Chapman 20

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Born from the belief that a homeless assistance center should be beyond the “soup-kitchen/emergency shelter” model, Alvah H. Chapman Jr., undertook a mission to empower the homeless, giving them the necessary tools and accommodations to guide them on a viable path to attaining independence.

“In 1991, when I left my Knight-Ridder office and drove south, I was appalled by the sea of humanity that was living under the expressways in conditions that would have been a disgrace to a third world nation,” Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. former CEO of Knight-Ridder.

Chapman was a man of great compassion who valued the importance of a public-private partnership. He was asked by the late Governor Lawton Chiles to chair the Governor’s Commission on Homeless. The Commission was charged with developing and beginning implementation of the strategic plan to serve the homeless in Miami-Dade County.

The Community Partnership for Homeless Inc., opened its doors in 1995, the result of years of planning, task forces, fundraising, public hearings and tireless work from many.

Alvah Chapman´s vision is today a nationally recognized homeless assistance center, with two campuses totaling 800 beds, located in Miami and Homestead. For more than 100,000 homeless admissions, including 20,000 children, Chapman Partnership provides a holistic, case-managed program that provides a long term solution for the families, men, women and children who have lost their homes. Chapman Partnership helps the homeless by providing a comprehensive suite of services for empowerment that includes emergency housing, meals, health, dental and psychiatric care, day care, job training, job placement and assistance with securing stable housing. Chapman Partnership empowers homeless men, women and children to build a positive future by providing the resources and assistance critical to growth and independence.

Click here to learn more of the Chapman story.