. If you want to help, we invite you to view our training videos, learn some basic wiki-editing skills and jump in!

My vision for the Tampa Bay Homeless Resource Wiki

Jimmy and I caught up this week and he told me a story about sitting on a panel with Bill Clinton about Technology and Education in the Developing World at the World Economic Forum. Bill Clinton was talking about the Clinton Global Initiative and how his staff is working to coordinate relief efforts in Haiti. Clinton pointed and said, “When my staff needs information, they can easily find it, Thanks to you Jimmy!”

That’s pretty awesome.

It made me start thinking, wouldn’t it be cool if someday soon we get to hear that same sentiment on a micro-level as the wiki grows more robust with resources and people say, “When we need information about homeless services, we can easily find it, Thanks to the Tampa Bay Homeless Resource Wiki!”

Julia Gorzka Creative Marketing and Communications Strategies

RadioActivity for 03/11/2010

RadioActivity for 03/11/2010

Listen to WMNF Podcast to learn more about our homeless neighboors.

Homeless couple weds in outdoor ceremony

BY YVETTE C. HAMMETT-
yhammett@tampatrib.com


"To be faithful in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live." Important words in any wedding ceremony.

Somehow, though, the words resonate differently when coming from the weathered lips of a homeless couple brought to the altar not only by love, but by ill health and the need for shelter.

Nan Schrack and Mark Neville have been together for 14 years, the last five of them on the streets. They lost their mobile home in Seffner when the landlord failed to pay his taxes. Neville's job as an air conditioning mechanic dried up. And as the economy faltered, even the day labor jobs he grew to depend on disappeared.

It had been hard.

It got harder when they landed on the street with a tent and few possessions five years ago.

Today, Schrack, 53, has a brain aneurysm and emphysema. Her health is not good. Sleeping under the stars just isn't working any more.

And Neville, 58, who says they've put off marrying for too many years, wants a place where he can care for her and keep her safe from the elements.

"I asked Jim (McNeil) at the church, 'what does someone do who wants to get married, but doesn't have any money?' " Neville said, just before his haircut this morning.

From there, McNeil, a church volunteer at First Presbyterian Church of Brandon who often treks up and down State Road 60 with meals and clothes for the homeless, set out to arrange a wedding.

And at 1:30 this afternoon, before a small gathering of their homeless friends who'd arrived by foot and on bicycles lugging their backpacks, the couple wed outside First Presbyterian.

An outpouring of community support brought the event together. McNeil found clothes for the couple to wear, took up a collection for a set of wedding rings and worked with Lela Lilyquist at Portomento of Hope Café to set up haircuts and a small reception. All About Beauty Salon, 109 Mason St. in Brandon, donated haircuts and a makeover for the bride.

Before too long, hopefully, the couple will also have a place to live, with running water and a roof, said Tracey Crocker, an Americorps*Vista volunteer with the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County.

By legally marrying, the couple can apply for programs that can help them get housing together, Crocker said. "A lot of the programs won't allow you to file for one place unless you are legally married," she explained.

Neville expected a simple five-minute ceremony at the church, where he and Schrack would exchange their vows. McNeil and Lilyquist made it into much more, Neville said.

"She's really excited," he said of Schrack before the ceremony. "It's really fantastic. They made it into something different." Between the two of them, they came up with everything. They're really going out of their way to make this like a regular thing."

And regular weddings aren't something homeless couples often get, Crocker said.

"Homelessness really does have a face," she said. It's not always like Hollywood has portrayed it - a bum lying on a piece of cardboard with a bottle of booze in his hand," she said.

"Nobody woke up one day and said, 'I want to be homeless.' They have feelings and hopes and dreams just like everyone else," said Crocker, whose job as a volunteer is to change the image of the homeless.

"And they fall in love just like everyone else."