Archive for October, 2009
Thanks everyone!
From the reports I’ve received (I was out of town, unable to attend), Sanford IDignity was a success. Thank you to all who contributed time, money or both to help more than 80 people secure identification. You’ll note the number is down, not from a lack of need. The budget for this event was about $5,000 to help 150 people and we raised about $3,000. So, we had to turn folks away. Your fund raising ideas are needed. Please e-mail sacson1@yahoo.com with ideas or please share at the next SACSON meeting on Tuesday, November 10 at 630 pm at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Sanford. Look for coverage in an upcoming edition of The Sanford Herald as a reporter was on hand volunteering the entire day.
Make it a great weekend and thanks again everyone,
Trace Trylko
Chair – SACSON
Add comment October 30, 2009
Note from the Chair …
Very busy SACSON meeting Tuesday night … gearing up for IDignity Sanford tomorrow. Our REGISTERED volunteer numbers are now where they need to be, seems some folks plan to attend but haven’t registered. We really need you to go to volunteermatch.org (see Calendar) and register as soon as you can today.
Some more donations came in to our P.O. Box and we’re still tallying what we have, but it’s not looking like we’ll make the number needed to secure IDs for 150 folks like we did last time (and we really don’t want to turn folks away). If you haven’t made a donation and would like to, please contact me at 407.312.4827 or e-mail sacson1@yahoo.com and I’ll let the IDignity folks know we can budget for a few more folks. The average cost for securing an ID is about $32, so if you’d like to make sure SACSON helps one more person, let us know as soon as possible.
Your point person for IDignity Sanford is: Father Rory Harris (407.733.1686).
Thanks for your continued prayers and support.
Add comment October 28, 2009
Community-action group designs help card for Sanford’s homeless
by Rachel Delinski, Herald Staff
City debates whether to allow logo on information card
A group making information cards to help the homeless is requesting the use of Sanford’s logo to put on the cards – but city staffers have recommended commissioners deny the use because the publication is not endorsed or sponsored by the city.
The Seminole Action Coalition – Serving Our Needy (SACSON) is hoping the cards will help homeless men and women find the resources they need.
The card includes names, addresses and phone numbers for different charitable organizations that provide lodging, counseling, food, clothing, healthcare and meals in Sanford. The card includes a map of Sanford with numbered locations where free meals are served.
SACSON members hope that by distributing the cards to the homeless, they may be able to get help. Additionally, they intend to give the cards to business owners who can pass them out to panhandlers, rather than giving money.
SACSON representative Betty Sonnenberg said, “We definitely are giving them [cards] out to businesses so people don’t give out money.”
The card also has dates and times for the group’s IDignity event, which provides identification for the poor. Those in need can receive a Social Security card, birth certificate, or Florida ID during the event, which will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at
St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 813 Pine Ave.
The Sanford group, SACSON, operates IDignity as a franchise of the original event, IDignity of Orlando. Sanford’s IDignity takes place every three months; the Orlando event is held monthly.
Sonnenberg said the idea for the information card came from the Orlando group. For the Orlando card, Sonnenberg said the group teamed up with the city.
As part of the partnership, IDignity of Orlando was able to use Orlando’s logo on their information card.
However, a Sanford city commission memorandum released this week stated: “While this appears to be a very worthwhile service we may not want to give the impression that this or other publications are funded or endorsed by the City.”
Sonnenberg, who already printed 500 copies of the cards with a city logo, said it won’t be a problem if the city denies their request.
“This will not take away from the cause,” she said. “But it would be nice if we could have the logo because it would show that there is some sort of support to break that cycle of homelessness.”
Sonnenberg said SACSON is not trying to encourage homelessness in Sanford.
Rather, the group aims to match the needy with the necessary resources to maintain a normal life.
“We’re not trying to encourage homelessness,” she said. “We’re trying to eliminate it.”
Sanford commissioners will discuss the request during Monday’s work session at 4 p.m. Later that day commissioners will vote on the request during the evening meeting held at 7 p.m.
Add comment October 26, 2009
News from the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida …
Homeless Services Network of Central Florida
Volunteer Newsletter
October 26, 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in this issue
Osceola Project Homeless Connect – 11/6
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a busy time of year as HSN prepares for two Project Homeless Connect events within a month of each other.
November 6, 2009: Osceola PHC, Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, FL
December 4, 2009: Downtown Orlando PHC, Downtown Orlando Recreation Center, Orlando, FL
Volunteers are needed to make these events a success. Volunteers can perform any of the following tasks:
* Intake (one-on-one interviews with homeless veterans, completing a simple intake form)
* Shepherd (assist veterans as they navigate the many services available)
* Distribution (hand out pre-assembled donations of food bags, clothing and backpacks)
* Showers/Clothing (maintain the shower area and assist with selection of underwear and clothing)
* Set-up/Take down (arrange/remove tables, chairs, signs)
* Crowd control (direct veterans and volunteers to registration; answer basic event questions)
Thank you to everyone who has already registered for the Osceola PHC on November 6! We could still use more help. If you would like to volunteer for the Osceola PHC, you may register until November 1. To register, please visit the Osceola PHC registration page.
We have also begun accepting registration for the Downtown Orlando PHC, being held on Friday, December 4, 2009. To register as a volunteer for the December event, please visit Downtown Orlando PHC registration page.
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HSN and its partners have other events on the horizon:
* 2010 Point In Time Count, late January: Help us count as many homeless as possible in 24 hours.
Stay tuned for more details!
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
phone: 407-893-0133
web site: www.hsncfl.org
Add comment October 26, 2009
