$25K grant helps Hope Community continue serving Tallahassee families in need

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A $25,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation is helping Hope Community family shelter continue to provide emergency shelter and food as well as help families secure permanent housing during the pandemic.

Hope Community is part of the Big Bend Homeless Coalition. They lost many volunteers due to the coronavirus pandemic and applied for the grant to help continue their 15 years of sheltering the homeless in Tallahassee.

Sylvia Smith is the executive director and says the pandemic hit some families really hard but donations have helped them continue their services.

"Nevertheless, we were able to exit 25 families since COVID-19 stared," said Smith. "And, since COVID-19 started, we've also been able to admit 14 new families to work with us on ending homelessness."

The shelter works with families to overcome challenges like education, mental health, and employment issues that prevent them from securing housing.

For more information or to help a family in need, click here.