SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) – The City of Sarasota is asking the community to donate bottled water for its Homeless Outreach Teams (HOT).
The two HOT teams, which are each made up of a case manager and a Sarasota Police officer, plan to hand out the water to the homeless this summer.
The HOT teams are working to build relationships with those who are homeless and educate them about housing opportunities and services that are available in our community.
Kevin Stiff, Homeless response coordinator: "It’s important that we move from a culture of enabling homelessness to one of ending homelessness in Sarasota.
The City is hoping to get 1,000 water bottles, or roughly 10 cases.
Last year, the HOT teams made more than 9,000 contacts with homeless individuals in City limits.
About 39 percent of the individuals checked into The Salvation Army by a HOT team have been placed into housing or received other needed services.
For more information or to schedule a bottled water donation or drop-off, please first contact Kevin Stiff, homeless response coordinator, at 941-554-3263, ext.
3263, or Krystal Frazier, senior case manager, at 941-374-2404.
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