Matthew’s Hope is scaling back daily services for people experiencing homelessness in Orange and Brevard counties after overspending its budget by roughly $468,000 over the past year, according to founder and CEO Scott Billue. The faith-based nonprofit’s food pantry now carries less variety and fewer supplies, and Billue says more cuts could come before the end of 2026 if conditions do not improve.
Billue told WESH 2 News that a mix of rising food and fuel costs, declining donations, and a dramatic jump in demand forced the organization to pull back. The ministry, which provides medical and mental health care, transportation, food, and other services, now serves about 1,300 people each week and is registering roughly 100 new clients weekly, up from about 15 a week in past years. Billue said the nonprofit could not plan for that kind of influx, and it prioritized its cuts through the donation-supported food pantry rather than eliminating programs outright.
Wealthy Donors Pull Back as Markets Wobble
Part of the shortfall traces back to Matthew’s Hope’s reliance on individual donors. A donor has pulled back amid economic and market uncertainty, according to News 6 WKMG. The ministry operates as an independent, faith-based 501(c)(3), with taxpayer-funded grants making up about 6% of its budget.
That funding model has been strained before. Matthew’s Hope has faced donation cutbacks across both locations. The Cocoa site was planned in May 2022, when the ministry announced its expansion into a second county, according to the West Orange Times & Observer. Matthew’s Hope began in 2010 with a cold-weather temporary shelter at West Orange Church of Christ before growing into a regional, two-county provider.
Demand Surges Across Central Florida
The spike in new clients at Matthew’s Hope mirrors what regional homelessness data has been showing all year. The Homeless Services Network of Central Florida reported that total regional homelessness held steady at 2,724 people even as more than 1,300 individuals sought housing assistance for the first time in a single month last spring, per WFTV. Seniors aged 55 and older and children under 18 now make up more than 40% of Central Florida’s unhoused population, with adults 65 and older the fastest-growing group, the same data showed…