Putnam County, Florida
Coalition & Advocacy
Building what Putnam County was missing.
I didn’t come to this work from the outside. My investment in solving homelessness in Putnam County is both personal and professional — and what I found when I started looking at the system around me was a community of neighbors in crisis, a fragmented network of services, and a gap where coordinated leadership should have been.
So I helped build one.
The Coalition
What We’re Building
The Putnam County Homelessness Solutions Coalition — PCHSC — was founded in early 2026 to change the way our county responds to homelessness. Not with a single program or a single organization, but with a network of partners working from the same playbook toward the same goal: functional zero homelessness in Putnam County.
PCHSC brings together nonprofits, faith communities, healthcare providers, and local government to coordinate resources, close gaps, and advocate for lasting solutions. We’re not just connecting services. We’re building the infrastructure for a replicable model — what we call the Putnam Template — that other rural counties can learn from.
Coalition Partners
Heart of Putnam · Operation Lifeline · Meridian Healthcare · Interlachen Soup Kitchen Ministries · Just For Jesus · Center For Independent Living · and others
Momentum
Recent Wins
R.I.S.E. Approved
Residential Initiative for Stability and Employment
Led by Heart of Putnam, R.I.S.E. was approved by the Palatka City Commission — covering both a day center and overnight shelter. Securing a building is the critical next step. This was a hard-fought win over significant opposition, and it represents the most tangible step yet toward real shelter infrastructure in Putnam County.
Voices from the Street
Community Storytelling Initiative
A platform giving people with lived experience of homelessness space to share their stories in their own words — because the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution.
Partner Portal
Coalition Infrastructure
A private resource hub connecting coalition partners to shared tools, referrals, and coordination infrastructure — so the network functions as a system, not a collection of isolated efforts.
My Role
Strategic Alliance Lead & Co-Founder
My work focuses on building and maintaining the partnerships that make coordinated response possible — and on ensuring that people with lived experience of homelessness remain at the center of everything we do.
Coalitions don’t run on goodwill alone. They run on trust, structure, and sustained relationships. That’s where I spend my time.
Get Involved
There’s a Place for You in This Work
Whether you’re a service provider, a faith community, a volunteer, or someone who simply wants to understand the issue better — the coalition is built for collaboration.
To discuss partnership, speaking, or advocacy opportunities:
William "Red" Conrad | Community Advocate 