First United Methodist Church of Orlando

Coalition for the Homeless

Homeless coalitionThe Central Florida Coalition for the Homeless is the largest provider of services to homeless persons in the area.  On an average evening, there are over 600 people who stay the night at the Coalition, a number that includes 200 children.  When someone stays at the Coalition, they have a case manager whose goal is to help them transition to self-sufficiency.  To learn more about their programs, consult their web page at www.centralfloridahomeless.org. 

Coalition


On the first Monday evening of every month, a group of volunteers from our church provides and serves a meal at the Coalition for the Homeless.  If you are interested in hearing more about this, or signing up to serve, please contact Michael Dippy at FUMCO-OP@earthlink.net.

We also support the Coalition financially, and sponsor two transitional apartments on their campus.

 

First Church Orlando was instrumental in the formation of the Central Florida Coalition for the Homeless  and continues to provide financial as well as volunteer support. The need for a large homeless shelter was born in the fellowship hall of our church, when in June 1986 we opened our doors to 80 homeless persons, to provide dinner, a place to sleep for the night, and breakfast the next day. We did that for 18 months, until the City of Orlando provided the first location for a shelter at the former Trailways bus station. From that  point on the work began to provide the much larger facility located at West Central Blvd. Our work in this continuing history of service to "the least of these" is representative of the First Church devotion to all of God's people, and is but one part in that larger work in which we are involved. We truly believe that Jesus meant what he said about the life of every Christian, that we should love God with all all heart, mind, soul, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.

 

page updated May 9, 2008
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