Organizations helping people experiencing homelessness react to Florida public sleeping ban
Read full article: Organizations helping people experiencing homelessness react to Florida public sleeping banTwo community organizations are hoping the new outdoor sleeping ban will make sure all people experiencing homelessness are taken care of.
PositivelyJAX: Mighty man feeding the unhoused
Read full article: PositivelyJAX: Mighty man feeding the unhousedThe first PositivelyJAX winner of 2024 doesn't have any motives and is just doing the work, on the streets of Jacksonville, with grace. He was motivated by a feeding event that was just once a year and Jason Ivery thought he could help do this every month.
TELL US: Do you think Gov. DeSantis’ proposal to combat homelessness will work? Why or why not?
Read full article: TELL US: Do you think Gov. DeSantis’ proposal to combat homelessness will work? Why or why not?Governor Ron DeSantis announced he's working with the Florida Legislature to combat homelessness by moving bills through the legislative session.
LIVE: Jacksonville City Council to discuss proposal that would use new tax on restaurants, hotels to help homeless
Read full article: LIVE: Jacksonville City Council to discuss proposal that would use new tax on restaurants, hotels to help homelessJacksonville City council members will discuss a tax at tonight’s meeting that would go to help the homeless. The tax would come from food and beverages sold at restaurants and hotels.
A mother of 3 became homeless when her husband abandoned her. A local nonproft helped turn her life around
Read full article: A mother of 3 became homeless when her husband abandoned her. A local nonproft helped turn her life aroundThe local nonprofit found that 71% of the people surveyed became homeless because they could not afford to make ends meet.
Dozens of people are living under a tent in Downtown Brunswick after a homeless shelter closed down
Read full article: Dozens of people are living under a tent in Downtown Brunswick after a homeless shelter closed downToday marks a little more than one month since a homeless shelter in Brunswick temporarily closed its doors after several violent incidents downtown.
India's warm weather plans can't take the heat, report says
Read full article: India's warm weather plans can't take the heat, report saysWith temperatures set to soar next month, Indian authorities need more resources and better preparation to deal with searing heat particularly for the most vulnerable communities around the country, a New Delhi-based think tank said.
Volunteers with Changing Homelessness, other local groups count homeless people in Jacksonville
Read full article: Volunteers with Changing Homelessness, other local groups count homeless people in JacksonvilleBefore the sun rose above the River City on Wednesday, volunteers with Changing Homelessness and other groups hit the ground in downtown Jacksonville, counting the number of people without homes.
Hannah’s Hope House: Good deed inspires 12-year-old’s idea for nonprofit
Read full article: Hannah’s Hope House: Good deed inspires 12-year-old’s idea for nonprofitNews4Jax first met Hannah Hall last year as she was collecting hundreds of masks and coats for those in need over the holidays and her desire to help hasn’t stopped. She hopes to continue her mission for decades to come.
While ‘bridge’ shelter just opened, city is hurrying to find solutions before it closes
Read full article: While ‘bridge’ shelter just opened, city is hurrying to find solutions before it closesJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The temporary shelter that opened for people moved from a homeless camp along Union Street on Monday will be open for 27 more days. The Temporary Bridge Shelter, being managed by Changing Homelessness and the City Rescue Mission, was donated by Jacksonville real estate company JWB. The city said its goal is to bring an “end to homelessness,” but there is concern a new homeless camp could spring up when this facility closes early next month. While the Temporary Bridge Shelter is open for a total of 30 days, there have already been individuals that have been placed in a variety of housing solutions that meet their particular needs. Despite the homeless camp that grew downtown early this year, the Jacksonville officials say homelessness has been decreasing in city.
87 of 150 people moved from Jacksonville homeless camp stayed in city’s temporary shelter
Read full article: 87 of 150 people moved from Jacksonville homeless camp stayed in city’s temporary shelterJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It appears a majority of the people experiencing homelessness in downtown Jacksonville are accounted for after city workers shut down a large homeless camp near Union and Jefferson Street. In addition to providing basic needs, City Rescue Mission case managers are supposed to work with people at the shelter to help them come up with personalized plans to get back on their feet. However, a volunteer at City Rescue Mission told News4Jax that only 15 residents were in the temporary shelter before curfew at 10 pm. Some community advocates bashed the city’s plan from the beginning, calling the camp shutdown a band-aid solution that did not address the root issue. Daryus Sando, who called the tent city home for two months, said seeing the city crews made the deadline suddenly very real.
City crews clear homeless camp from Downtown Jacksonville property
Read full article: City crews clear homeless camp from Downtown Jacksonville propertyWithin hours of city crews arriving with a truck that scooped claw-fulls of items into a dumpster bed, hundreds of remaining tents had dwindled to just over a dozen in a makeshift homeless camp in Downtown Jacksonville. Daryus Sando, who called the tent city home for two months, said seeing the city crews made the deadline suddenly very real. The shelter was 0.3 miles from the “tent city” area, about a 6-minute walk. Ashley Street shelter for those who were living in tent city. Paul Stasi with CRM described the shelter like a temporary disaster shelter the city would set up for a situation like a hurricane.
Final night of tent city before Jacksonville moves homeless into nearby shelter
Read full article: Final night of tent city before Jacksonville moves homeless into nearby shelterThe fences are up surrounding a tent city on Union Street downtown that had grown from 10 people to about 200 in the last three months. On Tuesday, the city of Jacksonville plans to move the homeless living in the camp into a nearby, indoor shelter for the next 30 days. “It grieves me that I have an open bed and someone is living in the tent,” said Paul Stasi of the City Rescue Mission. As the people move, the city and its partners will also offer them social services, the kind of help that Bass says he needs to recover. Not everyone wants to move, but those who care for the homeless say living outdoors like this isn’t safe.
Jacksonville takes first step to move city’s homeless into hotels
Read full article: Jacksonville takes first step to move city’s homeless into hotelsJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Friday morning in an open field just west of downtown, dozens of Jacksonville’s homeless took what could be the first step in finding a permanent home. In addition to housing, the program also pays for food, and even mental health help. A Jacksonville spokeswoman told News4Jax the first 53 participants will be taken to extended-stay hotels, where rapid rehousing specialists will help them find a permanent home, a job and even mental health help. The first people selected will be moved into their hotels starting Monday. “It shows that people do care and we are a city that’s attempting to show that we care about everybody equally.
Against all odds: Jacksonville homeless student to graduate as valedictorian, attend college
Read full article: Against all odds: Jacksonville homeless student to graduate as valedictorian, attend collegeJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If anyone knows what it’s like to overcome, it’s A. Philip Randolph Career Academies senior Martin Folsom. Despite being homeless and having spent time living in shelters with his mother, Folsom served as class president his freshman through senior year, and is is set to graduate at the top of his class as valedictorian. “It’s been a rocky road, a lot of hardships," Folsom said. Martin and his class will be recognized on Channel 4 during the June 6 edition of Brightest and Best. Watch below to learn more about what has kept him motivated in the midst of challenging times.
Police officer shares pizza with homeless woman during lunch break
Read full article: Police officer shares pizza with homeless woman during lunch breakThe woman’s shirt read “Homeless: The fastest way of becoming a nobody.”That was the message that inspired a touching photo in North Carolina Wednesday. Officer Michael Rivers of the Goldsboro Police Department shared a moment of compassion with a person in need. He was on his lunch break when he came upon a homeless woman he hadn’t seen before in the community. Rivers told CNN, "God put it on my heart to get her lunch." He got pizzas at a nearby restaurant, and for 45 minutes he ate and talked with the woman who said her name was Michelle.
Local high school student customizes, donates shoes to homeless
Read full article: Local high school student customizes, donates shoes to homelessJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local teen is spreading love throughout Duval by customizing and donating shoes to the homeless community in downtown Jacksonville. Julien Gasca, 16, has a goal to raise awareness about homelessness in our city and inspire more people to give. “I know people in need feel like they are struggling and there’s no hope. The First Coast High School student plans to continue these acts of kindness for years to come. Click here to visit his YouTube channel.