Established in 1989

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 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.”

Volume 4 • Issue 2 Summer 2016

Making Ends Meet

The Prince family

MissionTo alleviate and prevent hunger

and homelessness.

VisionWe envision a community free of hunger and homelessness.

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!!

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.

F r o m t h ecEo

Angela M. HoganCeo

Physical Address:1476 Kenesaw StPort Charlotte, FL 33948

Mailing Address:Box 380157murdock, FL 33938-0157

Phone: 941.627.4313

Web Address: cchomelesscoalition.org

Social Media: facebook.com/charlotte countyhomelesscoalition

Instagram @homeless_coalition

YouTube.com/cchomelesscoalition

Understanding PovertyPage 2 | Summer 2016 LIKE us on Facebook at

HoMELESS CoALITIon LEAdErSHIP TEAMAngela M. Hogan, Chief executive officerJohn Fanning, Director of operationsTina Figliuolo, Director of Development & Community relationsAlecia Cunningham, Director of Social ServicesKarin Barbito, Shelter Director

Have you considered the Homeless coalitionin your Estate Planning?

CCHC Voice | Page 3cchomelesscoalition.org

F e a t u r eProgrA M

Making connectionsFour 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.

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.

Voice | Page 3facebook.com/charlottecountyhomelesscoalition

Continued on page 6

Page 4 | Summer 2016 LIKE us on Facebook at

v o L u n t e e rs P o t l i g H t

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of charlotte county

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Charlotte County (UUFCC) has been serving our community since 1969. 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.

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!

Left to Right: Sue Burgess, Herb Levin, Gudrun Matthaus

charlotte idol FinAls: august 27th at 6pmCharlotte harbor event & Conference Center

save the Dates!!!

thank You Women of nielsen!

riverwood golf scramble: Saturday november 12th at 7:30amriverwood Golf and Country Club

Empty Bowls: november 3rd 4pm to 7pmnew Day Christian Church

2016 giving challenge: September 20th - 21st from noon-noongivingpartnerchallenge.org

cchomelesscoalition.org

o F F I C e o FDEvEloPMEnt

Tina FigliuoloDirector, Community

relations & Development

Voice | Page 5facebook.com/charlottecountyhomelesscoalition

87 Freedom club Angels

Pat Moran Foundation

Have you considered the Homeless coalition in your Estate Planning?

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!

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!

Page 6 | Summer 2016 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 1997. 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 President of Leadership Charlotte 2014. 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.

rick ilmbergerowner, suncoast glass & Mirror, inc.

F e a t u r eP r o F i l E

2015-2016 BoArd oF dIrECTorSJoe Angelini III Corporal – Punta Gorda Police DeptTeri Ashley, Board President Director of Business Development – riverside Behavioral CenterAndrew Barco owner – Barco’s accounting & tax ServiceAmy Biener area manager Local Customer Care – CenturyLinkAshley B. Houseman associate Broker – Coldwell Banker Sunstar-morris realtyrick Ilmberger owner – Suncoast Glass and mirrorPolly Johnson assistant v.P., Branch manager – Charlotte State Bank & trustSteve Lineberry Senior Photographer – Wise Choice Photography eventsJulie Mathis executive Director – Charlotte County Chamber of CommerceJill McBee Lieutenant – Charlotte County Sheriff ’s officeJason r. Miller, Treasurer CFo – medical Center of Southeast texasGreg novack retired restaurateurLara Praizner Sr Personal Banker – Bmo harris BankW. Kevin russell, Past President attorney – W. Kevin russell LawBob Segur, P.A. attorney & School Board member – Charlotte County Public SchoolsLinda Simmons Design & Sales – Busy Bee CabinetsToni Simpson, Foundation Board Chair v.P. – r. Simpson Plastering & StuccoKay Tracy Business Development Specialistolga Triola managed markets Business Planner - merck & Company, Inc.

EMErITuS dIrECTorSMark Martella, Past President attorney – martella Law Firm

Rick Ilmberger

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.

cchomelesscoalition.org Voice | Page 7facebook.com/charlottecountyhomelesscoalition

v o L u n t e e roPPortUnitiEs

robin Clarkvolunteer Coordinator

(941) 627-4313  ext. 109robin.clark@

cchomelesscoalition.org

Welcome to summer!

For volunteer opportunities, go to our website at

cchomelesscoalition.org and click on the volunteer tab.

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!• HousingSupportVolunteers are needed to help Shelter Residents with

housing searches. Days and times are flexible. • DriversareneededforourVeteranProgram. Scheduling will be in

advance and as needed.• ASpecialVolunteerisneededtohelpwithourE-BayStore. • Children’sHelpersareneeded 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.

• DonationSortersareneeded. They will help organize donations from the community to include folding clothing and small household items. Days and times are flexible.

• Kitchenhelpisneeded from 1:00pm to 4:00pm every day.• FrontDeskhelpisneededintheoffice 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

• AdministrativeAssistanthelpisneeded 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.

• HomeworkTutorsareneeded 6:30pm to 7:30pm starting in the fall.

Established in 1989

Homeless CoalitionP.o. Box 380157murdock, FL 33938-0157

Address Service requested

non Profit org.u.S. Postage

PaIDFt. myers, FL

Permit no. 803

Please help us to keep you informed and in the loop...

Call Tina at (941) 627-4313 Ext 118 or email your change of address to events@cchomelesscoalition.org. This will save us postage fees and will ensure your newsletter arrives on time.

To bene�t �eHomeless Coalition

Whimsically Elegant Whimsically Elegant