WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — Shelters across Central Florida are helping homeless people weather the biting cold again this week, and they could use help to keep their services on track.
What You Need To Know
The Matthew’s Hope homeless shelter in Winter Garden is the largest shelter serving west Orange County
Shelters across Central Florida can use help with food, clothing, toiletries, protein shakes and more
Matthew Hope offers an employment program to help individuals transition out of homelessness
The Matthew’s Hope shelter helped 49 people Sunday night and more than 50 Monday night. Those services for so many people create a need for food, blankets, clothes, and more.
Shelters across Central Florida are helping homeless people weather the biting cold again this week, and they could use your help to keep their services on track.
David Stamper is sorting food and gearing up for a busy night at Matthew’s Hope. The nonprofit group runs homeless shelters in Winter Garden and Cocoa. David knows firsthand how Matthew’s Hope helps. He was homeless two different times. Stamper recalls his thoughts while he slept in his car.
“Trying to stay warm, trying to not use up as much gas from my heater, because obviously, costs. I’m just trying to survive the night,” he said.
Stamper works here as part of a program training him to become an HVAC technician to have a stable future. He says even simple donations matter.
“For staying warm through this cold front, would be a warm blanket or a comfortable pillow so that they can lay down somewhere,” he said.
Shelley Bradford is president of Matthew’s Hope. She says the team here offers a range of services.
“We’ll get you a shower. We have a pantry. We’re going to get you clean clothes,” she said.
The Homeless Services Network of Central Florida said that many of Central Florida’s shelters could use help with more socks, closed-toe shoes, underwear, diapers, toiletries and long-sleeved shirts and pants for men and women.
Bradford adds the Winter Garden shelter could use more protein shakes.
“It’s a very easy way to get these people nutrition when they come in when they’re just tired and worn out and they haven’t had anything to eat,” she said.
Bradford has some ideas about some things we can do to improve the situation for our homeless neighbors.
“There are people with mental health issues that if we could just get them some sort of help along the way, they could hold a job. I just think that if we could find a way to look at homeless people differently, we could really help them a lot,” Bradford said.
Stamper said the services here change lives like his.
“I’m excited because this is like my first time that I can actually see it and fulfill it and just stick to it. Stick to the plan,” he said.
The public can donate items to help homeless people, but they can also help shelter teams stock up on items to run the facilities, things like bleach, cleaners, garbage bags and gloves.