Matthew's Hope reporting record numbers

West Orange Times & Observer
News

Matthew's Hope, the Winter Garden-based nonprofit organization that assists homeless residents, is experiencing record numbers during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to founder Scott Billue, the organization is burning through its inventory of goods seven times faster than what it did before the pandemic.

"We are now nearing a 40% increase in the number of people we are serving — tripling the number of visits than pre-COVID 19," Billue said. "These numbers are overwhelming, and we are now beginning to visually seeing the homeless of our community, around the community, as we are unable to hide them in plain sight as we were prior to having to shut down showers, haircuts and our laundry service."

To date, Matthew's Hope has distributed more than 7,500 protective masks, more than 40,000 pounds of non-perishable food, more than 40,000 personal-hygiene items, more than 6,000 prepared meals and nearly 9,000 clothing items.

For more information or to assist in Matthew's Hope's mission, visit its website.

author

Michael Eng

As a child, Editor and Publisher Michael Eng collected front pages of the Kansas City Star during Operation Desert Storm, so it was a foregone conclusion that he would pursue a career in journalism. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri — Columbia School of Journalism. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his wife and three children, or playing drums around town. He’s also a sucker for dad jokes.