IDIGNITY INC

In 2020, IDignity will assist over 2,500 homeless or precariously housed persons in Central Florida to obtain their legal identification. IDignity provides a dignified and effective solution to this daunting problem by hosting monthly service-fair events that bring together the identification-issuing government agencies, attorneys and over 100 volunteers to assist a capacity of 250 clients. At each event, clients start lining up before sunrise, although the doors do not open until 8:30 a.m. Each IDignity client is interviewed and that data, along with which documents were provided, is later entered into a secure database for monitoring and accountability. While half of the clients will obtain their identification documents that day, the remainder will require additional case management, often taking several months to complete and requiring legal representation by IDignity attorneys. Monthly events are supplemented with weekly events where existing clients can meet with attorneys and documents can be distributed.

In eleven years, IDignity has held over 120 monthly events in Orlando that have helped more than 21,300 unique individuals. IDignity pays all expenses of the events, including legal expenses and document costs. Addressing the issue of individuals not being able to prove their identity is a wise investment as it causes lasting change, because once an individual’s identity has been re-established it will likely never need to be done again. This have proven true in Orlando where less than 20% of clients that have obtained their legal identification have ever returned to IDignity over the last eleven years.

This service is possible through the coordinated collaboration between IDignity and the numerous government agencies responsible for the issuance of legal identification documents, such as birth certificates, Social Security cards and state-issued drivers licenses or ID cards. Government agencies that participate at the IDignity events are the Social Security Administration, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Orange County Tax Collector, the Orange County Health Department, and Veteran Affairs.

Much of IDignity's success can be measured by the number of clients assisted, along with the documents that are provided. In 2019 at the Orlando events, IDignity obtained over 495 Florida birth certificates and 598 out of state birth certificates, along with 1,153 ID cards and nearly 803 Social Security documents along with numerous other identification documents. Additional client services, including case management and documents distribution, are provided at the IDignity office, also located in downtown Orlando. The resulting benefits of possessing identification documents are both tangible and intangible. Not only do they empower individuals with the necessary tool to better their own lives, they also provide individuals with a renewed sense of dignity and hope.

The primary target population that IDignity was created to assist are individuals suffering from poverty, homelessness, and mental or physical disabilities, as their barriers tend to be the greatest. On average, only 30% of IDignity clients report earning any income over the past month, and that average monthly income is below $500. Our client base includes a disproportionate number of veterans, survivors of domestic abuse, kids aging out of foster care, parents of newborns, legal residents, and people re-entering society from jail or prison. While IDignity’s services are available to anyone who needs assistance in obtaining their identification documents, our expertise in this field enables us to effectively serve those individuals that have the most complex of physical and legal barriers.

At IDignity, children are important to us. While children cannot apply for their birth certificates or Social Security cards directly, at least 20% of the clients served in 2019 were children and youth under the age of 24. Those children are the direct beneficiaries of the requested documents. Identification is necessary for their parents to secure housing and to apply for employment or social services that enable them to maintain housing. IDignity supports family sustainability, because identification is essential for families to become more self-sufficient through access to education, employment, proper healthcare and social services.

One of our recent clients tells her story best: “It feels as if you don’t exist,” stated IDignity client Hannah regarding not having a valid ID. “It was depressing. It led me to anxieties. Always worried. How am I going to make it this time? What can I do? I try not to be a complainer; I try to be a problem-solver.” Thanks to the efforts of IDignity attorneys, she received a court order verifying her real identity, which was enough to get the long-sought ID. “I feel like a huge weight off my chest, like it’s finally over,” said Hannah. It was like a curse, it felt like a curse.” Now, Hannah said, she can build credit, open a bank account, get a driver’s license, go to college and, maybe, put a down payment on a home for her and her six kids. “All I can say is I feel accomplished now, thanks to you guys,” Hannah said of IDignity. “Every single person that has been a part of me getting this ID is just amazing.”
Dignity – Respecting the inherent value of each individual and affirming the importance of being able to prove one’s own identity.

IDignity's Values are;
Empowerment – Assisting individuals in obtaining the identification documents needed to enable them to participate fully in society.
Stewardship – Cultivating the investments entrusted in us by utilizing our resources wisely and transparently.
Compassion – Providing service and expertise to our clients with sensitivity, empathy and perseverance, regardless of the complexity of their case.
Excellence – Adhering to the highest standards with integrity, professionalism and ethics worthy of the trust placed upon us.
Justice – Leveraging our relationships, experience and expertise to advocate for fair access to legal identification.