Candy's Story
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Candy is educated. She has a job. She has a car. She has a cell phone. But she cannot afford a place to live, or gas for her car, or food to eat. She keeps all of her belongings in the backseat of her compact car. Candy used to be a full-time teacher. She lost her job and could not afford to pay rent. She began sleeping in her car, not knowing that she would continue living in it for the next two years. |
Johnny's Story
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Johnny is not looking for a handout. He says he only needs a hand up. Johnny has diabetes. After he was diagnosed, he was not able to work. Soon after, his wife suffered an injury and was diagnosed with a degenerative disease. Medical bills piled up. The unemployed couple became overwhelmed with debt. They were forced to leave their home. They moved to a shelter that allows homeless people to stay for only one month. Right now, the couple is living with friends in a two-bedroom apartment. Despite all of the hardships they endured, Johnny says he knows what it's like to be successful and can't wait to have a home of his own again. |
Barbara's Story
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Barbara spent 5 years in jail. After she was released, she had no place to turn. Each day, she struggles to find work, food and clean clothes. She has spent months on the streets. She developed asthma and bronchitis from sleeping in the cold and rain. Without a job or medical insurance, she cannot afford the breathing pumps and inhalers she needs. Barbara says Helping Hands has been a lifesaver. Helping Hands is a program sponsored by the Salvation Army that provides free check-ups and medications. She says the doctors treat her like any other patient. |
Read these stories and more at So Close to Home, a website developed by UF journalism students based on their research and interviews with some of the homeless in our community.
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Welcome to Give a Better Way! On these pages, you will find out what Give a Better Way! is, how your change can change someone's life and where you can go to donate. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best, "Life's most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?"
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 Give a Better Way! is a partnership between the City of Gainesville and the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry. The Give a Better Way! program allows you to donate your spare change and larger contributions to the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry (ACCHH). The ACCHH then gives the donations to organizations that provide the homeless in Gainesville with food, shelter and a better chance at life. |
All donations received by Give a Better Way! go to the ACCHH. The ACCHH then gives the donations to local service providers including:
Arbor House
CDS Family & Behavioral Health Services
Chrysalis Community
Florida Works
Gainesville Community Ministry
Helping Hands Clinic
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Lazarus Restoration Ministries
Meridian Behavioral Healthcare
Peaceful Paths
Pleasant Place
The Preserve
Psychotherapeutic Services - FACT Team
The Salvation Army
St. Francis House
Three Rivers Legal Services
VETSPACE
The service providers are all local providers, helping the homeless in our community. |
 Give a Path to Success: Count the change you have in your pocket or purse. Could that help someone with the assistance they need to find a job? With the Give a Better Way! program, it can. Your donations will be combined with the donations of other caring Gainesville citizens to provide job assistance to the homeless. When you donate, you're doing more than just providing a meal and a bed, you're helping provide a path to a better life.
 Give Spare Change for Real Change: Giving whatever spare change you have in your car or your pockets to just one panhandler could help him or her for that day. Giving a better way can help him or her for life. Together, we can provide food, shelter... even job assistance. Don't just give change, make a change. Give a better way at the designated donation meters downtown or via our PayPal link on this site and watch your spare change help end homelessness in our community.
 Give a Hot Meal: A few coins may buy a cup of coffee, but donations made through the Give a Better Way! program will be combined and used by organizations, such as the St. Francis House and the Salvation Army to provide entire meals for entire families. When you donate, the money goes to these charitable organizations every time, no exceptions.
 Give a Warm Bed: A hot meal is nice, a warm bed is even better. Donations through the Give a Better Way! program also go to shelters that can provide free beds for a night or longer. A handful of change can't do that. |
The City of Gainesville has installed six donation meters around the downtown and midtown areas. These green and blue parking meters won't help you park, but they will help the homeless when you donate in the most effective way possible.
No spare change handy? No problem! You can make a debit/credit card donation via PayPal by clicking the "Make a Donation" button at the top or the bottom of this page. All donations go to the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry.
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This website was created and is maintained by the City of Gainesville Communications and Marketing Office.
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