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<\/p>\nTables were set with coverings and small, bird-themed centerpieces as volunteers prepared a Hawaiian-themed meal inside Just Like Momma\u2019s\u00a0restaurant Sunday evening, while a line of people waited outside to be invited in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside, volunteers moved between tables, placing leis and arranging settings ahead of the monthly dinner hosted by Compassion in Apopka, a faith-based outreach group serving the city\u2019s unhoused and underserved residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The gathering,\u00a0held\u00a0the\u00a0fourth Sunday\u00a0every month, provides more than a hot meal. It also reflects a broader and ongoing challenge in Apopka: how to address homelessness beyond short-term\u00a0assistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we have about\u00a060,\u201d said founder Virginia Street, noting attendance has reached as high as 90 in\u00a0past\u00a0months. \u201cThey like the feeling of coming into a restaurant. It makes them feel humanized.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Street, who launched Compassion in Apopka in March 2025, said the effort grew out of a long-standing desire to help those struggling to meet basic needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to be a person that can point them in the right direction,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes it doesn\u2019t take much\u00a0\u2013\u00a0an encouraging word will help them want to do better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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In addition to monthly meals, Street said the organization provides clothing, hygiene\u00a0items\u00a0and one-on-one\u00a0assistance, including help filling out job applications or preparing for interviews. Some attendees have found part-time work, she said, though income often\u00a0remains\u00a0insufficient to cover rising costs of living.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because they have a job doesn\u2019t mean they have enough money for everything,\u201d Street said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For\u00a0Paul Poppell,\u00a0attending the dinners\u00a0offers\u00a0a moment of stability.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0nice.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0convenient,\u201d said Poppell, who learned about the event through word of mouth. Asked about his biggest challenge, he pointed simply to \u201cshelter\u00a0\u2026 just homelessness.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Street said that while the dinners meet immediate needs, larger gaps remain\u00a0\u2013\u00a0particularly access to centralized services.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey really need a resource center,\u201d she said, describing a space where individuals could charge phones, escape extreme weather and connect with support services. She also pointed to a need for expanded mental health resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Discussions around a potential resource center have surfaced\u00a0in community-wide conversations.\u00a0Earlier this month, the Apopka Community Redevelopment Agency approved the purchase of\u00a0a vacant\u00a0property at 205 E. Eighth St., a site long discussed as a possible location for expanded community services, including assistance for the unhoused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the\u00a0April 15 CRA meeting<\/a>,\u00a0board\u00a0members\u00a0voiced\u00a0concern about\u00a0proceeding with\u00a0the\u00a0purchase without a clear plan for its use or identified funding for future construction.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf we are going to use it as a resource center \u2026\u202fI\u2019d\u202falso like to see what we could\u202factually do\u202fthere\u202flong term,\u202fand then put a plan in place,\u201d\u202fCommissioner\u00a0Nick Nesta said\u00a0at the meeting.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n According\u00a0to Street,\u00a0Nesta\u00a0has also supported the monthly dinners by contributing food and other supplies to them. He provided meat for holiday meals and responded to requests for items\u00a0such as pizza and\u00a0necessities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n With Nesta preparing to take\u00a0office\u00a0as the new mayor on Tuesday, Street believes his administration\u00a0will\u00a0assist people experiencing homelessness.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am very encouraged with seeing what the new administration will be able to do,\u201d Street said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Street said she also envisions longer-term solutions, such as a \u201ctiny home\u201d village or other transitional housing options.\u00a0<\/p>\n Valerie Sparkman, owner of Just Like Momma\u2019s,\u00a0said she partnered with Street\u00a0not long after\u00a0opening her business, sharing a similar desire to serve the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI see a lot of them,\u201d Sparkman said of the area\u2019s unhoused population. \u201cBut as far as them coming here, I\u2019ve never had any problems with them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n At the same time, she acknowledged concerns from nearby residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt helps them,\u201d she said of the dinners.\u00a0\u201cIt doesn\u2019t help me,\u201d she added, explaining that some neighbors have expressed opposition to hosting the gatherings.\u00a0<\/p>\n Street acknowledged there are\u00a0already\u00a0some services<\/a>\u00a0and initiatives\u00a0in place\u00a0to support people experiencing homelessness<\/a>, but\u00a0she\u00a0said major gaps\u00a0remain,\u00a0especially the lack of a central resource center and adequate mental health care.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt should be more resources to help them,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Street said her organization works with local churches,\u00a0volunteers\u00a0and city contacts to sustain the monthly effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t do it by myself,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Apopka continues to grapple with homelessness\u00a0\u2013\u00a0balancing community concerns, business\u00a0impacts\u00a0and humanitarian needs\u00a0\u2013\u00a0efforts like the monthly dinners offer a consistent, if limited, form of support.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI see this as part of a bigger solution,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Teresa Sargeant has been with The Apopka Chief for over 10 years.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.png\")
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