ALPHA AND OMEGA FREEDOM MINISTRIES INCORPORATED

In
response to the crucial need for accommodations beyond homeless shelters in the
rural areas of Central Florida, AOFM built a 17-unit, garden style apartment complex as well as a community center for groups, get togethers and for outsiders to visit. We built this with the help of a SAIL Loan through Florida Housing and a grant for $600,000. The apartment complex will serve as a transitional and supportive housing facility for homeless women and children with a focus on clients transferred from temporary emergency shelters.

Presently, due to Hurricane Irma, we have had massive damages to the apartments and the community center. The entire facility flooded due to how it was built and because the drainage system needed extra items that were not included in the project. We have to come up with 12.5% of the costs of the repairs which is about $156,250 presently. FEMA is helping and the State of Florida will help as well. We need the apartments for the many women and children who are presently homeless in our community. We have had around 15 per week to ask for help, sometimes 15 in a day.

AOFM does provide supportive housing in: Budgeting; Nutritional Counseling; Self-Sufficiency; Financial Planning;
Vocational Assessment & Training; Workforce Development Initiatives; Assistance in Obtaining GED/Continuing Education; Child Care/Children as well as Counseling and Transportation Service.

AOFM also has a program for fathers/abusers which covers parenting, anger management, domestic violence counseling, addictions, etc. Many of the courts, Heartland for Children, DCF and others refer their clients to us. We are a faith-based program but we do not focus on any one religion, just religious principles that help to heal and support our clients.

 Even though we have struggled this past year, we are still providing the programs that are needed for not just our county but Polk, Highlands, DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota and others. We had one young lady to come all the way from New York to escape and abusive relationship with a gang member. We help as the need arises. At first it may be just to stabilize them emotionally, physically and medically. Later we focus on the areas that will help them personally as well as their children. Then we focus on what can help them make it on their own, such as vocational skills training, education and gaining employment. After that we help them with housing in the community or if they need more support, our apartments will be available within this year.

Without the support of individual givers, we could not make it! Please think about helping our ministry by visiting our website:
www.aofm-hannahshouse.org.

A Women's Entrepreneur & Mentoring Initiative that provides vocational skills to not only the women from Hannah's House, but also for South Florida Community College, Probation, and other agencies, in business management, sales and customer relations. All proceeds benefit the Hannah's House residents. This store is located at 226 W Main Street

AOFM, Inc. provides counseling through our Community Counseling Center. We provide Domestic Violence survivor counseling, DV abuser counseling, Anger Management, Parenting, Improving self-esteem, budgeting and nutrition for the court systems, DCF and our clients. We also perform drug screens for agencies that need them. Drug screening costs are $25 each. Counseling classes are based on Income. The location is 113 presently, but we are moving to 102 Carlton Street by December 1st.

Overcomers is an addictions program to overcome any addiction that the person is struggling with. This may include, food, alcohol, drugs, sexual addictions, etc. It is a faith-based program that concentrates on healing the inner person so they have no need for the addiction that they have. It meets weekly on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 in the Women's Club located on 7th Avenue in Wauchula.