EOCC Kicking off the Season of Sharing: The Opportunities are Endless

By DOROTHY HARDEE, East Orlando Chamber Director of Operations

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

In January 2020 there were more than 580,000 people experiencing homelessness in America. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 70 percent of those were individuals and the rest were people living in families with children. Special attention has been given to this population by policymakers and practitioners, especially for the most vulnerable (children within families and unaccompanied youth under age 25). Sadly COVID-19 contributed to a 2 percent uptick in the numbers marking the fourth straight year of incremental population growth among homeless.

In Florida there were nearly 28,000 people homeless on any given night in 2020. For every 10,000 people 12.8 were homeless. In the Tri-county area (Orange, Osceola & Seminole) 2,007 are homeless on a given night, effecting 9.0 out of every 10,000 people in the general population.

The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida reports the main contributors as:

Loss of income, low wages, or unemployment
Lack of affordable housing (citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition Report)
Domestic violence (citing NLIHCR)
Substance abuse or mental illness
Aging out of foster care

In addition to struggling with shelter, many also suffer a variety of health and psychological issues which only progress in severity as their situation continues including lack of attention. These include poor physical health, nutritional deficiencies, sleep deprivation, mental illness, drug dependency, physician and sexual assault, premature death, increased chance of incarceration and more.

How does this impact our community? The Central Florida Commission on Homelessness issued their Economic Impact Report stating, “the average cost per day for a chronically homeless individual living on the streets, including incarceration and hospital stays is $84.93 per day – over $30,000 per year.” For those staying at the Coalition while awaiting housing, the cost is about $26.59 per day or just over $9,700 per year.

In addition, our community still has misconceptions about the homeless. The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida published an article a decade ago addressing the top ten myths paired with facts. The information was eye opening and sadly continues to plaque our community. As part of their mission and vision for the region, The East Orlando Chamber is working to improve the quality of lives, creating a positive business climate and sense of unity throughout East Orange County. Homelessness is a complicated issue with no quick fix, but something that can be reduced by understanding the facts, resources and modeling best practices from other areas.

Eric Gray, Executive Director of the Christian Services Center Central Florida and incoming EOCC Board Chair, will lead a discussion with a panel of experts exploring: why we have a problem; common misconceptions; current state of care for adults and children experiencing it and how we can end it in our lifetime. Joining Eric will be Martha Are, CEO of Homeless Services Network; Frank Wells, President & Chief Impact Officer with Brightway Community Trust; Babette Hankey, CEO of Aspire Health Partners and Will Jefferson, Community Manager with Valencia College Peace and Justice Institute. Our goal is to raise awareness to the need and how we can each be a catalyst for change through our time, talent, and treasures just in time for the Season of Sharing.

Continuing the theme, we will launch November with our W.I.S.E. (Women in Successful Endeavors) featuring Women in Nonprofit: Focus on Foundations, sponsored by Orlando Health, November 3^rd at The Celeste Hotel Orlando. Graciela Noriega Jacoby, COO with Heart of Florida United Way will lead the discussion with a dynamic group of women leading nonprofit foundations. Joining her will be Lainie Fox-Ackerman (Orlando Health); Linda Landman Gonzalez (Orlando Magic Youth Foundation); Meghan Curren (AdventHealth); Jodie Hardman (Bank of America Foundation) and Min Sun Kim (Edyth Bush Institute).

On November 10^th join us for our annual Local Charities Luncheon “Lights, Camera, Action” at the Holiday Inn East UCF, sponsored by Orlando Health and featuring Barbara Poma, Founder of onePULSE Foundation. Five local charities will also be highlighted offering guests an opportunity to support them fulfilling the need displayed on our “Giving Tree”. It is a meaningful way to start the Season of Sharing and supporting the good work of our highlighted nonprofit organizations. Reserve your seats early.

Looking for more ways to highlight your business? The East Orlando Chamber has a plethora of opportunities to get you noticed, connecting you with your next clients and partners, keeping your business healthy. Enjoy the great outdoors with our 75^th Annual Commemorative Golf Tournament, October 22^nd at Rio Pinar Country Club. Play as an individual, with your foursome or become one of our Foursomes with Hole Sign teams. Check in is at 7:00 AM with a shotgun start at 8:00 AM. Additional opportunities include Chance drawings, power packs and more. Awards lunch and silent auction follow the tournament in the Club House. A portion of the proceeds benefit the East Orlando Chamber Foundation.

For the health of your business reach out to the East Orlando Chamber for a menu of unique offerings elevating your businesses visibility and connect you with others helping your business thrive. We are the first in the state offering traditional Health Insurance plans, as well as supplemental products including dental, vision, critical illness, accidental and more.

For more information or to register call (407) 277-5951 or visit our website at eocc.org. The East Orlando Chamber of Commerce everywhere East of I-4.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Misters & Sisters Great Lunch Adventures: Panda Express University

October 11, 2021, | 12:30 PM

Panda Express, 11871 University Blvd. Ste. 100, Orlando, FL

Food & Beverage is the responsibility of each attendee

Testimonial Tuesday

October 12, 2021, | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Live on Facebook

FREE for EOCC members

Chill Pop Lounge Ribbon Cutting After Hours

October 14, 2021, | 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Chill Pop Lounge Avalon Lake Drive