Metropolitan Charities, Inc.

OUR HISTORY

1983-1993     King of Peace MCC Church

1992-1993     Formalization begins for Metropolitan Charities (MCI), audit, corporate, IRS, staffing,

planning, fundraising, and personnel issues. Executive Director is the pastor of the church. August 1993, 11 clients are enrolled in Medicaid waiver program. Evelyn Smith is hired as a case manager. Lorraine Langlois is hired as a part time administrative person.

1994            February, Mark Davis is hired as a full time case manager, as Evelyn leaves. First full year of service, structure begins to form. 501 3c is received in september. October, another full time CM is hired as 64 clients are being served. a formal board is put in to  place.

1995-1996    $3000.00 is received to begin counseling services. Introduction of benefits for staff. CAPA closes - impacting MCAS. New positions are added: Lorraine is promoted to Director & a 2nd case manager and an administrative person are hired. HIV testing (Department of Health) begins on a weekly basis. ACP, Hospice, Empact and the Harbors join together to form "Common Ground" as collaboration toward Ryan White and other funding - without success.

1996-1997     In March, ACP begins discussion with MCI to distribute its programs as it is a about to close. We take on the Medicaid waiver program and the Thrift Store. Three (3) full time and two (2) part time people are acquired. five (5) case managers and a part time CPA are hired. We have 179 clients.

1997-1998     In January, our Director is promoted to Executive Director. This year is spent growing the client base and the store after the merger.

1998-1999     Space becomes a big issue. Two (2) case managers are moved to work out of the Thrift Store. Expansion of program to Tampa takes shape. A proposal from USF is discussed and agreed to, then pull back. In 1999 we begin service in Tampa with a part time case manager out the MCC Tampa Church. We now have 13 full time and 2 part time employees - serving 235 clients.

2000             the build out of the second floor of the Church begins. Metro Charities raises $85,000.00 for the build out. We receive a $7000.00 grant from the Opler Foundation to provide for our women and children's pantry. We are successful in acquiring our first Ryan White inmate grant ($37,000.00) given up by ASAP / Hospice. We re-instate a counseling program for the GBLT community - overseen by Patsy Kyzer. We acquire a small case management grant for Catholic Charities and we move our office to Mercy House. Now serving 241 clients

2001             New Ryan White grants are acquired. Covering - Substance Abuse and Mental Health in Pinellas county, as well as Mental Health and case management in Hillsborough county as started.

2002             More Ryan White grants are won. Covering - Specialty Care, Inmate in Hillsborough and Case Management in Hillsborough.

2003             Another Case Management grant is won in Hillsborough and new staff are acquired from THAP. Our first major fundraiser nets $7800.00 and we give away a $10,000 cash prize.

2004             Re-applied for existing grants and all eight (8) are won. Opler Foundations grants are received - $250,000.00. Development position is approved and dJ. Santini is hired. We move from the church to Metro Center. Prevention grant for the State is acquired. Plans begin for a GBLT community center.

2005             Purchased land and moved store on to Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida. Moved our Hillsborough county offices. Acquired a number of small foundation grants and the Cyber center for the Bonnet Foundation at our St. Petersburg Center. SAMHSA grant is won - #264,000.00 to begin in October. Major personnel changes: Director of HIV Pinellas (Mark) leaves in July and Operations Manager (Becky) leaves in August. Restructuring of the HIV services is done in the summer.

2006             The first six months remain turbulent within the organization. GBLT Center opens in Tampa and the Bonnet Foundation approves funding for a Cyber Center at the Tampa site. New staffing and restructuring starts in September and a better infrastructure is put into place. Better board involvement with more meeting and retreats. All grants are re-applied for and won a higher reimbursement rates. A marketing plan is also put into place. The SAMHSA grant begins to unfold with in the community.