Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/166173
Sarasota News Leader September 6, 2013 Page 10 Marbut says two types of facilities are needed repurpose some of their operations," Marbut in Sarasota County if local officials want to noted of those nonprofits. address homelessness. The portals would be safe places where famThe first is a "portal" for families and children ilies could go immediately when a crisis ocwho find themselves living on the street, like curred. Community leaders would be able to some of the families Marbut has met here in refer families to those facilities. Sarasota. "A police officer or a city commissioner or "There are families living in cars behind malls, church deacon will know where the portal is," and no one knows what to do," Marbut told Marbut said. the News Leader. "It's horrible." It appears the community is poised to put The good news is that Marbut has been talking the portals in place ahead of the second type to representatives of two nonprofit organiza- of facility he recommends, which he calls a tions who he said are willing to take the ini- "transformational center." tiative on setting up two portals, one in North The latter is the kind of place most consider County and one in South County. when they discuss shelters. "There is some alignment with what [the orga- Pinellas Safe Harbor in Clearwater, which nizations] are doing right now, and they would Marbut helped open, has been the model Homeless people gather in the parking lot of City Hall in downtown Sarasota on Sept. 3. Photo by Norman Schimmel