Northeast Florida CoC | March 2018
Homelessness News: Planting Seeds of Hope
Sending out a Warm WELCOME to the Newest
Northeast Florida CoC Governance Board Members!

Stephanie Burch , Director of Neighborhoods, City of Jacksonville

Michelle Cook, Chief of Police, Atlantic Beach Police Department who served for 25 years with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office

Katie Ensign, Senior Program Officer for Jessie Ball duPont Fund

Ross Jones, MD, Medical Director of UF Health Total Care Clinic and UF Health Family Medicine and Pediatrics Elizabeth G. Means Center

Phyllis Martin, Head of Community Impact and Strategic Investments for United Way of Northeast Florida

Ellen Williams, PhD, Senior Director of Behavioral Health at St. Vincent’s HealthCare
Calling All January Point-In-Time Volunteers!
Thank you from the bottom of our "we are all changing homelessness" hearts! The Point-In-Time would not happen without your charitable contribution of time. And now we'd like to show our appreciation of and for you.

On May 3rd, we're hosting our first-ever Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. Keep your eyes on your email cause we'll send out the more detailed and official save-the-date and invitations soon.

If words could jump up and down on a page, these would be - right now. We're excited about this event because of YOU!

The plan is to break bread, share some knowledge and release the Point-In-Time results. Then there will be recognition! What's an appreciation breakfast without a few Rock Star awards? Uneventful.

Thank you for your commitment to making a difference in Northeast Florida!

Thank you for joining us to survey and capture the data to better understand our community needs!

Thank you for being YOU!

See you all real soon.
We Know YOU Know - Knowledge is Power
Upcoming training…

On April 5th, join us for the monthly HMIS New User and HMIS Report training.
  • HMIS New User is 9 am - 12 pm
  • Report training is 1 pm - 3 pm 

If you need more info, email the HMIS team at HMIS@changinghomelessness.org
Partners Make the World go Round
Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program
The Youth Action Board (not to be confused with our CoC Governance Board) has met twice, and will meet again today, Thursday, 3/15.

We have witnessed firsthand the engagement and interest of the youth participants and it has been a humbling experience. Our youth must help drive this process, and they are!

At the closing of our first meeting, the youth were asked to provide a one-word synopsis of how they were feeling. 

Here's what they said,

  • Inspired
  • Excited
  • Ecstatic
  • Fabulous
  • Heard 
  • Good
  • Empowered
  • Hopeful 

Thoughts (and words with heartfelt intent) become things. We're on the cusp of big change here. We can change homelessness. YOU can. I can. WE can.

A few SHOUT OUTS

JASMYN, YCC and Daniel - thank you for your support in helping facilitate and coordinate the Youth Action Board activities.

United Way - thank you for hosting meetings! We appreciate you and your beautiful, downtown space. 

Are you a youth service provider or advocate? If so and you'd like to be involved, please reach out to Monique Elton at melton@changinghomelessness.org
Spring into Action for our Partners!
Support Mission House!
Join our friends at  Mission House  for their Volunteer Open House!

Where: Mission House
When: April 21st
Time: 4-6 pm

Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity to learn more about how you can be the sun on someone's beach.
Everybody Loves Superheroes!
Downtown Ecumenical Services Council needs YOU!

Don your cape and mask - it's time to help our friends raise $50,000 for basic needs to encourage good health and hygiene for our neighbors who need it most.



Then join the team for a SUPER Celebration Event.

Where: Mellow Mushroom in Avondale
When: April 24th
Time: 6-8pm
Do YOU HMIS?
Leveraging HMIS to Win Funding!
Being last doesn't discount the real value of this story!

Our friends at Daniel just shared with us how HMIS data helped them win funding from the Department of Health and Human Services for a Runaway and Homeless Youth program!

Now, if that isn't a reason to HMIS we don't know what to tell you!

What does the funding do? It provides a safety net to serve and expand capacity at the Independent Village offering evening and weekend services!

Do you have a story, an event, or an idea we need to hear! Please tell us! Email me! We are a Continuum of Care and we are ALL in this together!
Northeast Florida CoC