OUR MISSION
To provide our community with affordable access to housing, health care, and opportunities for economic growth.
OUR VISION
A thriving community where everyone has access to housing, healthcare, and hope.
Agency History
Sulzbacher opened its doors in December of 1995 as the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the homeless in response to the explosion of crisis homelessness that happened in the nineties both in Jacksonville and nationwide. The agency was founded by three groups, the City of Jacksonville, a group of area businesses, and the United Way of Northeast Florida. Unlike other homeless shelters, Sulzbacher was founded on the premise that homeless persons need and deserve more than just a meal and a bed to end their homelessness. Sulzbacher provides a continuum of care approach, addressing all aspects of homelessness including housing, income and health care. Over the more than two decades since the agency opened, the services have grown to include street outreach, primary health, behavioral health and dental care for all ages, permanent housing, job placement and early learning.
Mr. I. M. Sulzbacher 1913-2001
Sulzbacher takes its name and inspiration from a man who exhibited extraordinary civic leadership and concern for the poor, I.M. Sulzbacher. Mr. Sulzbacher was a successful insurance broker and civic leader who entered politics during the Jacksonville Consolidation era and was elected to the Jacksonville City Council in 1968. Out of his concern for people experiencing homelessness, he helped raise awareness of the problem, and convinced his fellow council members of the need for the city to help. With the support of city administrator Lex Hester, the dedication of a homeless facility on city land was included in the 1993 River City Renaissance plan. The I. M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless opened in 1995. Mr. Sulzbacher died on June 5, 2001 and his spirit of giving and his dedication to the poor lives on at Sulzbacher.
Agency History
1994
- Incorporated as a 501(c) (3)
- Began providing primary health and dental services at area churches
1995
- Opened main campus as a men’s shelter
1996
- Expanded dormitories to include women and families with children
- Brought primary health care on site
1999
- Began providing behavioral health services under Dr. Richard Christensen
2000
- Began HOPE (Homeless Outreach Project Expansion) mobile outreach
- Installed bunk beds in the men’s pavilion dormitory
- Installed air conditioning in the men’s pavilion dormitory
2001
- Became a Federally-Qualified Health Center
- Expanded dining room, more than doubling dining space
- Initiated Homeward Bound Permanent Supportive Housing Program
2003
Initiated Scattered Emergency Apartments for Chronically Homeless HIV+ Men Permanent Supportive Housing program
2005
Built Children’s Program Building on main campus
2006
- Opened new Hugh H. Jones, Jr. Medical/Dental Building, brought dental on-site
- Initiated Homeward Bound Project Expansion Permanent Supportive Housing Program
2007
Expanded HOPE to second team in Jacksonville Beach
2008
- Opened satellite medical / dental / behavioral health clinic in Jacksonville Beach
2009
Built out Behavioral Health Suite in the Hugh H. Jones, Jr. Medical/Dental Building
2013
- Built out 2nd floor and completed Veteran’s Dormitory
- Built out Medical Respite Unit
- Began providing SSVF Mobile Outreach to Veterans
2014
- Initiated Chronically Homeless Offender Program (CHOP) Permanent Supportive Housing
- Expanded SSVF Veteran’s Outreach to Clay and Nassau Counties
- Received HIV Specialty clinic funding
2016
Contracted to manage Community Health Outreach dental clinic for impoverished persons in at-risk neighborhood
2017
- Expanded health services from Health Care for the Homeless to add Community-Based
- Broke ground on Sulzbacher Village for Women and Families
2018
- Opened pilot School Based Health Clinics in at-risk High School and Middle School in partnership with Florida Blue and Baptist Health.
- Opened Sulzbacher Village for Women and Families.
Leadership Team
Cindy Funkhouser, MSW
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Brenda March
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Brian Snow
PRESIDENT, HOUSING DIVISION
Eileen Seuter, MSW
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Dr. Colleen Bell
PRESIDENT, HEALTH DIVISION
Kathy Orr
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
Leah Lynch
PRESIDENT, HOPE DIVISION
EnVision Center
Envision Centers are centralized hubs that provide people with resources and support needed to excel designated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As an organization that has provided shelter and holistic services for homeless and impoverished individuals and families living in Jacksonville, FL since 1995, Sulzbacher is honored to be recognized as an EnVision Center, meeting each pillar of excellence.
Economic Empowerment
Sulzbacher provides economic empowerment through job training and employment assistance. Sulzbacher works with First Coast Security in providing security training and certification and Goodwill Job Junction in employment programs. Sulzbacher partners with Florida State College at Jacksonville and Goodwill to provide a new Medical Assistant Training and certification program. In its last fiscal year, Sulzbacher placed 369 individuals in stable employment.
Educational Advancement
Sulzbacher works across all age groups to provide educational advancement. At Sulzbacher’s Crawford Early Learning Center, pre-school children are made school-ready. Children in school receive one-on-one tutoring and the Children’s Program manager works with teachers and the Duval County Public School system to ensure students are succeeding in class. Additionally, Florida State College at Jacksonville holds GED training and testing on-site at Sulzbacher so that adults who have not gotten a high-school diploma are able to get their GED and better compete in the job market.
Health and Wellness
As a Federally-Qualified Health Center, Sulzbacher provides primary health care, dental care, substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling and treatment, vision screening, and pediatric health care. Sulzbacher is the “safety net” health care provider in Duval County, and provided 30,572 clinic visits to 7,694 patients last year. And now with the HealthMobile unit, Sulzbacher is able to provide primary and behavioral health care with dignity to our homeless neighbors still living on the streets.
Character and Leadership
Our partnership with Bold City Chapter of the Links has led to great character and leadership development within the women at the Sulzbacher Village. Links members provide one-on-one mentoring to help our women not only find employment but also keep it, and develop the skills necessary to succeed and be promoted in the workplace. Through life skills training, peer support groups, and mental health counseling, Sulzbacher improves the character and leadership potential of its clients. Sulzbacher also encourages leadership in its clients through participation in its Consumer Advisory Board.
We are excited to partner with Everybody Solar to bring solar power to Sulzbacher Village! Everybody Solar, a 501 C-3 nonprofit, offsets 100% of solar installation costs for nonprofits and charities like us. Having solar not only frees up our operations budget so we can re-allocate them to enhance our mission of ending homelessness, but it also allows us to be more sustainable and serve as a model for renewable energy in our community.
Solar energy is the future of sustainable communities, and we are proud to do our part in preventing the generation of more CO2. Find out more about this project and Everybody Solar HERE
Annual Reports
Please feel free to click any of the links below to view our annual reports.
