Homeless and Hunger Coalition of Northwest Florida- About Us

The Homeless and Hunger Coalition of Northwest Florida provides support for agencies that serve the homeless and poor population of Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington Counties.

We organize and manage a continuum of care through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

Membership is free and voluntary. Download the membership form here.

Our Mission and History:

The Homeless and Hunger Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc. (previously Bay County Homeless and Hunger Coalition, Inc.) is an umbrella organization that provides program support to the homeless service providers in our community. The over fifteen-year old Coalition's aim is to accomplish its mission through advocacy, organizing and networking.

Constituency

It is an independent, community-based, nonprofit 501(C) 3 organization whose membership consists of representatives from service providers, local government, businesses and other groups and individuals who are concerned about the issue of homelessness.

For a list of members, click here. The Coalition currently does not have any paid staff (it has three part-time contractual positions) or sufficient financial resources with which to fulfill this broad mission. It does have dedicated volunteers consisting of service providers, advocates and concerned citizens from Bay County Area who are working together to effect change, which will improve the lives of homeless persons in our area.

The Coalition is governed by a Board that includes the following: president, vice-president, secretary, parliamentarian, treasurer, and five members. The Board of Directors meets quarterly with occasional called meetings when necessary. The Membership meets monthly on the second Wednesday of the month. Sub-committees were formed in March 2005 to facilitate management of goals. These committees include the following: strategic planning, public relations, funding and finances, legislative, membership and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

Mission

The Coalition's mission is to end homelessness and return homeless people to self-sufficiency. Agencies that are active in the Coalition provide vital services including outreach, assessment, emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing with supportive services, food and clothing, jobs and training, family protection services, legal assistance, advocacy, mental health services, chemical addiction treatment, medical care and case management for a variety of high-risk population. One important function of our Coalition has been collecting monthly statistics that describe the demographic characteristics of the homeless population served in Bay County area. This information is reported to Florida Department of Children & Families periodically throughout the year and the information is also provided to the governor for the Florida Annual Report on Homelessness. We will continue to gather information from the agencies and continue to analyze them in order to improve services. The Coalition will seek better methods and opportunities for cooperation by social service providers, local city and county government, and other counties and individuals interested in the homeless issues.

Members

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