|
Human Services Director Appointed to Statewide Homelessness Council
Jan 6, 2005 Contact: Pete Winton, Lee County Administration HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR HAWES APPOINTED TO STATEWIDE HOMELESSNESS COUNCIL FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 6, 2005) - Lee County Human Services Director Karen Hawes has been appointed to the Florida Council on Homelessness. The Council on Homelessness was created in 2001 to develop policies and recommendations to reduce homelessness in Florida. The Council consists of 15 members, representing seven state agency heads or their designees, four members appointed by the Governor, and four members representing statewide organizations and homeless advocacy groups. It also acts as the advisory board to the Florida Office on Homelessness, which is in the Department of Children & Families. Hawes is representing the Florida Association of Counties on the Council. The Council's mission is to develop and coordinate policy to reduce the prevalence and duration of homelessness, and work toward ending homelessness in Florida. Hawes is a 19-year county employee and has been Human Services Director for nine years. She also has served as Deputy County Manager. Lee County Human Services provides a complement of integrated services to low-income families and disadvantaged neighborhoods, including emergency financial assistance, housing assistance, counseling services, housing rehabilitation, neighborhood infrastructure improvements and neighborhood building, and services for the homeless. The department employs 47 people and has a Fiscal Year 2005 budget of $21.6 million. |