Lee County Homeless Coalition Inc
Compassion | Commitment | Community
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Make homelessness preventable whenever possible or otherwise rare, brief and a 1 time experience
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Community Grant & In Kind Donations
The Coalition works with individuals and agencies to identify potential gaps within our local continuum of homeless care. Each year we use profits from our fundraisers to assist our member agencies who may have encountered diminished funding, an increase in need or who want to address a specific issue. The Coalition was pleased to be able to offer $20,000 in funding to our agencies and assist those who needed help through our Community Grant program. We also received In-kind donations which were distributed
to agencies and advocates that work directly with those in need.
Homeless Service Day and Veteran Stand Down Event
This year's event looked different due to the COVID Pandemic, we resorted to a smaller modified format which included a Traffic Court where a judge resided and disposed of 52 cases for attendees at the event. The goal of this event was to provide services that can help break the cycle of homelessness and encourage hope, vision, and health. The event was held at City Gate Ministries located in Fort Myers. We serve approximately 150 people at the event. Approximately 25 agencies and community groups provided services. Local providers assisted with services such as employment, healthcare, clothing, mental health referrals, substance abuse referrals, haircuts, and lunch was provided.
Annual PIT Census Blitz
Every year, the Coalition and its volunteers conduct a Point in Time (PIT) census to count the number of people experiencing homelessness and provide data to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The PIT count is also used to gather the information that allows local service providers to target services to meet the specific needs of the homeless in our communities. The PIT count, which asked people where they slept the night of January 26, 2022, documented 560 homeless persons which consisted of, 47 chronically homeless, 49 families with 86 children, and 24 veterans, 21 of which were active in a Rapid Rehousing program working with a case manager to obtain housing. To maximize survey collection and minimize duplication, we utilized a GIS phone app survey tool and strategically targeted geographic regions with 84 volunteers including law enforcement agencies. Training was provided over 3 days. We counted over multiple days as HUD allows service-based counts.
Advocacy and Education
The Coalition advocated for homeless needs during the 2022 Legislative Session. We kept abreast of the issues, letters were written and phone calls and meetings were held with our local legislatures. We participated in conference calls with the Florida Coalition to End Homelessness, and CoC representatives throughout the state with the goal to advocate for legislation and executive agendas that represent the interest of Florida’s Continuums of Care. Our unified advocacy efforts resulted in a successful FY 2022 Legislative Session. Funds for affordable housing were the largest allocation since 2007. The Challenge and Staffing Grants were secured. We participated in a multitude of events and speaking engagements throughout the year that promoted awareness and education of homeless needs in our area, we actively engaged in workgroups and subcommittees to promote best practices. We worked on task forces focused on Veterans and Refugees in the community, and offered Diversion Training.
Homeless Challenge
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners officially proclaimed November as “Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month." This is a time designated to educate the public and bring awareness to the needs of the homeless. The Coalition hosted a homeless challenge “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” participants became familiar with the social services network and methods of everyday survival. The activity was designed to educate and promote awareness. They joined together for a meal and walked several miles to visit various homeless provider agencies and shelters. This year, we began our challenge at the Lee County Jail CORE Facility and the event had a “reentry theme”. The day’s agenda included discussions with law enforcement, emergency room staff, and some of our partner agencies. The goal was to have participants come away with a better understanding of the scope of the problem and how the system dealt with the hardships of homelessness.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of individuals in our community experiencing homelessness.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Related Program
Annual PIT Census Blitz
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
2022 PIT count 560 individuals, the count covered more geographical areas, based on volunteer engagement, 2021 total was 394 (modified count due to pandemic) Chronic homelessness decreased.
Number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in Lee County
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people, Victims of conflict and war
Related Program
Annual PIT Census Blitz
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
PIT 2022 - 24 veterans, 21 of which were active in a Rapid Rehousing program working with a case manager to obtain housing.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
*Advocate, Educate and promote awareness of homeless issues.
*Adopt best practices and coordinate our system.
*Have a systematic response in place that ensures homelessness is prevented whenever possible or is otherwise Rare, Brief and Non-recurring experience.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Assist with the development of the local homeless assistance CoC plan.
Inventory local resources.
Review services and identify unmet needs.
Eliminate duplication and maximize the use of limited resources.
Develop community resource directory.
Develop public education and outreach initiatives.
Collect and compile information related to the homeless population.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We work closely with the lead agency to plan, network, coordinate and monitor the delivery of services to the homeless in Lee County. We rank community projects prior to submitting the CoC grant to HUD. We conduct a PIT annual count of the homeless in our community. We meet with our local legislative representatives and advocate for homeless needs. We provide referral and outreach to the community. We survey local providers and develop a resource guide. We offer presentations throughout the community to educate the public on homeless issues.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The CoC implemented a family Transition Collaborative to house families and committed couple the program produced great success we have now launched a second round of the Family Transition Collaborative which includes embedded case management providing wrap-around services that meet the specific needs of each family unit.
Our membership has continued to grow and we have become more visible to our community thru projects and presentations.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Lee County Homeless Coalition Inc
Board of directorsas of 09/16/2022
Chair Johnny Limbaugh
Wright Construction
Term: 2022 - 2023
Dion Freeman
Ft. Myers Police Department
Term: 2022 - 2023
William Rodriguez
U.S. Social Security Department
Pat Epifanio
Parish Nurse
Dion Freeman
City of FM Police Lt.
Kathy Smith
Public Defender 20th Judicial Circuit
Bob Parimore
Finemark Bank
Lois Welsh
Arthur Printing
Johnny Limbaugh
Wright Construction
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data