60 Minutes - how we are helping

Last night 60 minutes aired a heartbreaking story about families living in their cars. This unfortunate reality is happening nightly in Central Florida and other places. We have been hit hard by long term unemployment and the housing market bubble bursting. There are jobs out there, but the competition is high and those who have skills that are not in demand are left out in the cold as well as many who are uneducated and unskilled.

In March, Christian HELP with many others in the community formed the Casselberry community task force to support the schools and help families in need. Since that time, over 35 churches, businesses and individuals have joined in the fight to prevent homlessness and hunger. Below is an excerpt of an interview we had with Fox Orlando.

Community helping homeless kids in Seminole County : MyFoxORLANDO.com

To see the CBS Overtime report which includes the task force, click this link: Everyone Can do Something.

Together we can make a difference in our own communities. Thank you for making a difference through Christian HELP and the Task Force.

Closer than you think

Yesterday I had an opportunity to share about how we are working together with the community of Casselberry to end hunger and homelessness and break the cycle of poverty in the city. As part of a task force of over 30 members we are taking action to meet the immediate and long term needs of the families of Cassleberry Elementary and the surrounding area.

I was speaking to a group of Rotarians and they had some great questioned for me. At one point Beth Davalos of Families in Transition said that many families would rather live in a hotel than move in with friends. I took this opportunity to make it personal. Over the past year I have known families who have had their homes foreclosed on (one was renting and the homeowner did not pay the mortgage), lost their jobs or had hours cut and had to move quickly. We even had family friends move in with us for 4 months.

I can tell you these families are not lazy, for the most part they didn't make bad choices, they were just going along in their lives and became victims of a rather brutal economy.

Over 1 million people in Florida are unemployed. We have the 3rd highest unemployment in the NATION. People want to work. They want full time jobs with benefits that will keep them from losing their homes, their health, and in some cases their families.

Christian HELP is committed to really helping people move forward. We want to provide a safe environment for our clients to share their stories, shed their tears, and get the resources they need.

Thank you for your support. We still need you to help us HELP them.

Sandi