Collaborative network of churches, nonprofits, agencies to serve families
The Seeds of Hope Osceola is a collaborative network of churches, nonprofits, businesses, and local agencies working together to better serve individuals and families across our community.
On Thursday, June 25, the group, started by the St. Cloud nonprofit A Place for Grace, met at the Osceola County Sheriff ’s Office campus. Undersheriff Ron Roberts thanked the group for the resources they provided to the community and gave an update on some of the Sheriff ’s own community services. Roberts also asked for support for their upcoming initiative to address the need of children who do not have a proper bed to sleep in.
In conjunction with the Orlando chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the program will use volunteers from both the Sheriff ’s Office and other organizations to construct economical wooden bed frames, which, paired with donated mattresses, will be made available to families with children in need of a decent bed.
The concept of the Seeds of Hope group is based on the premise that while no organization can meet every need, people can be connected to the right help at the right time. The group has two main branches, based in St. Cloud and Kissimmee, but has many points of intersection across individual organizations that function countywide.
Of the approximately 40 organizations represented, from a church in Holopaw to the Osceola Council on Aging to the Orlando VA Medical Center, the overwhelming demand on organizations that provide food aid emerged as a major topic. Several factors are causing an increase in food insecurity in the Osceola community, with the summer season seeing children out of school, combined with the high current gas and energy prices stemming from the war with Iran. Organizations with food pantries are having to limit the amount of food items they can provide.
In addition to the high demand, space for many nonprofits is also an issue. The Salvation Army in Osceola operated at a Union Street location in Kissimmee until a fire devastated the facility in 2024. The group is still working temporarily out of the First Church of the Nazarene on Mill Slough Road and launched a mobile food pantry operation last month.
“We could now easily use double the space we had at the Union Street location,” said Andrea Ruiz, the Salvation Army of Osceola County Director of Services.
Rich Keeble of the U.K. based E.P.I.C. Dads was also at the meeting to highlight two programs, which were held at the St Cloud Library last weekend. The U.S. program, which seeks to restore the role of fathers in homes, schools, and communities, is based in St. Cloud. They also conduct a monthly Zoom gathering for Florida fathers.
The group continues to discuss developing ways to integrate churches with primarily Spanish-speaking congregations into the Seeds of Hope effort, both for outreach and as well as community resources. For more information on the Seeds of Hop organization, see https://bit.ly/4ey00E2.
