Submitted by Dani Gammel
Coalition for the Homeless
October 10, 2014 1:00 a.m.
They arrive carrying their backpacks and sleeping bags. Sometimes they come by car packed with what’s left of their worldly belongings. Some days they walk through the door with nothing except what they’re wearing. They’ve heard about the day drop-in center (DDC) through their network of friends, a social service agency or perhaps a member of a local church. They’ve heard that they’ll be safe, welcomed and helped.
Two years ago the Coalition for the Homeless of Nassau County opened the DDC to fill a gap in services to adults experiencing homelessness. Up to that time the homeless had no place they could go during the day to take a shower, do their laundry, get out of the weather or just rest for an hour or two without being shooed along.
As the Coalition researched the needs of the homeless, it expanded the DDC’s services to include providing morning snacks and a light lunch, phone and computer access, a mailing address, help with job searches, referral to appropriate local agencies, and computer and financial assistance to replace critical documents such as birth certificates and IDs. In addition, the Coalition decided that the DDC would also serve people at high risk of homelessness – those on the verge of being evicted with nowhere to go or those whose work and financial situation seemed about to collapse.
The DDC is located in space donated by the Fernandina Beach Church of Christ at the corner of Jasmine and So. 14th Streets on Amelia Island. Doors are open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9am – 1pm, and often when volunteers arrive in the morning people are already waiting for their first cup of hot coffee, a shower and a friendly greeting.
As is true everywhere, the “face of homelessness” in Nassau County differs from individual to individual. Some clients of the DDC have been homeless for an extended period of time and may struggle with substance abuse and/or mental health issues. Other people are just recently homeless as a result of a combination of ill-timed events such as the loss of a job, the loss of a vehicle, medical bills, and family issues. Some are on the verge of homelessness and facing eviction. As DDC volunteers can attest, no one they work with wants to be homeless. Everyone is looking for a decent job, affordable housing and stability in their lives.
As of the end of August, 150 different individuals visited the center 843 times. The DDC has provided 349 showers, washed 224 loads of laundry, provided computer access 171 times, and helped clients acquire needed documents 125 times. Six DDC clients have gotten jobs directly through assistance provided by the center, and six clients have moved into permanent housing through a combination of efforts by the DDC and other local social service agencies. As the result of a Rayonier grant and individual contributions, the DDC has been able to distribute backpacks as well as dozens of sleeping bags, tents, and tarps to people who otherwise would be sleeping out in the open.
The DDC has a critical need for volunteers who are interested in working directly with people experiencing homelessness. Volunteers receive training and can focus on whatever DDC task interests them, whether that’s greeting people as they come in, making sandwiches for lunch, sorting mail, helping people at the computer, or just listening to people as they talk about their situations. Volunteers work in two- or four-hour shifts (9am-11am or 9am-1pm) on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Currently the DDC has an immediate need for volunteers on Tuesday and Wednesday. To volunteer or for more information, please contact Ellen Miller at 904-556-2810.
The Coalition for the Homeless of Nassau County, which operates the DDC, is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to prevent and eliminate homelessness and to coordinate with other organizations to help the homeless receive the services they need. The Coalition operates three programs: the DDC; Gracie’s Kitchen, which provides dinner to adults and children in need in the Yulee area; and the Soup Train, which prepares meals for homebound elderly on the waiting list for the Meals on Wheels program. Contributions to the Coalition are welcome and can be sent to P.O. Box 16123, Fernandina Beach 32035.