Bonita will contribute to shelter
$100,000 would help homeless
By Pedro Morales
pmorales@news-press.com
The (Fort Myers, FL) News-Press
Originally posted on February 14, 2006Bonita Springs
community leaders on Monday vowed to work together and raise
$100,000 to contribute to a proposed shelter in Fort Myers as
a temporary solution to the city's homeless problem.
The shelter would house at least 40 people and provide
rehabilitation services, but first the Salvation Army needs
to raise $775,000 to renovate a building it owns.
Homeless people in Bonita who have been picked up by Lee
County sheriff's deputies would be transported to the Fort
Myers shelter, on Edison Avenue.
Meg Geltner, the charity's business manager, plans to visit
Lee County's communities and ask for money, Bonita being the
first.
"I was very pleased with it," Geltner said, after
about two dozen Bonita leaders, most representing faith-based
groups, pledged to organize the community and raise money.
"It's not surprising from this community, they are one
of the most compassionate I've ever encountered."
Geltner said the Salvation Army hopes to open a Bonita
homeless shelter in three to five years, but so far it has
been difficult because of high land prices.
"At this point we can't even find any property anyone is
willing to sell us," she said.
The Salvation Army has about 220 beds in one of its buildings
on Edison Avenue, but it is not a shelter.
The meeting was organized by Bonita Mayor Jay Arend, who
wanted faith-based establishments to come together and
augment their support for social service organizations.
He asked them to lead the cause to raise money for the
proposed Fort Myers homeless shelter.
"There are many ways to raise money besides asking on a
pulpit, but I think that's where we're going to have to
start," Arend said.
Those in attendance agreed that Bonita could do a lot more to
help its homeless and low-income families.
"I think there are a lot of issues and concerns that are
not being addressed," said H. Rhea Gray, a retired
pastor. "The issue of homelessness is a clear-cut
one."
The leaders agreed to write a mission statement that they
could take to area churches and organizations when asking for
donations.
"We want to develop a focus, something we can articulate
to the people we want to recruit," said Dave Hanson,
board chairman of Partnership in Housing.
"If we're going to act like a community, we have to act
like one," he said.
During the February 2005 count, 2,100 homeless people were
identified in Lee County in a single, 24-hour period. About
70 lived in Bonita Springs.
About 75 percent of the homeless and working poor are
probably undocumented immigrants, Geltner said.
Tax money is not allowed to go to services that help
undocumented immigrants, so the city of Bonita may be able to
donate only about $25,000, Arend said.