|
Our Mission and History:
The Homeless and Hunger Coalition of Northwest Florida,
Inc. (previously Bay County Homeless and Hunger Coalition, Inc.) is an umbrella
organization that provides program support to the homeless service providers in our
community. The over fifteen-year old Coalition's aim is to accomplish its mission through
advocacy, organizing and networking.
Constituency
It is an independent, community-based, nonprofit 501(C) 3
organization whose membership consists of representatives from service providers, local
government, businesses and other groups and individuals who are concerned about the issue
of homelessness. The Coalition currently does not have any paid staff (it has three
part-time contractual positions) or sufficient financial resources with which to fulfill
this broad mission. It does have dedicated volunteers consisting of service providers,
advocates and concerned citizens from Bay County Area who are working together to effect
change, which will improve the lives of homeless persons in our area.
The Coalition is
governed by a Board that includes the following: president, vice-president, secretary,
parliamentarian, treasurer, and five members. The Board of Directors meets quarterly with
occasional called meetings when necessary. The Membership meets monthly on the second
Wednesday of the month. Sub-committees were formed in March 2005 to facilitate management
of goals. These committees include the following: strategic planning, public relations,
funding and finances, legislative, membership and Homeless Management Information
System (HMIS).
Mission
The Coalition's mission is to end homelessness and return homeless
people to self-sufficiency. Agencies that are active in the Coalition provide vital
services including outreach, assessment, emergency shelter, transitional housing,
permanent housing with supportive services, food and clothing, jobs and training, family
protection services, legal assistance, advocacy, mental health services, chemical
addiction treatment, medical care and case management for a variety of high-risk
population. One important function of our Coalition has been collecting monthly statistics
that describe the demographic characteristics of the homeless population served in Bay
County area. This information is reported to Florida Department of Children & Families
periodically throughout the year and the information is also provided to the governor for
the Florida Annual Report on Homelessness. We will continue to gather information from the
agencies and continue to analyze them in order to improve services. The Coalition will
seek better methods and opportunities for cooperation by social service providers, local
city and county government, and other counties and individuals interested in the homeless
issues.
Back to Top |
