In 2017, Central Florida conducted a Tri-County Youth Count, a first in our region, that exclusively counted and documented youth experiencing homelessness. On one night in 2017, there were at least 268 homeless, unaccompanied youth ages 13-24 in Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties. Most of these youth reported not having access to desperately needed services, a huge and growing problem in our community.
TAP, or Take Action Positively, is the answer to this problem. Born from a partnership between Zebra Coalition, the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness, Appleton Creative, Heart of Florida United Way and the Homeless Services Network, TAP is a “no wrong door” platform where youth can easily connect to local services they need. Funded by a grant awarded by Disney, TAP offers organizations the opportunity to work together to coordinate efforts and fill gaps to create a more comprehensive system of care for youth in our community.