Seiler and Team Honored at White House !

Dateline – January 20, 2014

     Mayor John P. “Jack” Seiler and his entire Fort Lauderdale City Commission received the prestigious Real Solutions Award  today at a White House recognition ceremony from President Barack Obama.
                               
                       Obama yucks it up with Jack,Bruce,Charlotte,Bobby, and Romney

     The award was bestowed after the Fort Lauderdale Commission was the first in the Nation to find a solution to the chronically homeless, hard to reach homeless population that had taken over parts of their Downtown.

                            
                       Commission swearing to continue providing “Real Solutions”

     The homeless had taken over Stranhan Park, which sits next to the Woman’s Club,
which is in the heart of the Downtown.

     The ingenius, celebrated program found a way to deal with this difficult group of homeless that had proved very hard to help.

     The Commission determined that these homeless were left out of the already successful Homeless Assistance Center on Sunrise Blvd. due to several reasons. A large percentage had mental health needs, many were current alcoholics and drug abusers, and some were wanted by the law. This left them unqualified for the help doled out at the HAC.

     The Commission developed their  ” City Without Any Homeless Plan” or CWAHP and against all odds, it worked!
 
            This is how it went down –  

     The Commission started by commandering the Police Department’s Mobile Command Unit”, and parked it next to Stranahan Park. They put up a big banner on it that said “We’re  Here To Help”, and filled it with Mental Health Professionals, Substance Abuse Counselors, VA specialists, Apartment Finders and security.

                           
                              Chief Adderley gets word he’d be loaning out his Command Unit

      The professionals, many who donated their services, moved among the population and found solutions to their situations. The Commission had sought out private sector help for the initial funding, and two very respected small developers, R. Opine, and Elaine Pooper, stepped up to the plate and donated $10,000 in seed money for the project to begin. (They were at the White House Thursday with the Commission, and were expected to receive other local recognition next week at the Commission meeting).

     Hundreds of the homeless that had been considered  “nomads”, and unhelpable, found relief and a new life due to the brave Commission’s actions, and the City got back their parks! 

           …. ( this doesn’t have to be a work of fiction, does it? ) ….Tim