Highlands County Coalition for the Homeless outreach center's move out of Southside Avon Park is not by choice. ...more

November 23, 2009

The Avon Park Meals on Wheels program had a "successful" first meeting last Monday, said Paul Devlin, president. ...more

June 16, 2009

Highlands County will receive $302,000 to help the homeless. The grant comes from a $1.5 billion federal stimulus fund, said Richard Reinhardt, executive director of Highlands County Coalition for the Homeless. ...more

March 27, 2009

The competition was stiff in the inaugural Highlands County Coalition for the Homeless golf tournament on Saturday at Sebring Golf Club. ...more

March 17, 2009

Among the alarming numbers from last year's economic downturn are the number of people who now need food stamps to put dinner on the table. ...more

February 6, 2009

On Monday, five two-person teams of volunteers fanned out across the county, helping the Highlands County Coalition for the Homeless conduct its annual, weeklong survey of homeless people in the county. ...more

January 27, 2009

SEBRING — The Florida Department of Children and Families has released $42,897 in funding to programs operating in both Highlands and Hardee counties, the agency announced Friday. The announcement was made in a memo from Circuit 10 Contract Manager, Jacqueline Burt. Richard Reinhardt, executive director for the Highlands County Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. said typically, they're given about half that amount. "This grant is received annually, but this is the most ever awarded to these two counties," he said. Funding for the state's Department of Children and Families Grant-In-Aid program is statewide, but is left up to each DCF Circuit to administer these funds. Circuit 10 covers Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties. ...more

June 23, 2008

SEBRING — Nine homeless men who live in the woods across Kenilworth from Sebring High School have been offered homes in Tampa, said Terri McClelland. ...more

February 8, 2008

SEBRING — Tim Fanning gets up early every weekday morning, walks along a sandy path to where his bike is parked, then rides over to Labor Finders, 3735 Kenilworth Blvd. It's first-come, first-served at the temporary employment agency, so Fanning, 43, gets there by 4 a.m. Those who show up at 7 a.m. usually don't get jobs. Day laborers don't stand in line, there's no need. They mentally keep track of who came before them. "It's the honor system," said Johnny Malone, 40. ...more

February 8, 2008

AVON PARK — It's Friday, about 11 a.m. Two SUVs drive up, and five people get out. There's no sign outside identifying the name of the business to G&R Supermarket, in one of Avon Park's sketchiest neighborhoods. It's the sort of place that looks scary, but the people were companionable. For 30 minutes, Anthony Lomonico parked his maroon Cadillac Escalade in the Lacey Hills neighborhood of southeast Avon Park and tried to call a friend on his cell phone, but with no success. There were several men on the street, some just standing there looking at the cars, wondering what was going on. ...more

January 26, 2008