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Even before she joined The Florida Bar, Michele Stephan understood the value of pro bono service. Stephen went to the Stetson University College of Law on a Public Service Fellowship from The Florida Bar Foundation and, while there, developed a program to providelegal services to the poor and volunteered at legal clinics. She was awarded the college’s Pro Bono Service Award in 1996, the year she earned her J.D.

Now, after 20 years of legal practice, she has left a Sarasota personal-injury firm and starteda solo practice, Legal on Your Own, P.A., to offer unbundled legal services to pro se litigantsand others who can’t afford a lawyer.

For six years, Stephan has single-handedly run a weekly legal counseling clinic for the homeless clients at Resurrection House. During that time, she has donated more than 500 hours of pro bono service. “Michele continues to be a forceful and caring voice for our clients needing legal representation,” comments Acting Executive Director Bill Wilson.

Examples of the variety of legal issues Stephan has resolved include:

She has helped numerous clients obtain birth certificates which enable them to obtain Florida identification card or driver’s license and get back to work.

She has assisted numerous clients in applying for and going through the Social Security Benefit process; assisted clients with modification of child support proceedings; assisted an indigent father obtain State appointed counsel in a termination of parental rights action; assisted clients in obtaining divorces and other family law issues.

She assisted a client involved in a hit and run accident recover uninsured motorist benefits and obtain benefits through the State of Florida Vocational Rehabilitation in order to obtain a much needed operation.

Another client was living in a decrepit motel, even though she had an inheritance. Stephan helped establish a guardianship which provided oversight over the inheritance and the client is now living in suitable housing, getting three meals a day and doing well.

Because of her untiring efforts at Resurrection House, Michele received the “Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award” in January 2017.

Other recognitions include:

• Sarasota Country Bar Association “Distinguished Community Service Award” September 2014
• Legal Aid of Manasota “Outstanding Service to the Community Award” June 2015
• News Channel 9 “Everyday Heroes” April 2017
• SNN—Sarasota News Network—”People You Should Know” 2017
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers “2017 Leaders in the Law” award June 2017

“Michele Stephan is a shining example of the work ethic and dedication that volunteers bring to work every day.” concludes Wilson.

When you were in your teen years, odds are you participated in a car wash to raise money for your school or organization’s fundraising project.

A car wash was just what the students who were part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County’s STAR Leadership Training Program chose to make an impact on Sarasota’s homeless population.

Leadership Program Specialist, Patricia McGraw, stated, “the car wash allowed the students to raise money to pay for the backpacks filled with toiletries to distribute to the homeless.” “I would just like to say that this experience empowered our club members to flourish on their path toward achieving their full potentials as leaders in our community,” McGraw concluded.

“Our clients are always very appreciative of any group that will come to Resurrection House and demonstrate that they care,” said Acting Executive Director, Bill Wilson.

It was a simple change. When a homeless individual comes to Resurrection House for the first time, more than just the completion of an intake form should happen.

Always before, the new client would answer the questions on the intake form and then disappear into the general population of our homeless clients. This simple change is for them to meet with a case manager who will try to direct them on a path to a better living situation.

During the first week of implementing the change, two new clients, both under the age of 24, met with Volunteer Coordinator, Joe Lucero, and Sherree Brown, Senior Clinical Case Manager for the Sarasota Police Department.

When both new clients indicated they had no place to spend the night, REACH Master Case Manager for the YMCA, Dawn Sakes, was called. Dawn heads a new program for youths ages 16 to 24 who are considered unaccompanied adults. Dawn was able to find over-night shelter for both and that was just the start on their journey to a better living outcome.

Just less than three months into her new job, Dawn states that, “Just starting a conversation with this age group is the first step.” “Next is to identify the needs of each individual and try to help them successfully meet the basic need for shelter. I have 16 active cases in just the short time since I started,” she concluded.

WHAT ARE YOUR WISHES/HOPES FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

• To have a place to live and not be on the street.
• I hope to spend time with my children when they return from college.
• Good Holidays.
• To get through it a little healthier and happier.
• My wish is to see as many people as possible get into the Salvation Army program to find housing. I hope to be in contact with my family over the holidays so that I won’t have to feel so all alone like so many others.
• Peace on Earth.
• To have a nice, safe holiday, to be able to give my mom a Christmas gift, and to be able to spend it with friends and family.
• To still be alive and well, so I can go back to Indiana for the summer.
• I wish for a safe holiday.
• A life free from hate in our community. Peace.
• I wish you a Merry Christmas.
• I hope to have a wonderful day with my daughter.

WHAT IS YOUR WISH FOR OTHERS DURING THE HOLIDAYS?

• I hope others can find happiness and contentment at least through the holidays.
• To get through it like me—a little happier and healthier.
• That they may be with family and enjoy the holidays.
• For whatever dreams and hopes they have to come true, and health for all.
• Just love. Live life the way God wants you to.
• I hope the quality of their life changes for the better.
• That all may find peace in their hearts no matter how tough life is.
• I wish for others to have a safe and happy holiday.
• I wish that everyone starts a journey to find themselves, and to never end their search.
• My wish for others during the holidays is to be safe and have a happy holiday.
• Health, shelter and peace.

WHAT DOES RESURRECTION HOUSE MEAN TO YOU?

• Resurrection House is a reliable resource center for many needs. I rely on the mail, laundry and medical clinic.
• When the help is needed, it’s really nice to know it is here when needed, whether you need a friend or counseling.
• The Resurrection House has been just that for me—it has helped to resurrect me physically, mentally, and spiritually. It has helped to completely restore me with hope.
• It means for me a place to be able to clean up and do my laundry.
• The Resurrection House is a place of hope in helping our community.
• I’m very thankful to the people who volunteer their time here. What would we do without them for food, laundry and showers?
• Faith, hope, and love. A step to help for the future.
• All the services, from coffee to counselors, are very helpful.
• It’s a place to come for help. If there was no Resurrection House, I don’t know what I would do.
• It means a lot to me. I can get help with the doctors and nurses.
• A place of hope and help. The people here cannot be more helpful. Thank you very much.

From all of us to all of you – 
Wishing you a joyous holiday season!

The conversation took place a year ago last April. With the completion of the 2014 Giving Challenge, a Resurrection House volunteer remarked how disappointed he was in the donation response from other volunteers and donors.

The volunteer stated that he and his wife might be interested in matching all gifts up to $25,000 made to Resurrection House in the 2015 Giving Challenge. The offer was remembered and I waited for this year’s event to roll around. Fortunately, he was still interested in doing the match and it started a chain of events that saw a record amount being raised for Resurrection House.

Each of the 400+ non-profits who participated in the Giving Challenge was asked to select one individual as the official contact. Volunteer Joe Lucero was named our representative to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

Joe attended the initial meetings where the rules and procedures were outlined. Being new to participating in the Challenge, Joe brought a level of enthusiasm and work ethic to the post.

We mailed out over 3,500 letters to our current and past donors to make them aware of the matching opportunities. As our volunteers worked their four hour shifts, we also made them aware of the generosity from one of their own.

As noon on Tuesday, September 1, rolled around we were anxiously waiting to see the results. By the end of the Challenge 24 hours later, we were indeed very thankful and humbled by the overwhelming response.

The Resurrection House totals look like this: 154 gifts total—$25,950, new gifts to the Giving Challenge matched by the Patterson Foundation up to $250.00, – totaling $18,650 plus the $25,000 Resurrection House volunteer for a GRAND TOTAL of $69,600.

An overview showed over 36,000 donors gave $3.8 million benefitting 449 charities. The match by the Patterson Foundation to new gifts made to the Challenge brought the overall total to more than $6.7 million.

Vice President for Philanthropic Education and Marketing for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Susie Bowie gave the following overview, “We applaud the efforts of Resurrection House and all of the nearly $26,000 in online contributions during the 2015 Giving Challenge. Together with The Patterson Foundation’s matching support of $18,650 for new donors, this funding will no doubt provide valuable support for some of our area’s most vulnerable citizens.”

As a first-timer with this event, Joe Lucero was quoted as saying, “It was challenging gathering all the information and putting it to effective use.” “Susie Bowie was excellent and very prompt to answer any of my questions and the Resurrection House staff helped make the success possible,” Joe Remarked.

Editor’s Note: From a sideline seat, the Giving Challenge provided some interesting stories. There was a couple traveling through Alaska that wanted to donate and we found a way. A weekly golfing group calling themselves the Rosedale Misfits made a contribution—the weekly losers donate to a charity pot rather than to the winners—and this time Resurrection House won the pot. Last, but not least, the Templeton Foundation was credited with putting us “Over the Top”.

On October 20, 2015, Senior Friendship Centers will hold its inaugural “People Helping People Awards” ceremony. Three individuals and an organization will we recognized for their outstanding contributions.

The recipient of the Life Changers Award will be Dr. Donald Snyder. Instrumental in the operation of Resurrection House, Dr. Snyder has been treating homeless clients for mor than the past 10 years.

Following a recent Friday morning shift, treating 26 clients, he was quoted as saying, “It is a real privilege and honor to provide medical care to the underinsured and homeless.” The medical clinic averages over 1,800 client visits in a year.

Others receiving recognition awards include Molly Schechter, Bob Carter and the Herald-Tribune Media Group. The banquet will be held at Michael’s on East.

Each Tuesday Morning legal counsel is available to the clients of Resurrection House to discuss any legal issues the client may be facing.

Typical issues include:

• Applying for Social Security Disability
• Establishment/change of representative payee for public benefits
• Employment related issues including hiring/firing questions and obtaining earned wages
• Establishment of identity & obtaining ID cards which includes name change proceedings & obtaining vital records such as birth certificates & divorce decrees
• Driver’s license issues including reinstatement of suspended licenses; negotiating payment plans/nullification of judgments in order to obtain forms for reinstatement and traffic court issues
• Immigration questions, green card issues
• Divorce/paternity/child sharing/child support issues
• Criminal issues including explaining the arraignment process, entitlement to public defenders, general advice on crimes charged, expungement, and modification of probation
• Civil law advice on issues such as breach of contract, personal injury, products liability, civil theft issues, credit issues, income tax issues & landlord/tenant issues

As with every organization, there is always going to be changes—whether the changes are large or small. I like to characterize my time at Resurrection House as gradual changes. Of primary interest to me is the endowment for the first time topping the $1,000,000 plateau.

When interviewing for the opening of Director of Development, I can still remember the search committee members stressing the importance of growing the Endowment. That was equally important to me, knowing that a healthy endowment gives the organization stability and the opportunity to make needed changes very quickly without having to raise additional funding.

This report is a tribute to the individuals who make all this possible—our volunteers. As a volunteer retires or takes a six month visit to the north, it is amazing to watch as another new volunteer will appear to make sure the work gets done. The dedication of our 180+ active volunteers to help those individuals less fortunate is a renewal of our faith in the human spirit.

In addition, the generosity and compassion shown to the Resurrection House with each donation we receive is critical to helping us continue to provide our clients the services they so desperately need. Taking no public funds, it is the individuals, foundations and religious entities that form the core of our ability to give back to those most in need.

Miracles happen at Resurrection House. Lives are restored and people are given a sense of hope and support found in few other places.

2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Thanks to the dedication of almost one-hundred eighty Resurrection House Volunteers the many services rendered to over 3,000 Resurrection House homeless clients every year are faithfully monitored and recorded by a highly specialized team of Data Entry wizards. These individuals rarely miss a move on the part of our Volunteers — who help homeless clients in many different ways. Fortunately, these trackers record each and every service so other counselors, or volunteers can refer back to earlier visits to determine exactly what help was provided. Every service, and all materials are all recorded – including meals, clothing, transportation, bicycles and other supplies. This Annual Report, in fact, is the product of all this information data.