By HAROLD VALENTINE

From the crowd pleasing speeches of beauty queens and politicians, it may be easy to see why some consider helping the homeless is a cliché of goodwill.

But for those trying to help the homeless, like Vicki Walker and Jamie Meyer from Hyde Park United Methodist Church, 500 W. Platt St., the statistics speak for themselves.

Walker, a minister of outreach for the church, and Meyer, the director of education and literacy at Metropolitan Ministries, point out Hillsborough County has the sixth largest homeless population in the nation with more than 11,000 homeless men, women and children.

“We know the city of Tampa, the county and even the nonprofit social services are not going to take care of the homeless problem,” Meyer said. “There needs to be more involvement within our community to really help the needs these families have.”

With that in mind, a pilot project called Housing Offering Mentoring Education and Support (HOMES), was created through a partnership between the Hyde Park church and Metropolitan Ministries.
Walker explained the church surveyed its congregation a year ago to better understand how it could help the community. She said the overwhelming response dealt with homelessness, specifically homeless children.

After a year of research, the church launched its campaign Aug. 20 to help the homeless, when Meyer said more than 100 members from the congregation volunteered to help.
The HOMES program is currently helping five families, each of which were required to experience Metropolitan Ministries’ Uplift U residential program. The program aims to end recidivism to homelessness.

Walker said Metropolitan Ministries received a gift of a quadplex – a complex with four individual living units located in Seminole Heights – in December. Families without homes have been there receiving a network of help from the HOMES program, which is designed to help families adjust to having a home.

Under HOMES, needy families receive assistance in all aspects of domestic life, including babysitting, budgeting, food and lawn care. Walker and Meyer said volunteers are put into the network based on an individual’s skills and what’s needed.

Walker said two orientations for those interested have been held so far and the next orientation will be at the church Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Walker emphasized most of the women with children the HOMES program is helping have decent jobs with employers including MacDill Air Force Base, the Moffitt Cancer Center and the city of Tampa.

“But a good job paying 10 bucks an hour is still very challenging,” she said, “if you’re caring for yourself, your family, rent and all those expenses.”

For more information about the program, visit www.hydeparkumc.org, www.metromin.org or call 209-1000.