TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Sabal Palm Elementary School is teaming up with community groups to make sure families have the resources they need to take care of their families.
“There are a lot of people facing eviction right now and we’re just here to be that safety net and provide the resources available to get them rehoused or keep them in their housing," said Kim Ladner, chief programs officer at Big Bend Homeless Coalition.
The Big Bend Homeless coalition and Sabal Palm Elementary school meeting a need for people in their community, facing housing challenges through a food drive and resource fair.
The community partnership school in Leon County serves families in the 32304 zip code; one of the poorest zip code areas in the state.
Through their mission of helping families get over barriers they’re now working to help families in the Florida Sun Estates community, formerly known as the Meadows.
In January, their rent was raised more than double forcing many families to move out.
"If they are eligible through their income or their housing status, we can get them started with a case manager who can provide them with all the resources necessary,” Ladner said.
One of the groups providing knowledge and resources for those families and others through their Rapid rehousing and homeless prevention programs.
“We know that 20 percent of Leon County children are food insecure meaning they are not able to get to food that has nutritional value and it’s not necessarily that they have a consistent diet.”
In her role as chair of the community partnership school, Allyson Watson knows the struggle all too well for families in the Sabal Palm community.
As the Dean of Education at Florida A&M University, she also wants to make sure students know that possibilities are endless.
“We want FAMU to be an aspirational and attainable goal and the more that we partner with them and they see this is and what it means to be on the hill they’ll continue to aspire to greatness.”
The Junior League of Tallahassee is providing food for the Sabal Palm Distribution and resource fair.
It’s all happening Saturday March 12th from 9 to 11 am.
