"Every person deserves a second chance."
Plant City, Florida | Faith-Based Nonprofit
We are a faith-based nonprofit organization serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and crisis in Plant City and Hillsborough County, Florida. Our mission is holistic restoration — providing practical, compassionate, and dignity-affirming services to those who need them most.
Who We Are
Second Chance Ministries of Florida, Inc. (SCM) is a nonprofit organization rooted in Plant City, Florida — a community of approximately 43,000 residents in Hillsborough County. We operate under a mission of holistic restoration, providing trauma-informed, culturally competent, and outcome-oriented services to individuals and families in crisis.
SCM exists as one of the few local organizations filling the gap left by the geographic distance between Plant City and Tampa's central homeless services infrastructure — approximately 30 miles away. We bring full-spectrum support directly to the people who need it, without requiring them to travel across the county.
We are registered as a nonprofit in good standing with the State of Florida, and our program activities are aligned with HUD McKinney-Vento, ESG, CDBG requirements, and the Hillsborough County Continuum of Care Strategic Plan.
Organization: Second Chance Ministries of Florida, Inc.
Location: Plant City, Hillsborough County, FL 33563
Type: Faith-Based 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Founder/Director: Michelle Denise Walker
Programs: Homeless Assistance & Housing Stability, Veterans Services, APD/Disability Services
Service Area: Plant City & Hillsborough County, Florida
Compliance: HUD ESG, CDBG, McKinney-Vento, FL DCF
Our Promise: Plant City has no dedicated emergency shelter, no local transitional housing facility, and no funded street outreach program within city limits. SCM is uniquely positioned — already embedded in Plant City — to fill this service desert with immediately deployable, compliance-ready programs.
What We Do
The Homeless Assistance & Housing Stability Program (HAHSP) addresses the distinct drivers of homelessness experienced by Plant City residents through four targeted service pillars.
Walk-in and referral-based intake using standardized vulnerability assessments. Same-day crisis intervention, HMIS enrollment, and emergency goods distribution.
Serving employed individuals who cannot maintain stable housing due to wage insufficiency. Flexible evening and weekend intake hours to accommodate working clients.
Dedicated services for residents age 55+ facing housing cost burden, rising rents, and social isolation. Plant City seniors represent 14.4% of residents.
Following Hurricane Milton (Oct 2024), which caused catastrophic flooding in Plant City's mobile home communities, SCM provides dedicated disaster recovery services.
Service Model: Community-hub based, 5 days/week walk-in intake with evening and weekend hours. Serving a minimum of 250 unduplicated persons annually. Average cost per person served: $1,500 — far below the $5,000–$10,000 per-episode cost of emergency government interventions.
Who We Serve
Adults and families without stable housing in Plant City and Hillsborough County, prioritized by vulnerability assessment.
Employed individuals in agriculture and service industries who are one paycheck from losing housing. We offer flexible service hours.
Fixed-income seniors spending 50%+ of income on housing, facing the fastest-growing segment of homelessness in the Tampa CoC.
Military veterans and their families facing housing instability, employment gaps, and barriers to accessing VA and other benefits.
Families displaced by Hurricane Milton (2024) and future disaster events, prioritizing mobile home community residents.
Individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, including APD-funded and waiver-eligible residents seeking residential support.
The Need
Plant City's poverty rate, geographic isolation from Tampa services, and Hurricane Milton's impact create a persistent and growing housing crisis that demands a local solution.
Documented in the 2024 HUD Point-in-Time Count for the Tampa/Hillsborough County Continuum of Care. Over 54% — 1,022 persons — were unsheltered.
Approximately 25% above the Florida state average of 12.6%. Per capita income in Plant City is $32,286 — roughly 75% of state and national averages.
With median rent at $1,409/month, a household earning at the poverty line has virtually no viable path to stable housing without external support.
Most Hillsborough County shelter resources are concentrated in Tampa — 30 miles from Plant City — creating measurable access barriers for local residents without transportation.
Hurricane Milton caused catastrophic flooding in Plant City's Oaks Mobile Home Park and surrounding communities, displacing hundreds of low-income residents and pushing vulnerable households toward homelessness.
Plant City's growing senior population faces compounding pressures of rising rents on fixed incomes. Seniors 55+ are among the fastest-growing segments of the homeless population in the Tampa CoC.
Veterans Services
Second Chance Ministries is committed to supporting military veterans and their families in Plant City and Hillsborough County who face housing instability, employment barriers, and the unique challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life.
We offer specialized case management and outreach to ensure veterans can access the benefits they have earned and the community support they deserve. No veteran in Plant City should face homelessness alone.
Our veterans trifold outreach program provides direct information on available services, housing options, employment resources, and benefit enrollment assistance in the Plant City area.
SCM provides dedicated support for veterans and their families:
Community Network
SCM works in coordination with governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and faith communities to deliver comprehensive, system-aligned services to Plant City residents.
Transparency
SCM operates with full financial transparency. Our annual HAHSP program budget of $375,000 serves 250+ individuals. Every dollar of City funding catalyzes $4.00 in federal, philanthropic, and in-kind resources.
| Budget Category | Annual Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel (salaries & benefits – 5.5 FTE) | $220,000 | 58.7% |
| Direct Client Assistance (rent/utility bridge, hotel vouchers) | $55,000 | 14.7% |
| Operations (facility, utilities, insurance, communications) | $35,000 | 9.3% |
| Transportation (bus passes, mileage, outreach vehicle) | $20,000 | 5.3% |
| Program Supplies (hygiene kits, food, clothing, office) | $18,000 | 4.8% |
| Training & Compliance (HMIS, staff development, auditing) | $12,000 | 3.2% |
| Outreach & Community Engagement | $10,000 | 2.7% |
| Contingency (5%) | $5,000 | 1.3% |
| TOTAL | $375,000 | 100% |
Your generosity directly funds emergency housing assistance, food, transportation, and case management services for our neighbors in Plant City. Every dollar makes a difference.
Make a DonationSecond Chance Ministries of Florida, Inc. is a registered nonprofit. Donations may be tax-deductible. Please consult your tax advisor.
If you or someone you know needs emergency assistance — housing, food, crisis support, or disaster recovery help — please reach out. We are here for you, no questions asked.
Contact Us for HelpWalk-in intake available. Evening and weekend hours available for working individuals.
Reach Out
AddressPlant City, Florida 33563
Hillsborough County, Florida
OrganizationSecond Chance Ministries of Florida, Inc.
Faith-Based Nonprofit | Plant City, FL
Websitesecondchanceministriesfl.org
Walk-In HoursMonday – Friday
Evening & Weekend hours available
for working individuals
Need Immediate Help? Walk-in intake is available during regular hours. If you are experiencing a housing emergency, please contact us as soon as possible — same-day crisis intervention is available.