OUR STORY
PROVIDENCE CONNECTS (ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE 2025 MERGER OF DAILY BREAD AND THE SOUTH BREVARD SHARING CENTER) HAS A REMARKABLE 55+ YEAR TRACK RECORD OF SERVICE AND IMPACT. PROVIDENCE PLACE BUILDS ON THIS LEGACY, OFFERING A SOLUTION THAT HAS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED ITS POTENTIAL TO CHANGE LIVES.
The solution to homelessness is deeply affordable housing with the services a person needs to overcome their challenges and move forward in their life.
Our Mission
PROVIDENCE CONNECTS walks with our neighbors from surviving to thriving by providing food, housing, and trusted support.
Our Vision
Our vision is to pioneer a person-centered future where homelessness is replaced by lasting independence through Providence Place, our landmark housing-led solution that restores dignity and strengthens our entire community.
How We Got Here
Daily Bread (est. 1988) and the Sharing Center (est. 1971) were founded by concerned citizens who answered the call to feed their neighbors through a soup kitchen and a food pantry. For decades, both organizations served as essential lifelines, responding to urgent needs with care, integrity, and a commitment to walking alongside people in difficult seasons.
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In 2018, Daily Bread acted on the understanding that while a meal provides critical relief, we can do more. It expanded the mission to provide what our unsheltered neighbors really need — a home. In a few short years, over 400 previously unsheltered individuals were successfully housed. Unfortunately, a housing affordability crisis beginning in 2022 and continuing today has made securing housing for those in need increasingly difficult, and in some cases, almost impossible.
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Recognizing the urgency and the lack of local organizations positioned to address this crisis at scale, our Board of Directors made a bold commitment to a transformative solution: Providence Place, a 120-unit multifamily housing community, is scheduled to open at 850 S Apollo Blvd in 2027. Providence Place will prioritize housing for individuals experiencing homelessness with disabilities.
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This groundbreaking development will provide deeply affordable housing and comprehensive wraparound services to help residents overcome challenges and achieve housing stability. It will be the first community of its kind in Brevard County, where the need for supportive, service-enriched housing is critical.
Milestones That Shape Our Future
1971
South Brevard Sharing Center Founded
1988
Daily Bread Founded
2018
Daily Bread Expands Beyond Addressing Hunger to Housing
2018-2022
400+ Formerly Homeless Individuals are Successfully Housed
2022
Homelessness Accelerates - The annual Point-in-Time Count (a census of unhoused people) begins climbing and shows an 87% increase in unsheltered homelessness from 2022 to 2024.
2023
The Providence Place Commitment - Daily Bread’s Board of Directors commits to building housing. The City of Melbourne commits $3 million to support Providence Place.
2024
Providence Place Land Acquired - The land on Apollo Blvd is acquired for Providence Place.
2025
Providence Connects Founded
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March - Daily Bread and the Sharing Center formed a strategic alliance in the Spring and combined programs to increase impact, resulting in the food pantry's hours increasing by 100%, and the pantry became a Fresh Choice model.
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May - Outreach access sites began operation around Melbourne to meet homeless individuals where they are with a hot meal, shower, and most importantly, case management.
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December - Daily Bread and Sharing Center merged to become Providence Connects.