The History of HOME—
During the late 1990s, the City of Kissimmee took the lead in spearheading a positive response to an increasing number of homeless families in Osceola County. The entire community was invited to participate in developing a strategic plan to assist the homeless in becoming self-sufficient. Representatives from social services, Osceola County government, the faith community, business, and medicine joined together to create a plan.
The planning group formalized their structure and long-term commitment to the project by organizing as a program of Transition House, a local nonprofit who had been part of the planning process. In doing so, HOME would be able to pursue grants and benefit from Transition House’s oversight, credibility, and experience as a social service organization.
After several years of careful planning and discussion about how to best serve the homeless and the larger community, the group arrived at the decision to develop a campus where homeless women and their children could live as they worked towards becoming self-sufficient. The campus was imagined as a place where families would spend about a year living in a supportive environment and receiving assistance with employment, financial management, and other issues. It was envisioned that the campus would be a vibrant place that would empower its residents and enlist the support of many community entities. The campus would be the first of its kind in Osceola and a model for other communities.
Months of searching for the perfect location finally yielded a 5 acre parcel owned by the City of Kissimmee and located centrally on John Young Parkway. In 2006, HOME received its 501(c)(3) status, meaning that the organization could apply for grants as a stand-alone organization. HOME received several grants from local and federal government sources to fund the effort and construction began in earnest.
In March of 2008, the campus opened and became home to its first 14 families. Since then, HOME has served about 55 families per year on its residential campus, another 20 per year through its community-based housing program, and close to 500 additional people annually through outreach and referral services. The most recent change at HOME has been its 2011 merger with the Center for Drug Free Living. HOME made the decision to merge with the Center as a way to ensure financial stability and the growth of its programs while maintaining the integrity of its founding mission.
