Since 2001, Health Care Center for the Homeless (HCCH) has been providing homeless outreach in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola County through its HOPE Team (Homeless Outreach Partnership Effort). The HOPE team works where people experiencing homelessness live and survive—on the streets, in encampments and shelters, and in the woods. Their main goal is to engage and build trust with people experiencing homelessness, assess their needs and eligibility, and connect them to services. These services include referrals to shelter/food/clothing, eligibility assessments for housing assistance, obtaining identification cards & birth certificates, family re-unification, and more.
Although much of their time is spent out in the community, the HOPE team has been using the Christian Service Center’s Downtown Orlando location as office space since 2013. Brad Sefter, an outreach specialist for the HOPE team, says, “The need in the community can be overwhelming. There are so many people out there requiring services and we must focus on the needs of one person at a time. My faith in Jesus Christ is what keeps me going every day.”
Be on the lookout for Brad and other HOPE Team members around town in their red shirts and keep them in your prayers for the hard work they do in the community.
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