ORLANDO, Fla. – Back in 2008, five downtown Orlando churches met for six months and did research on what was needed to help the community. The solution – IDignity.
This nonprofit, now 15 years old, has helped the homeless and vulnerable population navigate and obtain personal identification.
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“Identification really is the foundation of our society,” Executive Director Michael Dippy previously told News 6. “It allows you to get a job, which now allows you to get housing, education and health care. There are just a litany of things that you need proper identification to do.”
With it expanding to help people in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties, its next step now is to build a physical headquarters. Right now, it is operating in downtown Orlando at 427 N. Magnolia Ave.
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According to its website, this new venue will be able to help 30% more people and will expediate services for people who need immediate help.
Meanwhile, AdventHealth has donated $1 million to help fund this, according to a news release.
“We’ve been around 15 years in this community and now we’ll be able to be around for the next 100 at least, continuing to be a great resource of helping people access proof of their identity,” Dippy said in a news release. “AdventHealth, ever since we started, has wrapped their arms around IDignity and helped us dream about, if money is no issue, what can IDignity do.”
The nonprofit has now entered a capital campaign to help raise funds to purchase the land and begin construction for the headquarters. To donate or learn more about this organization, click here.
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