CONNECT | November/December 2013

connect THE COALITION

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

“I DIDN’T EVER THINK I WAS GOING TO END UP HOMELESS.”

ENDING hunger and HOMELESSNESS

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THANK YOU FOR HELPING US PROVIDE CRUCIAL SERVICES

“

TO TRANSFORM LIVES.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman

Vice Chair

Secretary

Treasurer

President/CEO

Randy E. Schimmelpfennig Morgan & Morgan, P.A. Elena H. Norman Hilton Grand Vacations Samuel C. “Trip” Stephens III ZOM, Inc. John E. Hearn Orlando Utilities Commission Brent A. Trotter Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, Inc.

Carlos A. Barrios PE, Stephens-Barrios Bakari F. Burns, Health Care Center for the Homeless, Inc. Timothy R. Baker, AIA, Baker Barrios Architects, Inc. Christopher C. Brockman, Holland & Knight LLP Fara K. Dantzler, Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Eric David, Expedia Local Expert Sylvia Doggett-Jones, Community Volunteer Tracey L. Ellerson, Baker Hostetler LLP Glenn M. Fournier, Fournier & Associates, Inc. Jim Fritz, Orlando Magic Eric D. Gassman, Orange County Government David Jasmund, PCE Investment Bankers, Inc. Tony Jenkins, Florida Blue Christine S. Kefauver, City of Orlando Fred R. Kittinger, Jr., University of Central Florida Ronald R. Lamb, SunTrust Bank Trevor Larsen, PE, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Sean A. McLaughlin, CNL Financial Group / JDS Holdings, LLC Michael Miller, Miller Air Group Inc. John P. Moskos, Bank of America Lee Nimkoff, Brio Properties T. Todd Pittenger, Akerman LLP Laura L. Pooser, UCF College of Arts and Humanities Stacey A. Prince-Troutman, Broad and Cassel John Rivers, 4R Restaurant Group Ty G. Roofner, Burr & Forman LLP Rick Schooler, Orlando Health Douglas M. Spencer, Spencer Consulting Services Scott R. Stahley, Lincoln Property Company of Florida, Inc. Barbara Larson Stuart, The Stuart Group Richard G. Wack, Mediation Services of Central Florida, Inc. Robert F. Wagner, Tupperware Brands Corp.

Bill L. Warren, Reedy Creek Improvement District Michael Weinberg, HFF, L.P. Mark Woodbury, Universal Parks & Resorts Aaron Zandy, Ford & Harrison LLP

FROM OUR FAMILY

TO YOURS

November is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month and November 16 to 24, 2013 was National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

With that in mind, Mayor Buddy Dyer proclaimed Friday, November 22, 2013 as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Day in the City of Orlando. Along with the Coalition, the City supported activities to bring a renewed awareness of these critical issues, as well as how our community can together address them.

We asked you to wear PURPLE that Friday, take photos, and share them with us on social media, using #imwearingpurple. You did that and I thank you! We also appreciate those who joined us early that morning at Lake Eola and City Hall with cardboard signs of support for our neighbors in need. In addition, over 300 of you came to our Journey Home Breakfast earlier in the week to support our mission of transforming lives.

As you will read in these pages, I am excited that the Coalition unveiled our new logo this month, thanks to the generosity of Hilton Grand Vacations and Gensler. We have also introduced a new website. And please look for the digital billboards, courtesy of CBS Outdoor, that spread our messages of hope.

I can think of no better time than the beginning of the holiday season to focus on the realities in our community and to say thank you for helping us provide crucial services to transform lives. We could not do what we do without the support of our community. Read on to see how you have helped.

Sincerely,

donate today Brent A. Trotter President/CEO

CLICK HERE

BETTER

lives

BETTER

opportunities

THANKS

to you Sherlann’s story was originally written by Scott Mauro and featured on the UCF Today website. It was part of UCF’s United Way Campaign to help Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. With permission, we have edited it for length.

Sherlann moved to the United States in 2000 from Trinidad and Tobago. She lived in Brooklyn with her husband and was working towards her dream of becoming a nurse when her marriage became abusive.

“I had to come up with a plan which was to move away from it all,” she said. So this summer, she packed everything she had and moved her 10- and 12-year-old sons to Kissimmee.

She and her boys lived week-to-week in a small motel and, within a month in Central Florida, her money began running out. Desperate, she contacted the Coalition. “I sent an email…but they didn’t have room at that time.” With no support system in the United States to turn to, Sherlann would have to ask the one man she never wanted to see again for help. She packed the kids in her car and drove back to New York.

But, Sherlann never had to ask for help because the call she had been waiting weeks for finally came. The Coalition had a spot waiting for her. She turned her car around and drove straight back to Orlando.

“I didn’t ever think I was going to end up homeless,” she said. Sharing close quarters with strangers left Sherlann wondering to herself, “How did I get here?” But she stayed strong and kept to her plan.

“YOU KNOW, I SET GOALS AND I’M STARTING TO ACHIEVE THEM.”

With help from one of the Coalition’s on-site partners, Goodwill Industries, Sherlann was able to find a job.

She says now her dreams are within reach again. “You know, I set goals and I’m starting to achieve them,” she said. “And it feels good to be working and doing something constructive with my life.”

Update: Because of her work ethic and determination, Sherlann and her boys are moving into their own apartment.

CLIENTS

1

HAVING

>>>>

fun

&difference MAKING A

ABCs ART SALE

click here!

Our Art By Coalition Children (ABCs) Program is celebrating its 10th anniversary. This is a unique program that pairs professional artists in the community with children living at the Coalition.

We invite you to own an original piece of art by a Coalition kid. Visit our Flickr page to view the artwork and prices.

To purchase, please contact Kristen Martin, Volunteer Coordinator, at kristen.martin@cflhomeless.org or 407.849.2757.

Proceeds will help support the program.

More than a meal

DECEMBER 10, JANUARY 14, FEBRUARY 11 Did you know that the Coalition has four on-site partners that offer services ranging from job skills training to mental health counseling?

Learn about these services and more during one of our More than a Meal informational sessions. You’ll get to enjoy a light lunch and a tour of our main campus. For more information, contact the Development Department at 407.426.1256 or development@cflhomeless.org.

HOLIDAYS FOR THE HOMELESS As the holiday season approaches, we would like to offer our clients something special; but we can’t do it without you.

You can help the Coalition by donating the following items: • • • • •

Stuffed stockings Gifts for children and teens: ages 4-6; 7-8; 9-11; 12 and up $25 Walmart Gift Cards Giftwrap supplies (paper, scissors, tape, bows) Items from our Immediate Needs List

Items should be dropped off at our Women’s Residential & Counseling Center (WRCC), located at 107 E. Hillcrest Street, the week of December 9.

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EVENTS

If you have time, passion, or a special talent, you can help give back to the Coalition by volunteering. Click here for more information.

GIVING BACK MEET DONALD TATE

Hosting meditation classes for the homeless may seem like an unusual undertaking, but not for Donald Tate. He teaches free meditation classes to the men and women who call the Coalition home and does so during the second and fourth week of each month. Donald is passionate about building a “holistic family” within the community by helping others integrate meditation and yoga into their daily lives. Meditation has long been used as a tool for relaxation and stress reduction, so it could prove helpful to the mental well-being of Coalition residents.

The meditation classes initially started as mandatory for men in our substance abuse recovery program. Donald found it a challenge to break down barriers with individuals who didn’t necessarily want to be there. But over time, he was able to move past this obstacle and now clients in all programs look forward to attending his classes.

When asked why he supports the Coalition, Donald says, “To see someone’s enlightenment and growth before your very eyes is amazing.” When he is not volunteering, Donald is an Orlando bus driver, which he has done for 21 years. In addition, he has started an alternative behavior therapy center called Serenity Matters, which focuses on the relationship between behavior and the well-being of the body and mind.

When asked, “What do you wish other people knew about the Coalition or those living at the Coalition?” Donald replies, “We are all very similar. We are connected to each other whether we want to believe it or not.”

“WE ARE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER WHETHER WE WANT TO BELIEVE IT OR NOT.” VOLUNTEERS

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Thanks to a birthday mail campaign through DoSomething.org, the kids who call the Coalition home will receive a handmade card on their birthday. This is sure to make each child feel extra special.

Employees from Florida Hospital took time out of their busy schedules to volunteer with us as part of Heart of Florida United Way’s Days of Caring. They helped sanitize our Voluntary PreKindergarten classroom and even played dress up with children from our daycare.

YOUR DOLLARS

Our wonderful friends from Geller Ragans spent a day packing and serving lunches on the Coalition’s main campus. We truly appreciate their help and generosity.

AT WORK

The Coalition could not do what we do without

YOU!

$$$ 4 CONTRIBUTORS

During national Make a Difference Day, clubs and groups from Valencia College’s multiple campuses came together to bring fun and fall festivities to the Coalition. There were crafts, games, food, and activities for all to enjoy.

Thanks to the generosity of Hilton Grand Vacations and the wonderful team at Gensler, the Coalition introduced our new logo during Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week. Over the coming months, Coalition materials will begin to reflect our new look. We also launched a newly designed website at centralfloridahomeless.org.

A CHAIN OF HOPE A Join

Our

for the Holidays!

Each night, more than Coalition home.

Nearly

600 people call the

1 in 3 is a child.

Last year, we served almost We assisted close to

300,000

meals.

450 families.

And we couldn’t do any of it without you.

This holiday season, we’re celebrating your generosity by creating a Chain of Hope in our lobby. Chain-links will be personalized with donors’ names, letting our residents know you care.

We are so excited to watch this symbol of our community’s support grow. Make sure to join our e-mail list and connect with us on Facebook to watch hope spread throughout the season and inspire those we serve.

A A

Our chain isn’t complete without you.

in o j o t e Click her

A

A

ain! h c e th

A

5

FIVE WAYS TO

REMEMBER THE COALITION IN YOUR WILL A bequest to Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida is not only philanthropic, it is also savvy estate planning. Here are some popular ways to give a gift in your will that can produce remarkable estate tax savings:

1 2 3 4 5

Unrestricted bequest. By making an unrestricted gift of a given sum of money or other asset, you allow Coalition for the Homeless to apply the funds to our most pressing needs.

Percentage or remainder. You may choose to leave us a percentage of your estate, or the balance remaining after bequests are distributed to your other heirs.

Trust for spouse. In your will, you may want to place some or all of the remainder of your estate in a “QTIP” trust for the benefit of your spouse. After your spouse’s death, all or part of the trust remainder will be distributed to the Coalition.

Life income plans. Establish a charitable remainder trust in your will, which pays an income to your beneficiaries for life or a term of years. After that, the remainder is given to the Coalition. Aside from benefiting a charity, life income plans provide major estate tax savings.

Memorial fund. You can establish a memorial fund through your will and specify how you would like the gift restricted. The fund can be established in your name or in memory of a loved one.

ONCE YOU HAVE DECIDED TO LEAVE US A GIFT...

Ask your estate planning attorney to include the suggested wording below in your will or living trust in order to leave a gift to the Coalition: I give to Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida (the sum of $_____ or _____ percent of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate) for its general purposes.

To learn more about leaving your legacy to the Coalition, please contact Lisa Hicks, Vice President of Philanthropy, at Lisa.Hicks@cflhomeless.org or 407-872-5791.

LAST CHANCE TO TAKE

ADVANTAGE OF THE

IRA ROLLOVER

FOR YEAR-END GIVING

H.R.8, the “American Taxpayer Relief Act,” extends the Charitable IRA Rollover through December 31, 2013.

This means that donors age 70½ years or older can ask their IRA custodian to transfer up to $100,000 in 2013 to a public charity, such as Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.

The gift will be transferred totally tax-free to the public charity and is thus equivalent to a 100% charitable deduction. It is not subject to the usual charitable giving limit of 50% of adjusted gross income.

CONTRIBUTORS

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HUNGER AND

HOMELESSNESS Did you know that 17.2 million households in America lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis? Or that Florida has the 3rd largest homeless population in the country?

We wanted to shed light on these issues, so during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, November 16 to 24, the Coalition took part in a nationwide effort to do just that.

On Friday, November 22, our designated Day of Awareness for hunger and homelessness, Coalition staff and volunteers: •

Wore purple to show support and raise awareness!

•

Shared pictures on Facebook & Twitter of us wearing purple, and used #imwearingpurple.

•

Gathered at the Lake Eola Bandshell with cardboard signs, and took to the streets to raise awareness for this cause.

The City of Orlando is also taking part in this nationwide effort to bring greater awareness to the problems of hunger and homelessness in Central Florida.

•

Mayor Buddy Dyer proclaimed Friday, November 22 to be Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Day in the City of Orlando.

•

The City of Orlando turned the Lake Eola Fountain, the Amway Center Tower and the City Hall Tower of Light purple, the color of hunger and homelessness awareness.

We invite you to visit centralfloridahomeless.org to see the Coalition’s new logo and redesigned website, as well as other ways you can get involved.

639 West Central Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32801 407.426.1250 | CentralFloridaHomeless.org