You can help unsheltered men, women and children find their way to an independent and productive life by helping the Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care / Opportunity Inc. Donate your money, personal and household items, your time, and much more.
Donate Money by Mail
Please send all donations by mail to Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care at

     Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care
     941-L Central Avenue
     Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32547
Donate Money Online with Secured Payment Through Paypal.com
You can now submit your cash donations online using your credit card with Paypal.com, a secured server. Click on the "Donate" button beside the amount desired. Once you have done so, you will then be prompted to complete your credit card transaction. If you have any questions, please contact our office at (850) 226-7694. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent provided by law. 
 
$10.00 Donation:
(Friends of HOPE)

 

$10.00 Donation:
(Friends of Opportunity)

 

$25.00 Donation:

 

$50.00 Donation:


$100.00 Donation:


$200.00 Donation:

 

$500.00 Donation:



Volunteers and Items Needed: July 2008
We need your help!  We need volunteers and items to help our local homeless. Click here for a list of volunteer opportunities and items that are needed in the month of July.
Needs for immediate assistance (May 2008)
Family of four, evicted Monday, has found a place to stay through Saturday, but is facing homelessness by Sunday, March 30. Father works as a carpet cleaner, while mom works part-time in child care. Children are ages 6 months and 2 years. Rent and utility expenses kept climbing upward, while earnings dropped. Family needs a place to stay, while dad needs better job.

Mom with three kids (youngest is 3 years old) - featured on Channel 10's report about Destin Harvest and Seventh Day Adventist Church - needs a job and a place to live. She has received a 3-day eviction notice, and must find more affordable housing. She has interviewed for several jobs, and is hopeful that she will find something soon, but meanwhile needs help with apartment and utility deposits. Food and clothing would be appreciated.

A recently divorced mom with four kids has also found a place to stay temporarily. She too needs help with a job, child care, and affordable housing. She will also need help with food and clothing.

A dad in Crestview has two children, a four-year-old who is deaf, and a six-year-old with learning disabilities. He has found a place to live, but needs help with deposits. A job, child care and transportation are all critical needs.

The college student who lost her housing and job as a result of a vicious attack that left her with numerous injuries has a place to live now, and furniture. She is expected to receive medical clearance to return to work on April 15. She and her mom need jobs in the Crestview area. Several members of the Continuum of Care have supplied leads for jobs, so hopefully this will be resolved soon.

This is only a partial list. We still need funds to hire a resource and referral manager, so that we can ensure our homeless get the services they need to get a fresh start, and learn how to sustain a better, self-sufficient lifestyle.
Donate Personal and Household Items
Below is a list of personal and household items that are needed continuously throughout the year.
  • Linens, blankets, towels, washcloths
  • Small pillows, pillowcases
  • Clothing, all sizes (particularly underwear and socks)
  • Shoes of all sizes, particularly work boots
  • Personal hygiene items (shampoo, soap, wash clothes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, razors)
  • Back packs
  • Bicycles
  • First aid supplies
  • Sunscreen
  • Gift certificates to fast food restaurants (a dollar certificate can give someone a coffee and a respite from the heat or rain)
  • Laundry soap
  • Large containers of liquid soap
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Groceries 
  • Latex gloves for washing dishes, working with persons with skin infections
  • Flashlights and batteries
  • Can openers
  • Paper goods for serving meals
Donate Your Time
Over one hundred men and women, of all ages and from all walks of life, are working to assist the homeless through cold night shelters, meal programs, and in gathering resources for food pantries and clothing closets. We have doctors organizing shower rotations and clean-up, and teenagers teaching middle-aged men to read. On Sunday mornings, you can often find someone of the Buddhist faith giving haircuts, someone of the Muslim faith signing people in, while a member of a Baptist church butters toast and a homeless man (a former chef) scrambles the eggs, all under the roof of the 7th Day Adventist Church. Our volunteers and our "guests" inspire each other, and everyone is richer for the experience.

You can enrich your life, finding friends among the volunteers, and hope among the homeless, by calling Yvonne Franklin, chairman of the cold night shelter program, at (850) 642-3222.

Click here to view photos of the volunteer appreciation celebration held in May, 2007. We will be happy to appreciate you this year!


Bank at SunTrust and We Receive $100 Donation
Open an account with SunTrust Bank, minimum of $25.00, stating that you wish to support the Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care/ Opportunity, Inc., and SunTrust will make a donation of $100 to the organization. There are no fees involved, and the account can be closed at the end of six months. The only requirement is that the account holder agree to accept a debit card and use it one time over the course of six months. Households may apply for two accounts under this program. The deadline for opening My Cause accounts is September 30, 2008.  Click here to visit their web site and learn more about the program. 
Thanks to Our Business Partners
Many businesses in the community have shown steadfast commitment to helping those in need of shelter and support. Our thanks go to:

 
 


Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum Care / Opportunity, Inc.
941-L Central Avenue  |  Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
 Phone: (850) 226-7694  |  info@okaloosawaltonhomeless.org

Copyright © 2007 Opportunity, Inc.  All Rights Reserved  |  Site by VTD, Inc.