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have them ready for the commissioners to consider at the June 23 meeting, Applebee indicated in the memo. A THIRD OPTION? If the city and county commissioners vote to consider the Tabernacle property, Applebee recommends due diligence as the next step, including environmental and building condi- tion analysis and renovation estimates. The parcel, which is north of Fruitville Road and two blocks east of U.S. 301, holds some logistical promise because the campus is home to four separate buildings. Those struc- tures total 23,533 square feet on 1.98 acres, Applebee added in the memo. The site would have to be rezoned for use as a shelter. The property was not on the "Optimal and Available" or "Possibly Viable and/or Possibly Available" sites in homelessness consultant Robert Marbut's Nov. 25, 2013 action plan pre- sented to the City and County commissions. SUCCESS ON ANOTHER FRONT There has been some progress in other aspects of the countywide effort to address homelessness. "The goal is to provide better service to home- less families and children and help them get back on their feet," Jon Thaxton, director of community investment with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, told the county com- missioners during their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 10. The "success has been exceptional" on this front after hours of meetings and collabo- ration involving the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and 30-plus social service agen- cies throughout the region, Thaxton added. By the end of the summer, an emergency intake facility for families is scheduled to open in Sarasota. A second center should be operating by then in North Port, he pointed out. Collaboration has also resulted in help to get a new community system up and running that will enable case managers to keep track of assistance provided to clients. Further action is under way to promote a cultural change, which will encourage the public not to give money, food or goods to the homeless — a recommendation in Marbut's plan. Thaxton further noted that The Salvation Army is working on means to address the need for long-term housing for families and individuals. "You will be seeing and hearing a great deal more on it." A significant factor in handling homelessness is finding sufficient moderately priced hous- ing for people, Thaxton said. Funding will be one of the challenges as that initiative moves ahead, he pointed out. However, he continued, "The Gulf Coast Community Foundation has been working with donors to bring some local money to the table that will allow the local governments to leverage that money," Thaxton said. Using funds to help homeless families and children get the services they need is an investment, he told the commissioners. "If you do not spend that money, you will be spending more down the road on human health services." As for the effort to make a come-as-you-are shelter a reality, "All I can say there is we are all praying for you," Thaxton told the board. % Sarasota News Leader June 13, 2014 Page 48