St. Paul's Episcopal ChurchGADSDEN COUNTY, FL (WTXL) — is bringing its S.P.E.C. outreach program to the back-to-school health fair Sunday in Quincy.
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Volunteers have prepared hygiene bags filled with items like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant to distribute to people experiencing homelessness. During the event, the church will distribute 4 large bags of hygiene kits to families and individuals who could use the extra support.
According to the Big Bend Continuum of Care, 667 people were identified as experiencing homelessness across the eight-county Big Bend region during the 2025 Point-in-Time Count, highlighting the continued need for community outreach programs. Gadsden County is part of that region.
Lou Armesto, a St. Paul's Episcopal Church volunteer, said:
"4 big bags that we call a family bag and then 10 little small ones that were going to give away. That are kind of in individual bags. But essentially that's part of our SPEC ministry. We noticed that there were a lot of places to go for food and quite a few places to go for clothing but really essentials like toilet paper and shampoo and things like that, that there just wasn't anywhere available to get that if you were in need."
Organizers say the health fair is also an opportunity to let people know the church's support doesn't end when the event is over. Anyone experiencing homelessness or otherwise in need of hygiene supplies can contact St. Paul's Episcopal Church to schedule a time to pick up a hygiene bag through the S.P.E.C. program.
The free back-to-school health fair will be held Sunday from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Joseph L. Ferolito Recreation Center in Quincy. While the event is open to the community, organizers say the church's S.P.E.C. program will continue providing hygiene bags to people experiencing homelessness year-round.
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