The Gulf Coast Partnership — an organization made up of 20 groups from the community dedicated to eradicating homelessness in Charlotte County — will hold a volunteer drive and informational meeting beginning at 5 p.m. today in the auditorium of the Charlotte Technical Center, 18150 Murdock Circle.

A meet-and-greet will be held with refreshments followed by a brief overview of the GCP’s 10-year plan to prevent and end homelessness. After the presentation, individuals will gather and have separate meetings within the five subcommittees created by the GCP.

“The five subcommittees are Homeless Prevention and Early Intervention, Housing, Economic Stability, Health and Human Services, and Outreach and Safety,” coordinator David Justiniano said. “Each subcommittee will develop their own strategies to eradicate homelessness in Charlotte County.”

About 70 people from government, nonprofits, and the private sector are expected to attend the kickoff meeting, but volunteers are still needed to fill seats in each subcommittee. A person’s area of expertise will determine what subcommittee he will be assigned to, according to Justiniano.

“For example, a nurse would be placed in Health and Human Services, a realtor in Housing, etc.,” Justiniano said. “These five subcommittees will develop their strategies under the umbrella of the partnership’s steering committee.”

According to Justiniano, the 10-year plan has been approved by the Charlotte County Commission, and the partnership wants to “attract as many people as possible to help.”

“We want to bring attention to the plight of the homeless in Charlotte County and invite Charlotte County residents to join us in this community-wide effort to abolish it,” Justiniano said.

For more information, contact Justiniano at 941-627-4313, ext. 120, or email him at David.Justiniano@cchomeless
coalition.org.