Christian Service Center For Central Florida Inc

TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS, COMBAT POVERTY, CULTIVATE SELF-SUFFICIENCY, RESTORE HOPE AND GLORIFY GOD THROUGH THE FAITHFUL PROVISION OF SERVICES THAT DIRECTLY ADDRESS PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS FOR FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE STRUGGLING IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, REGARDLESS OF RACE, RELIGION, AGE OR GENDER.

IN 2023, CHRISTIAN SERVICE CENTER DIRECTLY ASSISTED 12,747 PEOPLE WITH SHORT-TERM CRISIS CARE AT THREE LOCATIONS THROUGH ITS FAMILY & EMERGENCY SERVICES PROGRAM. THIS INCLUDES CLIENTS RECEIVING EMERGENCY FOOD OR CLOTHING, DIAPERS, BUS PASSES, AND WHEN NECESSARY, REFERRALS TO OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS. OUTCOME GOALS WERE SET FOR 2023 TO CONTINUE PROVIDING RENT AND UTILITIES ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE UNABLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS DUE TO UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES AND FACING THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY OF EVICTION. THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE GOAL OF 125 FOR THE YEAR WAS EXCEEDED BY ULTIMATELY HELPING 194 HOUSEHOLDS IN 2023. ALSO, UTILITIES ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED TO A TOTAL OF 289 STRUGGLING HOUSEHOLDS, EXCEEDING THE GOAL OF 145. FURTHERMORE, THE CHRISTIAN SERVICE CENTER MOVED 356 CHRONICALLY HOMELESS ADULTS AND CHILDREN INTO HOUSING IN 2023, MORE THAN THE AGENCY HAS EVER HOUSED IN A YEAR. ALSO IN 2023, CHRISTIAN SERVICE CENTER LAUNCHED A PROJECT CALLED RAPID UNSHELTERED SURVIVOR HOUSING (RUSH), A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF ORLANDO FOCUSED ON MOVING UNSHELTERED PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, OUT OF TENTS ALONG THE STREETS IN THE PARRAMORE NEIGHBORHOOD AND INTO MORE PERMANENT HOUSING. THE GOAL FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS TO MOVE 20 FAMILIES OUT OF HOMELESSNESS DURING THE YEAR-LONG FUNDING PERIOD, AND THE AGENCY WAS PROUD TO END THE INITIATIVE HAVING PLACED 111 FAMILIES INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.

THE LOVE PANTRY IN-SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM PROVIDES STRUGGLING FAMILIES WITH AN EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLY DIRECTLY THROUGH ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS DISTRIBUTE EMERGENCY ITEMS FROM A CABINET STOCKED WITH 23 OF THE MOST COMMON NONPERISHABLE FOOD AND HYGIENE ITEMS, PLUS REFERRALS TO OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES. IN 2023, 34 PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRIBUTED 14,379 ITEMS TO 3,169 UNIQUE HOUSEHOLDS IN NEED.

DAILY BREAD SOUP KITCHENS SERVE HOT AND NOURISHING LUNCHTIME MEALS FOR INDIVIDUALS FIVE TO SIX DAYS A WEEK FROM THREE CAMPUSES, AT NO COST TO GUESTS. IN 2023, DAILY BREAD AVERAGED 474 MEALS PER DAY, SERVING 99,946 MEALS FROM DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, 34,217 MEALS FROM OCOEE, AND 2,982 MEALS FROM WINTER PARK. OF THE 99,946 MEALS SERVED IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, 31,746 WERE BREAKFAST MEALS IN SUPPORT OF COMPASSION CORNER, AN ONSITE PARTNER WHO OPERATES FROM THE DAILY BREAD DINING HALL MONDAY-THURSDAY MORNING. DAILY BREAD HAS GROWN FROM SERVING 70,200 MEALS IN 2019 TO SERVING 137,145 IN 2023.

THE CHRISTIAN SERVICE CENTER DISTRIBUTES DONATIONS OF CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD GOODS THROUGH A THRIFT STORE LOCATED IN OCOEE AND A CLOTHING VOUCHER PROGRAM LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO. IN 2023, 8,335 CLOTHING VOUCHERS WERE DISTRIBUTED.