Change for Change
Homelessness continues to be a reality for many children and families across our nation. Locally, the Change for Change program provides you with an easy way to help end homelessness for children and families in our community. By making a monthly contribution through your City Utilities account, you will help provide basic needs like food and shelter to families in Tallahassee to help them get back on their feet again. For as little as $2 a month, you can help change their lives and create positive changes in our community.
I'd like to make a difference with a monthly donation.
History of Change for Change
Nearly a decade ago, a passionate group of Tallahassee Citizens, called Tallahassee Equality Action Ministry (TEAM), brought a recommendation to the Tallahassee City Commission that would allow citizens to help address homelessness in the community by making a monthly contribution on their city utility bill. Called Change for Change, the program was adopted by the Commission in 2004.
How do I sign up Change for Change?
Sign up for Change for Change on Talgov.com or call the City of Tallahassee Utilities at 850-891-4968.
Not a City of Tallahassee utilities customer?
If you are not able to sign up to make a monthly contribution through your city utilities account, one-time donations are also appreciated. Checks payable to the City of Tallahassee Change for Change can be mailed to the address below.
Utility Business & Customer Services
Customer Services Division
408 N Adams St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Agencies that currently receive funding from Change for Change include:
American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and disaster preparedness education to residents and families.
America's Second Harvest of the Big Bend, a food bank that distributes over 3 million pounds of food every year, equaling 2 million meals, for those in need. When families find themselves having to choose between paying the rent or feeding their family, Second Harvest can provide them with food and help prevent them from becoming homeless.
Kearney Center, a 24-hour comprehensive emergency service center that serves as a point of entry into assistance by coordinating services and responding to immediate needs of individuals and families until appropriate permanent housing can be arranged. The Kearney Center provides overnight shelter and daytime services that connect clients with social service providers, case management, and housing-focused programs. The most basic needs (such as a warm shower, hot meal, and clean clothes) are provided alongside information and referrals to a variety of social service agencies in our community.
Capital City Youth Services (CCYS), an agency that works to ensure family preservation, homelessness prevention, delinquency prevention, and dependency prevention. Through shelter services, counseling, outreach and more, the goal of CCYS is to alleviate the immediate problems of youth during crisis situations and ultimately strengthen family relationships.
Big Bend Homeless Coalition, an agency dedicated to providing the vital services necessary to prevent and end people’s experience of homelessness. Services include emergency shelter, permanent and supportive housing, homeless prevention and rapid rehousing. The Big Bend Homeless Coalition compassionately and effectively meets the needs of the community’s most vulnerable, including Veterans, people with disabilities, individuals with long histories of homelessness and families with minor children.
Good News Outreach, a faith-based organization that strives to reduce hunger, homelessness and isolation by providing food, shelter and social interaction through collaborative efforts within the Tallahassee community.
Salvation Army Tallahassee offers a wide range of services from basic emergency needs to comprehensive programs to the community’s most vulnerable populations. All services are designed to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO), a Christian faith-based human-service agency providing emergency resources and family support services to people in need in the Big Bend area.
Unhoused Humanity, a local organization that helps people experiencing homelessness get back into homes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Change for Change program provides basic needs and emergency services to help homeless families and individuals in Tallahassee. Services include shelter programs, education, and training; assistance with move-in expenses; financial assistance toward emergency housing payments; matching dollars for permanent housing projects; and for other services supporting the homeless.
Change for Change funds are distributed to qualified agencies who provide homelessness services through an existing program used by the City, County and United Way where citizen volunteers help direct funding to the areas of greatest need in Tallahassee.
Yes, because contributions to Change for Change go directly to non-profit organizations, your annual contribution can be listed as a tax deduction. Your monthly contribution to Change for Change is listed on your utility bill each month, which can be used as documentation.
While all City utility customers are eligible to participate in the program, only those who sign up will see the amount included with their bill. If you do not want to participate, simply do not sign up.
It's your decision. You can stop participating, increase your contribution, or decrease your contribution simply by calling the City of Tallahassee Utilities at 850-891-4968.
Call the City's Communications Department at 850-891-8533.