Organization looking for funding to support those impacted by Pulse tragedy
The Orlando United Assistance Center on Michigan Street provides services for people either directly or indirectly affected by the Pulse tragedy.
A new survey says 537 people have received some type of help from the center since 2016.
"How does the community continue providing services to those Pulse survivors and family members who still desperately need it?" Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith said.
The Orlando United Assistance Center, or OUAC, was supported by a $8.5 million grant from the federal government. That money ran out in September and now the center is trying to find another way to offer services to Pulse survivors and their families.
Guillermo Smith is one of the local lawmakers who asked the state for $600,000 in the budget to buy some time.
The legislature agreed on $50,000 for OUAC, but Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the funding.
A new survey released this week shows how the center is used. It was commissioned by OUAC and local governments.
It says 83% of people who get help from the center receive mental health services. The majority of people say they were satisfied with the help they did get.
Twenty-seven percent of the people who were polled said they would like to use the center's services for longer than five years.
The Heart of Florida United Way runs the center and is now looking for another organization to provide these services.
Ray Larson, the vice president of community impact for the local United Way, said in a statement, "In considering the research team's findings, the collaborative partnership determined it is most appropriate to seek letters of interest and choose a new managing entity to serve the impacted community."
The United Way says another managing organization must send in interest letters by Aug. 5.