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Flagler County Family Assistance Center (FCFAC) |
HISTORY: FROM COLD-WEATHER SHELTER TO The Sheltering Tree
Rev. Beth Gardner, Pastor, First United Methodist Church of Bunnell where shelter is located; Rabbi Merrill Shapiro; Carla Traister, Shelter Director |
The Flagler County Family Assistance Center (FCFAC) started as a cold-weather shelter, envisioned in March of 2008, and formally organized in November of 2008 as the Flagler County Cold Weather Shelter Coalition. Its purpose was to provide a warm, safe place to sleep and a hot dinner and breakfast for the homeless and those families and individuals that did not have adequate heat when the weather dropped below 40 degrees. It was organized as a coalition of faith-based and service groups, and interested individuals operating out of the First United Methodist Church of Bunnell, 205 N. Pine Street, Bunnell, FL.
The Mission Statement for the Cold Weather Shelter was as follows: "It is the determination of the Shelter Coalition that each and every human being deserves a helping hand, deserves to know that there is some support system to which they can turn at times of need. We are dedicated to dignity of all the people of Flagler County and to providing safe shelter for the homeless of our community when overnight temperatures are forecast to fall below 40 degrees F."
The first night, November 16th (2008), the shelter hosted 3 guests but had 15 volunteers to serve them. From November 16th through January 20th, the shelter was open for 10 nights, each night serving up to 13 guests. But things were destined to change.
On January 20, Halifax Urban Ministries of Daytona Beach called to see if we could take some of the overflow of their shelters. Their numbers had increased so much that they were turning people away. Without hesitation, we said we would. From that date forward, we hosted up to 36 guests a night with 20 – 25 from Daytona Beach each night. As of April 7th, our Flagler County Cold-Weather Shelter had opened for 30 separate nights, 3 times more than Volusia County’s shelters were opened the previous year. We have had well over 300 guests pass over our threshold, served over 650 meals, and had over 114 volunteers physically helping at the shelter or doing the mountains of laundry. Countless more donated supplies, food and money to keep the shelter operating.
On November 26, the Coalition received a letter of commendation from George Hanns, Vice-chair of the Flagler County Board of Commissioners. Hanns noted that ''The Cold Weather Shelter expresses the finest in collaborative efforts of the Flagler County community, and demonstrates a resolve to reach out and assist the increasing number of homeless found in our community.''
Rabbi Merrill Shapiro spearheaded the publicity of the shelter. He started our web page FCCWSblogspot.com to inform the public of the goals, opportunities and activities of the shelter. He also was influential in an interview and the filming of a TV news cast on Channel 13 while the shelter was serving breakfast on one cold morning. In January, Jenny Jones, founder of “Jenny’s Heroes,” presented the shelter through Rabbi Merrill Shapiro with a $1,000 grant for a computer and printer, plus $2000 for a year’s cable service to be used for the shelter and other supplies for the homeless at the shelter
On May 13th, Tony Schefstad from Volusia/Flagler Homeless Coalition presented our Shelter with a check for $2,668 from the Emergency, Food and Shelter Board. We thank Tony for the time he has invested and interest he has shown for the success of our shelter and for applying for this grant. This money is dedicated to the Flagler County Cold Weather Shelter to be used in the upcoming year.
There have been growing pains in this effort to provide a warm, welcoming, safe refuge for the homeless. With the sudden growth from 6 to 25-30 guests a night came a real concern for costs of providing the meals and the soaring utility bills. Many donations from individuals enabled the bills to be paid. Often, generous donations were given anonymously. Plans for greater community participation and better organization will help with funding the meals as each team will provide their “shopping list” needed for the meals and greater involvement with public businesses and food banks will help.
Beginning of the FCFAC, The Sheltering Tree
By spring, it became clear to many of the volunteers that there was more that soul be done for the homeless and those at risk of being homeless. More and more families were asking for help at food banks, churches, synagogues and resource centers. On May 17th, some folks volunteered to form a Vision Team and met to discuss the future direction for the shelter. The possibilities were endless. It was decided that the first steps to broadening our effectiveness in helping the homeless is to apply for the not-for-profit designation under a 501c(3). Since then, we have received the not-for-profit designation and are formally known as the Flagler County Family Assistance Center, AKA, The Sheltering Tree.
The Mission Statement of the FCFAC, The Sheltering Tree:
FCFAC, Inc. is a non-profit coalition of individuals, faith based communities and service organizations of Flagler County dedicated to feeding the hungry, providing shelter to the homeless while helping them transition to permanent affordable housing and preventing those at-risk from becoming homeless. FCFAC, Inc. believes all individuals deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and provides a doorway through which their clients can find the support they need to move forward in rebuilding their lives.
We are now organizing and developing the committees that are focused on gathering food, supplies and clothing for the guests at the shelter, financing and fundraising for the Sheltering Tree, forming teams to prepare meals and operate the shelter during cold nights, and informing and engaging the public in this service to those in need. As can be seen from the Mission Statement, the vision of The Sheltering Tree has expanded to provide more than a temporary bandaid for the homeless and those at risk.
For questions and more information as to how you can help, please feel free to call (386) 517-7305 or email Carla Traister.
The First United Methodist Church of Bunnell is at 205 N. Pine Street,
behind the Bank of America in Bunnell.
Phone: 386-437-3258, and email.
Volunteer webmaster: Chau T. Phan