Outreach center adds clinic, counseling center in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — Cassie Holloway, her husband and their 1-year-old son, were all uninsured until the Community Food and Outreach Center helped them get their Medicaid benefits.

"He's young getting into things and you want to make sure you have that stability," said Cassie Holloway.

Families can do more than sign up for their benefits at the Orlando non-profit. They can see a primary care physician with the Health Care Center for the Homeless, a counselor from the Grove Center, or a domestic violence victims advocate from Harbor House.

On Tuesday Community Food and Outreach officially opened its clinic and counseling center.

"We did a survey. Ninety percent of the people who come here are uninsured," said Bakari Burns with the Health Care Center for the Homeless.

Officials said it made sense to locate a clinic on a campus that already has a discount grocery, thrift store, job placement, and an Access Florida site. 

Many of the clinic's services are free, others will be offered on a sliding scale based on income.

"We're going to take care of everyone who comes on our campus," said Scott George of the Community Food and Outreach Center.

Now a woman can tell her partner she's gone grocery shopping and simply walk next door to the domestic violence center.

"This is about being in a safe, secure location. We already know there are 400 people here per day and some of them may be having domestic violence issues we can help them with," said Carol Wick of Harbor House of Central Florida.

And that help can be found in one convenient place.
 
Counseling services are already available at the clinic. Officials with the center said medical staff should be ready to see patients in two weeks.

WFTV