Hey there everyone! We here at Changing Homelessness Inc. (CHI) recently held our first ever telethon, Making the Call to End Homelessness! It was an all-day event that took place on November 7th, 2023, at the WJCT Soundstage in downtown Jacksonville. The event started very early at 5:30 A.M., but that didn’t slow down our team. Our Chief Development Officer, Ywana Allen, had organized a special early-morning drumline show for everyone. Special thanks to the Principal, Chelvert J. Wellington; the Band Director, Dr. Sheila Harris; all the talented students; and the amazing parents of Fort Caroline School of the Arts, for providing a wonderful performance.
LeRoy Butler, NFL Hall of Famer and ambassador for the upcoming CHI 50th anniversary, was there many times throughout the day. He was with us before the sun came up for the drumline, he was there for lunch, and he was with us after the sun set. He was a kind and considerate spirit, bringing life and encouragement to every corner of the event.
“Nobody wants to be homeless, so we want to figure out a way that we can all come together and help out people we do not know.” – Leroy Butler
In the morning we were greeted and introduced by Keitha Nelson, a reporter for the morning broadcast of First Coast News. For the first shift of the telethon, we had Ken Amaro, City Council Member, District 1, help us out on the phones. We were later joined by Jordan Wilkerson, the host of First Coast Living. She spoke with Dawn Gilman, the CHI Chief Executive Officer, and Bradley Russell, a local attorney, and the CHI Board Vice Chair.
“I believe that everybody deserves a home, a safe place they can go to at night, where they have the ability to do whatever it is they need to have a safe space.” – Dawn Gilman.
“It is a wonderful feeling to be able to help our neighbors, the members of our community, who just really need a hand up, so they don’t have to sleep on the sidewalk.” – Bradley Russell
Fast forward a couple more hours in and Keitha returned to update the station on the state of the telethon. Both reporters were amazing and respectful, promoting the event and urging viewers to support the cause as well as call in.
In the final hours of the telethon, Chris Porter, from First Coast Sports, and Mr. Butler came to stay and help us close out the event. As we approached the ending, we had many more visits from some respected individuals within our community: Nathaniel Glover, former president of Edward Waters College, the first African American Sheriff of Florida, and the honorary chair of the CHI 50th; Ken Jefferson, a former law enforcement officer and CHI board member; Rahman Johnson, the City Council Member for District 14; and T.K. Waters, the current sheriff of Jacksonville.
“In Jacksonville we’ve done some great things and ending homelessness, we need to make a priority.” – Nathaniel Glover
While there were many guests and notable figures, the event would have been quiet without the volunteers and staff that pitched in to participate. Every two hours, from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M., there were new and excited faces, ready to lend a hand by handling the phones. Once they arrived, they would meet up with our Volunteer Coordinator, Kalilah Jamall, to get signed in and situated on the stage. She was responsible for showing volunteers and staff the ropes, teaching them how to manage the phones. Each station had a script that provided a general format on how to collect the information. Accompanying the script were back-up entry sheets that were there in case a computer decided to take an unexpected “break”. Besides the initial setup, everything regarding the technology went swimmingly.
By the end of the telethon, we managed to raise a little more than $10,000!
In layman’s terms, that’s enough funding to help with a few security deposits and 1st month’s rents (5.5 @ $1,800 each); or it could pay a few monthly utility charges (33 @ $300 a month); or maybe a few car repairs (20 @ $500 each).
This was a learning experience for our entire team and we’re so thankful for all our guests, staff, and volunteers who helped to make this event possible.
Together we can end homelessness, and it’s moments like these that help to solidify our vision.
Thank you all so much for your support, it means the world that you believe in our mission and share our goal.
And it’s never too late to make the call to end homelessness.
Author: Givon Gibson, Technical Writer
