Brevard County flooding leaves residents without belongings as ministry faces supply shortage

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - As floodwaters recede across Brevard County, the damage continues for hundreds of people experiencing homelessness who lost nearly everything they owned.

Now, a local nonprofit is working to replace those essential belongings but says its own supplies are running low.

Why you should care:

Matthew's Hope, a ministry that serves people experiencing homelessness, has seen a significant increase in demand for services over the past six months. Recent flooding has added to that need, leaving many of the people it serves without clothing, food and other basic necessities.

"When you imagine those same 700 people that we serve throughout the week, and all of a sudden everything they own is gone, and we're replacing that," said Scott Billue, founder and CEO of Matthew's Hope.

Billue said the flooding destroyed belongings that many people rely on for daily survival.

"We're replacing all their clothing, all their hygiene, their food, their backpacks, their tents, their sleeping bags, everything you can think of, they lost it," he said.

The increased need comes as the organization's donation bins and shelves were already running low.

Matthew's Hope is asking the public for specific donations, including jeans, T-shirts, hoodies, running shoes, backpacks and tents.

Billue said community members have responded, but emphasized that donations must match the organization's current needs.

"The good news is the public has responded. The challenge sometimes is they bring us a lot of stuff we can't use or need. So we try to be very specific about what our needs are," he said.

For Billue, the mission is personal. He said he experienced homelessness himself and understands the challenges people face when they lose access to basic necessities.

"Having been homeless, even myself, I'm not insensitive to this. I think it's tragic that I've been off the streets for 30-plus years, 40 years, and it hasn't changed," Billue said.

Matthew's Hope provides food, clothing, showers, laundry services and other assistance to people experiencing homelessness, with the goal of helping them move toward greater independence.

What you can do:

Billue said addressing homelessness requires more than providing immediate relief.

The organization is accepting donations Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at its Cocoa location.

Items needed include:

• Tents and sleeping bags
• Backpacks
• Jeans and T-shirts
• Hoodies
• Running shoes and sneakers
• Hygiene supplies and non-perishable food

As flood victims work to recover, Matthew's Hope is asking the community to help replenish the supplies needed to serve those who have lost what little they had.

Brevard County News