Hope Partnership is home and Hope Commons, and is almost ready to welcome guests.
After Thursday’s grand celebration of the co-working space on Sproule Avenue, about a block from the heart of the downtown Kissimmee core, many services for those needing a safe and affordable place to live will be housed under one roof.
With only one county permit left to clear, the center will begin hosting clients in-person who are in need of services “in a couple weeks,” said Hope Partnership CEO Rev. Mary Downey.
A former First United Methodist School building right off Church Street and a block from Kissimmee City Hall, it will also include Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County’s first in-person office space in Osceola County, and dedicated space for the Rapid Re-housing program, Helping Hand, which offers community counseling and therapy services, and iBuild, a Hope Commons partner which arranges partnerships with education and the construction industry. Turning a former school into co-working space to help the under-housed required work, talent and funds, and iBuild retrofitted Hope Commons to serve adults for free.
While keeping a presence in the West U.S. 192 corridor, Hope Partnership will now be able to serve all clients from one central location.
“We knew we needed to be somewhere that was close to public transportation, and continue a close relationship with churches, and here we are at First United Methodist,” Downey said. “It continues a goal of co-location of as many services in one spot.”
Central Florida Commission on Homelessness CEO Shelly Lauten said Hope Commons is, “A vital part of how efforts to find affordable housing for residents is evolving.”
A ribbon-cutting wasn’t the only good news Thursday at Hope Commons. It was announced that, through Rep. Darren Soto’s office, $1 million in Congressional appropriations would be going to Hope Partnership to finish any Hope Commons work and its mission going forward, and State House Rep. Kristen Arrington announced a $500,000 appropriation in Florida’s newly-approved budget, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis’. With Hope Partnership relying on that funding and other philanthropy as a non-profit organization, it’s music to the ears and warmth to the heart of Downey.
“This building and all we do is connected to our homes and dreams,” she said Thursday. “It’s a place where our team can grow and continue making an impact, but, more importantly, a place where the people we serve can feel dignified, that when they walk in they feel seen, welcomed and beloved. This building is a safe place to come as they find a safe place to come home.”
