ORLANDO, Fla. — Eric Schwalbach spent his weekend morning unloading a pickup truck at Central Christian Church in Orlando. Boxes were filled with Bibles and hygiene items. He also collected cases of water and shoes.
What You Need To Know
Members of the Orlando community organized a donation drive for people experiencing homelessness around Lake Eola Park
Donations and fresh food will be distributed Sunday morning
Groups such as SALT Outreach and Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida say many of their clients come from downtown looking for services
“The more we come together, the more we can help them,” said Schwalbach.
He is referring to people experiencing homelessness around Central Florida. Schwalbach is a coach for Coaches and Convicts with Christ. However, he keeps his hands full by partnering with other organizations, like the church and Joyfully Planned.
Schwalbach is collecting donations to distribute Sunday around Lake Eola Park. The team is also cooking up barbecue to hand out too.
“If we’re all giving away our excess, then everybody can have something,” he said.
He says the goal is to expand outreach to more churches throughout Central Florida.
“We wanna be able to say hey, if you’ve got stuff to give away, instead of taking it to Goodwill or the thrift stop, let’s put it in your parking lot of your church, cook for these people, and let people that are struggling get it,” said Schwalbach.
Organizations in the area have reported seeing an increase in those seeking homeless services for years. SALT Outreach Executive Director Eric Camarillo says his downtown Orlando team served 843 people between January and February.
“We could quadruple our case management team in downtown Orlando and we still would not have enough people to handle the people that are requesting help to get off the street,” said Camarillo.
He added that SALT Outreach served 409 different people experiencing homelessness for the first time in downtown Orlando in 2025.
“The face of homelessness is changing pretty rapidly,” said Camarillo. “Different demographics, people that just can’t keep up with the rising rent, people escaping abuse.”
Jessica Guzman, the Assistant Director of Development and Communications for Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, said downtown areas are a popular spot for those experiencing homelessness because of proximity to resources.
“It’s likely because Lake Eola is like the hub of downtown,” explained Guzman. “So these individuals are there, they have access to showers, they know that they’re safe, they know that there might be individuals who bring resources to that area.”
Schwalbach says the team is looking for hygiene items, snacks, sunscreen, socks and shoes. They can be dropped off at Central Christian Church in Orlando Saturday or Sunday morning before they head to Lake Eola for the distribution.
Anyone interested in organizing their own donation drive can reach Joy Dawson at joy@joyfullyplanned.com or (321) 520-2413.