Shame on the City of Sanford!

Project Homeless Connect finds new home at Northland 

From Sanford Herald Staff Reports - Wed, Jul 9, 2008 

A controversial one-day event in Sanford to provide medical and social services to the homeless was moved Tuesday to a Longwood church after several people complained the program should not be held at the city’s downtown civic center. 

Northland, A Church Distributed, agreed to host the 40 organizations that want to offer help at Project Homeless Connect for those in need. 

“It will be a wonderful location for the homeless in Longwood and Casselberry, and we’re really grateful to Northland,” said Cathy Jackson of the organizing Homeless Services Network. “But we’re disappointed because the largest concentration of homeless in Seminole is in Sanford and just outside of the city.” 

Jackson said there are 40 homeless camps in or close to Sanford, with 150 homeless on the streets every night. 

“Those folks desperately need services to get back to self sufficiency and out of their homeless situation,” Jackson said. 

HNS and city officials met last week to try to resolve the issue after concerns were raised by a few merchants and residents about holding the event a second time at the civic center, which is in the core of the business and tourism area of the city. 

Steve Bruton, a Northland employee who helped HNS organize last year’s event at the civic center, approached Northland’s pastor, the Rev. Joel Hunter, about holding this month’s event. Hunter agreed this was an important outreach, Jackson said. 

Last year, more than 350 people attended. About 200 volunteers offered medical services, testing for HIV and AIDS, employment counseling, food, showers, mental health assistance and other help. 

Because of the change of location, Jackson said she expects the number of homeless participants to decline this year, to about 200. She said she expects more families to attend this year, however. 

Like last year, HNS will not transport participants to the event, but will give each of them a Lynx bus pass as they leave. 

“I certainly hope that Sanford citizens will now step up to the plate and offer their assistance and volunteer their time or make financial contributions to help this worthwhile organization in their efforts to assist those in need,” said Mayor Linda Kuhn. 

Jackson said she also would like to hold meetings with Sanford’s business community and residences to dispel misconceptions about the homeless. 

Project Homeless disconnects 

Organizers postpone July event after meeting with city officials 

By Joe Hendricks, Sanford Herald Staff - Sun, Jul 6, 2008 

SANFORD - The Project Homeless Connect event scheduled to take place later this month at the Sanford Civic Center has been postponed. 

Thursday morning, Cathy Jackson of the Homeless Services Network was among the event organizers that sat down with Mayor Linda Kuhn, Deputy City Manager Kristi Aday and Leisure Services Director Mike Kirby to discuss concerns raised by residents who object to the use of the civic center as a staging point for the event. 

The meeting came on the heels of a request made by Commissioner Art Woodruff at the June 23 City Commission meeting. 

At that time, Woodruff said he supports the idea of an event that brings together more than 40 organizations whose purpose is to help the chronically homeless by providing medical care, substance-abuse and mental-health counseling and many other vital services. 

At the same time, Woodruff, like many others, feels residents and business owners would be better served if the event were held outside the downtown business district. 

During Thursday’s meeting, Jackson suggested postponming the event until a series of informational meetings could be held, possibly at the Welcome Center, giving residents a chance to voice thier concerns. 

Jackson explained that Sanford was the logical place to host the event again this year because a significant number of Seminole County’s homeless population reside in Sanford. 

Kirby suggested hosting the event at the Salvation Army headquarters on 24th Street if the event takes place.