Church network seeks to guide homeless families to self-sufficiency

Church network seeks to guide homeless families to self-sufficiency

When homeless people come to Altamonte Chapel, the congregation welcomes them to worship and offers the help it can: a meal, a ride, maybe some new clothes. But the small church doesn't have the resources to get them off the streets permanently.

Evangelicals Join Forces in October to Pray for Victims of Gun Violence on Survivor Sunday

Evangelicals Join Forces in October to Pray for Victims of Gun Violence on Survivor Sunday - Standard Newswire

The Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute joins with prominent church leaders and the Prayer Warriors Against Gun Violence social network to launch nationwide remembrance on October 15, 2017"God bless Prayer Warriors Against Gun Violence, Rev. Rob Schenck and the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute for organizing a national prayer effort appropriately titled Survivor Sunday.

Iconic pastor comes to Apopka on a mission to eradicate homelessness

Iconic pastor comes to Apopka on a mission to eradicate homelessness - The Apopka Voice

By Reggie Connell/ Managing Editor of The Apopka Voice Hurricane Irma slammed into Apopka last week with unexpected fury and jarred the community to its core. Streets flooded, trees fell, and the vast majority of residents lost power at their homes, but when the wind and rain subsided, Apopka came together and began the process of recovery from the devastation that Irma inflicted.

Seminole County leaders discuss solutions to homelessness

Seminole County Leaders Discuss Solutions To Homelessness

Community leaders met Thursday to talk about ways to help the homeless in Seminole County. The Symposium at Harvest Time International brought together leaders from government, the faith community and the non-profit sector. Central Florida Commission on Homelessness CEO Shelley Lauten said one of the challenges is making it easier for the homeless to get access to care.

Intersection: State of homelessness in Seminole County

Intersection: State of Homelessness in Seminole County

The Central Florida Commission on Homelessness has taken a housing first approach, trying to get families into homes so they can get the services they need. How's that strategy playing out in Seminole County? County Commissioner John Horan and Shelley Lauten and Joel Hunter from the Commission on Homelessness discuss the way forward.

Northland church Pastor Joel Hunter trades pulpit for nonprofit to aid homeless

Northland church Pastor Joel Hunter trades pulpit for nonprofit to aid homeless

Joel Hunter has been one of Central Florida's foremost religious leaders, synonymous for more than three decades with Longwood's evangelical megachurch Northland, A Church Distributed. But within the next couple of months, Hunter, 69, plans to step down from the calling he once thought he would devote the rest of his life to and start a new ministry for the poor and homeless.

Pastor Joel Hunter steps down as megachurch leader to minister to the poor and homeless

Pastor Joel Hunter steps down as megachurch leader to minister to the poor and homeless

Joel Hunter has announced that he is stepping down as a senior pastor in Orlando megachurch Northland Church to go beyond the walls of the house of worship and minister to the poor and the homeless.

New Census Shows 29 Percent Increase In Central Florida Homeless Population

New Census Shows 29 Percent Increase In Central Florida Homeless Population

This past January, Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, along with the most expansive participating number of organizations and volunteers to date, conducted Central Florida's annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. The PIT Count, an actual physical count of homeless individuals, serves as an annual gauge to capture the number of persons or families in a community who meet the federal definition of homeless, as defined by the U.S.

What I learned after the Pulse nightclub shooting (COMMENTARY)

What I learned after the Pulse nightclub shooting (COMMENTARY)

ORLANDO, Fla. (RNS) Our natural tendency after a horrific event is to rush too quickly into blame and explanation. After the Pulse nightclub shooting here in Orlando, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, which targeted the LGBTQ community and left 50 people dead including the shooter, I was probably not alone in asking, "Who did this and why?"

Churches recruited for battle against homelessness

Churches recruited for battle against homelessness

Charles Pitts, a retired Lake Mary executive, was attending service athis Longwood church late last year when his pastor launched a recruiting mission for foot soldiers in the battle against homelessness. "I knew immediately I wanted to join," said Pitts, 72, who has lived at both ends of the rags to riches spectrum.