Mission House is gearing up for its 6th Annual "Compassion by the Sea," fundraiser. Mission House is the only day facility available to meet the needs of the homeless adults that call the beaches their home. With more than five facilities located downtown, many Jacksonville residents often forget about the same issues taking place over the ditch. Since 1997, Mission House has assisted individuals facing homelessness on the beach, get off the streets and back to productive and self-sufficient lives. Mission House provides food, clothing, and support seven days a week. "We are the only answer for adults who find themselves homeless in the beaches area. We provide more than two hot meals a day, a fresh pair of clothes, and showers; we offer case management, where our clients meet one-on-one with our certified case managers to obtain identification, sources of income, housing, substance abuse referrals, medical assistance through our clinic, and many other solutions for our neighbors in need," stated Lori Anderson, Executive Director at Mission House. Thanks to donations, volunteers and fundraisers like Compassion by the Sea, Mission House serves over 1400 meals monthly, provides case management to 18 clients a month, and on average, assists seven clients find employment with 10 clients able to find safe housing each month. One of Mission House's most recent success story's is about 46 year old Kevin. Kevin is deaf and suffers from frequent seizures and chronic pain due to multiple car accidents. Kevin is an example of someone who became circumstantially homeless, and was forced to live in his car for more than 8 months. Learning about Mission House, Kevin came for a warm meal and a shower. He immediately turned to one of Mission Houses' case managers for help. Shortly after, Kevin was able to find employment, housing, and through Mission House's partnership with Hands On Jacksonville’s HOPE Fund, Kevin was able to receive funding to afford dentures he desperately needed. Compassion by the Sea is Mission House's only fundraiser. All contributions help Mission House continue to provide kindness and programs to individuals facing needs at the beaches.
This 6th Annual fundraiser is taking place Friday September 16, 2016, at the newly renovated Atlantic Beach Country Club. The event is from 6:00p.m. - 10:00p.m. Guests will enjoy wonderful food, free beer and wine, music by POPZ, live and silent auctions, including a special experience with "one of the 50 Most Influential People in Jacksonville," Sam Kouvaris. To learn more or purchase your tickets online, please visit www.missionhousejax.org/compassion-by-the-sea-benefit-september-16-2016/ or by phone at 904-241-6767.