Serving Those Struggling without Legal ID
Director of Philanthropy Anne and Orlando Fellow Mackenzie
The team at IDignity was struggling to keep up with all of the work. They didn’t have the budget to hire anyone either, so they were just faithfully persevering. Thankfully, the donors of HOCF were able to gift IDignity the resources to have Orlando Fellow Mackenzie Hawkins as an intern and then staff, lightening their load and giving Mackenzie an amazing opportunity to work alongside the staff to serve the homeless, legal immigrants, and other people struggling without legal identification.
The staff of IDignity work to “restore dignity and hope by providing identification.” Three days a week, they host Identification Service Days where people without legal identification can get their Florida ID cards and licenses, birth certificates, Social Security cards, and other documents.
Without legal identification, many people fall into a hopeless cycle of homelessness. They can’t receive the proper medical care they need and have tremendous difficulty securing a job, a home, a bank account. They can’t get food stamps or disability benefits; they usually can’t vote. And without ID, they cannot even enter the government buildings that exist to serve the homeless and give people replacement IDs.
The staff of IDignity know better than anyone else how tremendous the need is for helping people get legal identification, but they needed help to keep up with the need. They were delighted when the donors of HOCF helped Mackenzie become a part of their team.
Director of Philanthropy Anne Taylor says, “When Bret Allen asked Michael and me if we would like a Fellow in August of 2018 we immediately said ‘yes!’ Once Mackenzie came on board we worked as a team to get and stay ahead of the game. She was a godsend!”
Mackenzie worked three days a week in the development office with Anne. As they were getting ready for their biggest fundraiser of the year, she got to offer her organizational skills to help plan and make everything run smoothly.
Anne says, “Being the quick learner that she is, it wasn't long before she knew the names of our table hosts and guests and was able to communicate the details of the event to them with ease. Mackenzie is kind and personable, making donors and volunteers alike feel comfortable with her right away.”
When Mackenzie’s time as a Fellow came to an end, Anne reached out to the Heart of the City Foundation to see if they could keep Mackenzie part-time while Mackenzie was in school to become a nurse (pursuing her ultimate dream). Anne felt so blessed to keep Mackenzie on for another year.
Anne says, “We have been blessed beyond measure by the financial assistance IDignity has received since 2009 from the Heart of the City Foundation. Thank you for believing in our mission and for supporting it without reservation these past 11 years. We are thankful for the friendship we share with the Heart of the City Foundation members and we are honored to work in partnership with you to make our community a better place for all.”
