Services provided by Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care


	Helping the Homeless: Helping the Community
	Communities that serve the homeless serve themselves, as numbers of homeless go down. In 2005, Panama City counted 1,051 homeless persons. Panama City began a concerted effort to provide shelter and transitional services. In 2007, the number of homeless had dropped to 321.
	What Are We Doing Now?
	Among the services offered by the Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care/ Opportunity, Inc. and its participating agencies are:
	Crestview Homeless Services Click here for current homeless programs in Crestview. These include locations for free resources such as lunches, bicycles, laundry service, showers, clothing and much more. Cold Night Shelter A collaborative effort, spearheaded by the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Walton Beach, in which seven churches provide a safe haven when the temperature drops to 40 degrees or below. Volunteers provide a hot dinner and breakfast, shower facilities, and a place to lie down. Some churches also offer haircuts, laundry facilities, and transportation to work sites. Participating churches are: First Presbyterian Church, St. Simon's Episcopal Church, 7th Day Adventist Church, Gregg Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Mary Esther United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church and Hollywood Baptist Church. Meal Programs Food is provided at a variety of venues, from hot breakfast Sunday morning, to a hot lunch on Thursdays, Saturday and Sundays, to brown bag meals on weekdays, to groceries offered through monthly giveaways at non-profits, churches, and faith-based organizations. A listing of when and where food is available can be found on the calendar link. Personal Hygiene There are limited opportunities for homeless individuals to take showers and get haircuts. The Continuum sponsors a laundry program every Sunday morning, in which each participating client can wash a single load of clothes. Two to three times a year, the Mental Health Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties provides personal care bags, including soap, washcloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shampoo, and other items as available. Health Care Opportunity, Inc. sponsors a flu shot clinic each fall, in which homeless individuals and volunteers serving the homeless can get free flu shots administered by a contracted registered nurse. Homeless persons needing prescription medications are served through one-time vouchers through the Mental Health Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties, and Trinity Methodist Church. Non-profits and faith-based agencies providing food and shelter coordinate as needed to sterilize bedding, blankets and clothing, and to provide homeless persons with head lice shampoo and soap to guard against lice infestations. The Okaloosa Department of Health provides training instruction and manuals to direct service providers to assist in disease prevention and the spread of infection. Assisting Chronically Homeless Bridgeway Center, Inc. provides assistance to those who have been homeless for at least a year, or homeless four times in the last three years, and who have chronic mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders. Case managers link clients to housing, employment, benefits, and mental health and/or substance abuse treatment. Shelter Two participating agencies provide a limited number of shelter beds. The Shelter House provides a safe haven for women, children and men in imminent danger of domestic violence. FRESH Start has ten units of transitional housing for women and families. Both agencies receive funding from the Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care/ Opportunity, Inc. Special Events Participating members sponsor special events for homeless clients, with the support of Opportunity, Inc. These include Christmas parties, one for adults and one for children; school supply distribution; and occasional bar-b-cues and picnics. Participating churches have also held memorial services for homeless persons who have died due to malnutrition, exposure, and other hazards of homelessness. Resource Directory Opportunity, Inc., maintains a resource directory of all services offered to homeless clients within Okaloosa and Walton Counties. The 2008 directory is available by clicking here. Homeless Management Information System The Continuum is developing a web-based system of tracking services provided and the numbers of persons. A pilot program is being implemented and evaluated at the 7th Day Adventist Church. Homeless persons are issued cards that can be scanned at any point of service delivery. Eventually the system will be used to coordinate care and match individual needs to available services throughout the two-county region. Role of the Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care, Opportunity, Inc. The Continuum of Care provides a monthly forum in which community stakeholders, homeless persons and formerly homeless persons can collaborate on needed services and request ideas and help from participating agencies. The Continuum of Care applies for federal and state funding, which it distributes to service providers based on results from a request for proposal process. Once funds are awarded, the Continuum of Care monitors expenditures and program delivery, and reports back to the appropriate government agencies. The Continuum of Care receives some funds for direct services, which are used to support collective programs, such as health clinics, provision of bicycles, and other essential needs beyond the capacity of individual members. The Continuum of Care made successful applications for $600,000 in federal funds and $121,000 in state funds, which were distributed to community service providers. Advocacy The Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care advocates for the homeless through community awareness campaigns; presentations at county and municipal bodies; appearances on radio and TV; and through hosting fundraising events. Participating agencies also advocate for the homeless on an individual level, connecting homeless families and individuals with essential services.
	What Else Can We Do?
	Becoming homeless is not difficult. A broken leg, a lost job, or a divorce can make the difference between housed or homeless. The hard part is finding your way back. Transitioning back to self-sufficiency requires, at minimum:
	Temporary emergency shelter Storage for personal belongings Easier access to health care Financial counseling, bank accounts Job skills training Resource center for receiving mail, phone messages, looking for jobs Expanded funding for subsidized child care Affordable housing

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

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