Plant City’s homeless population is likely to soon have a new place to receive meals and other services, thanks to an initiative put in place by the city manager’s office and supported by various community organizations.
City Manager Mike Herr is looking at the possibility of offering the Winter Visitor Center, an indoor, multi-purpose building on the campus of the Planteen Recreation Center on Dort Street, as an alternative to Veterans’ Memorial Park, where 13 organizations and churches feed the homeless every night.
The visitor center is equipped with a restroom and kitchen. It is about one mile west of Veterans’ Memorial Park, but sidewalks along the way make it easy for pedestrians to access.
Herr hopes the organizations and churches that currently serve the homeless at the park will be able to team up to offer even better aid, such as financial skills training or help searching for employment.
“We’ll provide a better location, and hopefully over a period of time we can transition into some programming that would probably help people be more self-sustainable,” he said.
A few months ago, Herr received a petition with 16 signatures of citizens who were concerned about the homeless population of Plant City. That same week, he continued to get emails from additional citizens expressing similar thoughts.
Herr began to research the nonprofits in Plant City to find out what they do on a regular basis to help the homeless residents. That’s when he learned about the feedings at the park.
“It’s given me an opportunity to learn, really, about the compassion, the expression of kindness and compassion by many individuals and nonprofits in our city,” he said. “One evening, I went down and participated, serving. And I had the opportunity to really witness firsthand, the people that are receiving the meals were extremely thankful. They were very polite.”
Though the park is central and accessible, being outdoors is sometimes challenging for volunteers and the people they are serving. Extreme heat, cold or rain can all be problematic.
Herr has continued to meet with staff and volunteers from City Hall, the United Food Bank of Plant City, Unity in the Community, Lighthouse Ministries and various churches that prepare and distribute the meals at the park.
“The overall discussion has led us to looking at some alternatives, to see if the city has some facilities available that we might be able to make available to the various ministries,” he said.
Funding for continued or improved service would come from the organizations and volunteers. The city would merely provide the space. The visitor center is occasionally used for recreational programs, but they would not conflict with the 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. time frame when meals would be served to the homeless.
At the city commission meeting Monday, April 27, six Plant City citizens gave public comment about the need for supporting the homeless, including Shirley Chamberlain, who declares herself an advocate.
Chamberlain was in support of Herr’s plan, but said advance communication among all of the organizations and volunteers who serve at the park would be key to its success.
“The location of the park is important right this minute, and I understand there’s an option available which sounds really great, but … the fact that the citizens of Plant City are well aware of what’s going on at the park right now, that needs to be considered when everybody’s thinking about this,” she said.
Herr has asked leaders of Unity in the Community whether the organization would be able to offset some of operating costs.
“We have to get our board’s approval. We’ve been talking to them about it, and we’ve had some replies back from some of them that are very positive, but … at this point, it’s just in the works,” Unity chairwoman Linda Lawson said.
In Other News
• City staff is moving forward with the plan for an expedited permit process. The new process will allow citizens to complete the permitting process in as little as 15 days, instead of months.
• The new city website is scheduled to go live around July 9.
• The commissioners voted to approve a contract with Sport Surfaces LLC, for the resurfacing of the Plant City Tennis Center.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.