School Uniform Drive

Can you believe it's that time of year already? School will be back in session in just a few weeks, so we are starting up our annual school uniform drive. HOME's kids will receive backpacks and school supplies from the School District, but we are in need of the following new items (in all sizes) for both boys and girls:
- navy blue polo shirts
- dark colored jeans or khaki pants
- socks
- gift cards to purchase uniforms- i.e. Target, Wal Mart, Old Navy, Sears

If you would like to donate, please contact Aylich at (407) 932-0943 or avazquez@osceolahome.org Sphere: Related Content

Investing in Youth

Did you know that only 3% of Florida's budget goes towards children age zero to five? And that just a 1% increase could drastically improve outcomes for our youth? Our friends at the Children's Movement of Florida have put together this outstanding video to educate the public about their platform. They're a nonpartisan group that is focusing on getting our legislators to invest in youth, particularly in the following areas:

• Parent skill-building
• Mentoring
• Developmental Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment for Children with Special Needs
• Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program (VPK)
• Health Care

If you'd like to learn more, you can visit their site at http://childrensmovementflorida.org Sphere: Related Content

HOME needs YOUR help!

We have a great need for child-care on Thursday nights to help with our babies. We have had several residents move in with children ages 1 and under and we need lots of help to keep these little ones entertained while moms are in their mandatory life-skills courses.

If you are available on Thursday nights from 6-8, please e-mail syohe@osceolahome.org, and let her know that you would love to help out with child-care on Thursday nights! Sphere: Related Content

HOME Supports the Florida Children's Movement

In honor of Election Day today HOME wants to tell you about a movement that we support in honor of homeless children in our community and all children in Florida. It's called the Children's Movement of Florida -- a citizen-led, non-partisan movement to educate political, business and civic leaders, and all parents about the urgent need to make the well-being and education of our infants, toddlers and all other children Florida's highest priority.

The Children’s Movement of Florida believes that the well-being and education of our children in Florida must be the highest priority of government, business, non-profit institutions and families. The economic future of our state and the stability of the communities we live in depend on achieving this goal. The major objective of the citizen-led, non-partisan Children’s Movement of Florida is to inform the political, business and civic leaders, and the parents and people of this state, about this issue – and encourage them to make the well-being and education of our children our highest priority, including in the way we invest our public resources.

According to the Movement's website the organization's "mission is not about raising taxes, but rather about raising children. Florida's children deserve to be our first priority when deciding how the state's resources are spent, especially when it comes to programs -- such as preschool, quality child care and prenatal care -- that make a real difference in their lives and futures."

The Children's Movement is not about politics, but about standing up for children and working to make changes that will bring a better quality of life to all children in Florida. The movement believes that by almost every objective standard, Florida ranks poorly in measure after measure in how we invest in children. Some examples include:

• Hundreds of thousands of our children are not covered by health insurance.
• The state's prekindergarten program does not meet most national standards.
• Early screening and treatment programs for children with special needs are poorly coordinated, difficult to access and of inconsistent quality.
• A quarter of our public high school students do not graduate.
• Florida's businesses and community organizations are not committed to strengthening child mentoring and parent skill-building programs.

According to the movement more than 800,000 Florida children do not have health insurance, leaving the state behind only Texas in the percentage of uninsured children. About 30 percent of Florida’s public school third graders cannot read with even minimum proficiency. More than half of our high school sophomores cannot read at grade level. Florida spends $51,000 to keep a juvenile incarcerated in a secure facility, while it spends less than $7,000 to keep a child in public school.

The movement hopes to improve these measures by making sure children have access to health insurance and quality health care, enhanced quality standards for the state's pre-kindergarten program, improved screening and treatment of special needs, a statewide parental support and information program and high-quality, widely available mentoring programs for young people.

Multiple studies show that investing in children during the crucial first five years of life helps them attain their full potential and avoids devoting much larger sums to remedial programs later in life, saving vast sums of money for taxpayers in the long run.

The Children's Movement of Florida is supported by a broad and non-partisan coalition. The movement's 27-member statewide steering committee includes 12 Republicans, 12 Democrats and three independents. The movement does not endorse candidates. Its activities are funded solely through private donations – no public funds are involved. The movement does not advocate new or higher statewide taxes, but rather insists that children's issues receive the highest priority and a much larger share of current resources.

For more information about the origins, objectives and leaders of The Children's Movement of Florida, and about the current state of Florida's children, please visit http://childrensmovementflorida.org/

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Back to School Drive

Back to school is just around the corner and HOME is once again collecting for our kids. However, since we did such a great job collecting items last year we still have some leftover so our list is a bit smaller this year. Even though the list is small the need is big! We are focusing more on the needs of our preschoolers this year and on some of those hard to come by items. If your group is interested in collecting items this year for HOME please call 407-932-0943 and speak with Shannon or Cara. See the list below for those items in most need for this school year (per child -- we collect for roughly 40 kids). We are also looking for gently used school uniforms, socks and shoes or gift cards to purchase these items.

Here is the list:
Areas of greatest need:
• Bottled liquid hand soap
• Flash Drives
• Diapers (all sizes)
• Wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Large boxes of tissues

Other items needed (list contains items and quantities for one K-12 student):
• 1 - book bag or back pack (full size, no wheels)
• 4 - composition notebooks
• 1 - large box of tissues
• 1 - large pink eraser
• 1 small blanket or small sheet, for rest/nap time
• 3 - packages of white copy paper
• 1 - dry erase marker
• 1 - pencil sharpener, with cover
• 1 - supply box (must fit in desk)
• 1 - package of construction paper
• 1 - small pencil box
• 1 - dozen blue or black pens
• 3 - packs of Post-it Notes
• Red or Green pen
• A packet of graph paper
• Scientific calculator
• Protractor
• Dividers
• 1 Ruler – metric and standard
• 3x5 index cards

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A Very Merry Unbirthday!

Saturday, May 15, was a day filled with fun and games as HOME celebrated its annual Unbirthday Party for the kids on campus!

The day started with some Bounce House fun donated by Peace United Methodist Church and then we had a great magic show put on by Mr. Tim Howard! The kids loved watching the show and were attentive for a full hour, something we don't get to see that often!

The kids were then treated to a pizza lunch followed by more fun and games by Mr. Howard.

To round out the day the kids had a very special cake delivered by the great folks over at Walt Disney World that was not only beautiful but also very very yummy!

The day ended with the each child opening gifts donated by those in the community and by Community Celebration Church and face-painting by Ms. Daisy and Ms. Amy!

We would like to thank all our sponsors, Walt Disney World Community Relations, Peace United Methodist Church, Mr. Tim Howard, Community of Faith United Methodist Church, and Community Celebration Church for making this such a special day for the kids at HOME! Sphere: Related Content

More Good News!

HOME has more 2009 year-end statistics to share with you, this time from our program staff!

Out of the 15 families that graduated from the residential program in 2009, 14 or 93 percent increased their self-sufficiency rating score with an average increase of .70. Also, 13 out of the 15 families, or 87 percent, increased their income with an average increase of $382 per month.

This is great news for the families living on our campus. HOME's mission is to break the cycle of homelessness in Osceola County and with statistics like this we are able to see that the program really works. Rating the families on the self-sufficiency rating scale helps us measure our families improvement in employment, transportation, living situations and income. All of these things, working together with case management, allows us to make a change in the lives of our families and to know that we are making a difference! Sphere: Related Content

A Very Merry UnBirthday!

Jammies the clown, parachutes, bounce houses and presents — not the typical Saturday on the HOME campus, but a fun one!

On Saturday, July 18, HOME hosted its annual Unbirthday party for the kids living on campus and in the scattered site program. Over twenty-five children, 10 parents, and a slew of volunteers met at 10 a.m. to celebrate the birthdays of all the children through-out the year in one big bash!

The morning started out with kids meeting Jammie, the clown. Jammie did magic tricks, made silly jokes, and told cute stories. The kids then split up by age group for games. There were bounce houses and water balloon tosses, a shoe toss, and even a parachute! The kids spent time in the fresh air playing with each other and working up an appetite for cake!
After games the kids had a scavenger hunt where they looked for their name. Once they found their name card, they turned it in to pick up their birthday present! Each child received a gift of $10-15 value for their "unbirthday" present.

Following gifts, the volunteers brought out a huge, delicious cake and it was served with juice and ice cream sandwiches. After cake and ice cream the kids played on the bounce houses, received balloon animals, and got their face painted by Jammies.
It was a great event and it couldn't have been possible without the help of the community. Each child received a gift, had a great time, and knew that they were cared about.
Thank you to everyone who helped with the Unbirthday Party! We can't wait to do it again next year! Sphere: Related Content

School Supply Drive for August

It is almost time for back to school! Can you believe it? HOME families often look at this time with worry because there are so many items they need to get their kids back in school! The kids need new uniforms if they have outgrown last years, they need notebooks and binders, and they need pencils and pens!

That's where you can help! HOME is hosting a school supply drive for our families in our resident, scattered site, and HOMELite program. We are partnering with area churches as well, so if you can't make it to the HOME campus to drop off your donation, you can stop by The Vine Church located at 1003 S John Young Pkwy Kissimmee, FL 34741 or Community Presbyterian Church located at 511 Celebration Ave Kissimmee, FL.

Here is the list:

Supply List for K-8

• 1 - book bag or back pack
• (full size, no wheels)
• 8 - boxes of 24 pack Crayola Crayons
• 6 - folders with prongs
• (2 red, 1 blue, 1 purple, 1 yellow,
• 2 green plastic)
• 4 - composition notebooks
• 1 - large box of tissues
• 1 - pack of 24 #2 pencils
• 1 - bottle liquid hand soap
• 2 - 4oz bottles Elmer's Glue (white)
• 1 - pair Fiskars scissors
• 1 - Package 500 sheet copy paper
• 1 - plastic supply box
• 1 - large pink eraser
• 1 small blanket or small sheet, for rest/nap time
• 2 - packages of loose leaf paper (wide ruled)
• 4 - packages of #2 pencils
• 2 - boxes of tissues
• 3 - packages of white copy paper
• 1 - dry erase marker
• 1 - box of colored pencils
• 1 - pencil sharpener, with cover
• 1 - supply box (must fit in desk)
• 1 - package of construction paper
• 2 – highlighters
• 2 – small black dry erase markers
• 1 - small pencil box
• 1 - dozen blue or black pens
• 1 - notebook with dividers and lined paper
• 3 - packs of Post-it Notes
• 1 full change of clothes (in a Ziploc bag) (Kindergarten)
• 1 box of large markers
• 1 1-subject spiral notebook
• packs of wide ruled lined paper
• Gift Cards for School Uniforms

Supply List for 9-12

• 3 ring binder
• Spiral notebook
• Blue or Black pen
• Pencil
• Notebook paper
• Red or Green pen
• A packet of graph paper
• Scientific calculator
• Protractor
• Flash Drive (optional)
• Dividers
• Hand sanitizer
• 1 Ruler – metric and standard
• 3x5 index cards
• Roll of scotch tape
• 1‐3 Ring binder, 1 ½”
• Scissors
• Gift Cards for School Uniforms

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Looking for the Face of Homelessness in Osceola County

The Hidden Face of Homelessness

Imagine yourself a single Mom in a one-bedroom motel room --- you, your two children, and one bed. You wake up at 5 a.m. and get your kids ready for school, you put them on the school bus and you head into work. Last night was hard, the room was loud and you didn't get much sleep. The kids will get home in the afternoon, and you won't be there, because you will still be working. You will bring home your paycheck, pay the $150 a week motel fee, and never have enough to move out on your own.

THIS is the hidden face of homelessness in Osceola County — a face that Helping Others Make the Effort is working hard to change! We have families daily who are in the above situation, but luckily we can also share a story of hope and how HOME helped one family succeed.

A Success Story

Layka grew up in Puerto Rico with a very loving family. She valued education and remembers reading book after book as a child. Layka got married during her years as a student at the University of Puerto Rico.

Layka's marriage was a rocky one. Her husband was abusive and it took several years for her to get up the courage and admit to her family that something was wrong. She and her two daughters first moved in with her parents but then she decided to move from Puerto Rico to Florida.

When Layka moved to central Florida she had a good job. She figured she would live in a hotel with her two children until she had saved enough money for a deposit and rent on an apartment. Instead, Layka and her children lived in that hotel for two years.

However, during those two years she didn't give up. She spent her nights teaching herself English by reading the newspaper and researched opportunities to make her family's life better. That's how she found out about HOME.

When Layka moved to the HOME campus, her self-esteem improved greatly. She started a journal and is comfortable telling her story to others. She has two daughters, who have grown leaps and bounds since coming to the HOME Campus.

Today Layka lives in her own home, a two bedroom apartment in Kissimmee, Fla., a very different place than where she was just one year ago. Today she is continuing her journey of self-sufficiency, has a great job, and is a spokesperson for HOME. In fact, by clicking here you can hear Lyaka's story first-hand through our You-Tube Video Service.

The Truth about Homelessness

Families like Layka's are everywhere is Osceola County. In fact, many of them remain unaccounted for in our system. According to an article at Florida Trend, hundreds of thousands of Floridians, including families who are doubled up or living in motels, are uncounted during the census process. The article states, "Key characteristics of hard-to-count communities include poverty, low educational attainment, unemployment, complex household arrangements and high rates of mobility." They also probably were not included in the annual point in time homeless survey, because that count only includes unsheltered (living on the streets) homeless. These are the clients we serve, those in hotels and motels, living in cars, doubled up with family, and other unsafe living arrangements. Yet, they are unaccounted for in every way.

You may ask why this matters. It matters because many grants that HOME can apply for are based on area population estimates. If, for example, 200,000 people are uncounted, the number of people needing our services seems lower than it really is.

How you can help

HOME has been working very diligently over the past year to diversify our fundraising. This means that we do not simply want to rely on grants and federal funding, and that we need donations from people like you. It costs only $25 a day to sponsor a family on the HOME campus, by giving them safe housing, access to free resources, and the skills to help them get back on their feet. Layka's story is compelling, and she is a success. Won't you sponsor a family today and help break the cycle of homelessness in Osceola County? Donate here!

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A Very Merry UnBirthday!

HOME is having our very own Unbirthday Party for the kids in our residential and scatter site programs! Each child is looking forward to receiving a birthday present, cake, cookies, and fun and games! The party is planned for July 18 at 10-12 on Saturday morning!

But, don't be like Alice, from Alice in Wonderland, and just sit back and watch! Join in on the fun! HOME has several needs that you can help with and make this the best Unbirthday party ever!

Items Needed:
3 Bounce Houses (if anyone knows a company that would like to donate these for a couple of hours!)

2 Large Sheet Cakes

60 Gifts of $15-25 each (Please call for an assigned child)

100 paper plates

100 plastic cups

10 Blue plastic "party" table clothes

2 large packages of napkins

2 (32 oz) Pink Lemonade mix containers

3 One Gallon Pitchers

3 Gallon Containers Ice Cream

25 $10-25 monetary gifts to cover other expenses

We are asking that all donations be in by Friday, July 9, so we can make sure that we have everything we need to have a GREAT Unbirthday party. If you would like to help please contact Mary Downey at mdowney@osceolahome.org or call 407-433-1248.

Happy Unbirthday to you ... AND YOU!



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More Families Face Homelessness

We will see even more families and children facing homelessness in the coming year. According to an article recently published in The Orlando Sentinel the 2008 projections made by the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida regarding homelessness in Central Florida will find that, "Nearly 10,000 people are likely to be homeless in Metro Orlando at some point this year."

According to the article, statistics show that Central Florida will see an increase in homelessness in those who are veterans and school-aged children. The article states, "Of the three local counties covered in the report, Orange had 63 percent of the region's homeless population, while Osceola had 19 percent and Seminole 18 percent. But all have witnessed a striking increase in homeless students — from 2,700 at the end of last school year to more than 4,200 so far this year, according to school-district figures."

The Sentinel reports that the "The analysis of the homeless population in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties is largely based on a single-day count, conducted in January, of emergency shelters, transitional housing, soup kitchens, homeless camps, food pantries, drop-in centers and day-labor pools."

Please take the time to read the article here. Sphere: Related Content

Many Students Homeless In Osceola County

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. -- In this economy, more of children are becoming homeless. In the past year, there's been an 18 percent increase in homeless students attending schools in the United States.

The motels along HWY-192 in Kissimmee were built for tourists, but Eyewitness News discovered they're being used by many homeless families with young children.
"Its hard when you have to humble yourself so far down where you have no where else to go," said Angie Moore who is homeless.For Angie and Eric Moore, a small motel room is a big blessing.

Last week they were sleeping in the back seat of their van with their 9-year-old daughter."We would go to hotel parking lot, hoping and praying they wouldn't find us and ask us to leave anyplace where there wasn't high traffic that's where would park our van," she said.

The Moores' got help form The Home Program, which is a non-profit organization that provides motel vouchers and temporary housing assistance.

The Moores are living next to other families who are also homeless.

"It really breaks your heart when you see kids panhandling for food," she said.

Half of all homeless students in Osceola County, about 500 of them live in motels.In Orange County WFTV found the number of homeless students increased by nearly 1,000, from 1,750 last year to more than 2,500 students this year.School buses drop the students off right in front of the hotel lobby. Many of their parents lost their jobs and then their homes.

"We have new foreclosure everyday, new evictions every day," said Carrie Eule of the Home Program.

Eule runs the Home Program, which is helping the Moore's find jobs and paying for their motel room for one month.

The Moores say they are hoping the home is only temporary.

"I want to help someone else who is going through the same thing," said Angie Moore.

The home program provides housing assistance for 300 families a year in Osceola County and they are hoping to get more federal stimulus dollars.

Copyright 2009 by wftv.com.

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The Changing Face of Homelessness -- In the News

CNN.com has a great report out today about the changing face of homelessness in America. This video report explores single moms with kids, the population that HOME works with everyday to break the cycle of homelessness.



We would also like to call your attention to this recent report on ABC News that really hit home with Helping Others Make the Effort. The children and teens were very honest about their situation, as we often find the kids at HOME are as well. Sometimes we look at the word "homeless" and we forget the statistics that a huge percentage of those who are homeless, are children.

The report can be accessed by clicking here:

ABCNEWS: Children Struggling and Speaking Out.

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Report: 1 in 50 U.S. children face homelessness

via CNN

(CNN) -- One in 50 children is homeless in the United States every year, according to a report released Tuesday.

The National Center on Family Homelessness estimates more than 1.5 million children are without a home.

The report, by the National Center on Family Homelessness, analyzed data from 2005-06 and found that more than 1.5 million children were without a home.

"These numbers will grow as home foreclosures continue to rise," Ellen Bassuk, president of the center, said in a statement.

The study ranked states on their performance in four areas: the extent of child homelessness, the risk for it, child well-being and the state's policy and planning efforts.

The states that fared the poorest were Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, New Mexico and Louisiana.

Connecticut, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island and North Dakota performed the best.

Homeless children have poor health, emotional problems and low graduation rates, the study found.

"The consequences to our society will play out for decades," Bassuk said. "As we bail out the rest of our nation, it is also time to come to their aid."

The report offers recommendations such as improved support to ensure that children's schooling is not interrupted when they lose their homes, and services to address the trauma of homelessness.

Other highlights in the report, "America's Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness:"

• 42 percent of homeless children are younger than 6.

• African-American and Native American children are disproportionately represented.

• More than 1 in 7 homeless children have moderate to severe health conditions, such as asthma.

• Approximately 1.16 million of homeless children today will not graduate from high school.

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This report on CNN.com reminds us of what our mission here at HOME is — To break the cycle of homelessness in Osceola County. Recent reports in our county reveal that over 900 school-age children are currently homeless. In fact, the school district has just released new statistics of Osceola County homeless children. The stats state that 488 children are living in a motel/hotel, 346 are doubled up or couch surfing, 83 are in shelters, 23 are living in a car, tent or RV and there are 16 unaccompanied youth ages 13-17 living without a parent or legal guardian.

These statistics do not take into account the hundreds of children who do not attend school, which means the numbers are even higher. Also, the CNN report above is cited from 2005 — those of us working with homelessness every day know, sadly, that the number by now is, most likely, much more than 1 in 50 in the United States.

For more information on how you can help break the cycle of homelessness and support HOME financially or to volunteer please click here.

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