Web Design & Development · Regional Campaign · 2013
Central Florida Homelessness Awareness Campaign
ReThink Homelessness was launched in Central Florida as a grassroots initiative to debunk myths and perceptions about what homelessness looks like. In 2013, Central Florida had the largest homeless population in the US compared to other regions of its size. The campaign was created to inspire a “rethinking” of not only the face of homelessness but also solutions to combat the growing issue.
The success of the ReThink Homelessness campaign, Cardboard Stories, grew onto the national stage, gaining recognition from non-profits, politicians, and business leaders—all rallying together to create state-wide efforts to raise awareness about the issues related to homelessness.
What’s at stake?
Not investing in solutions to solve homelessness in Central Florida can cost the region three times as much to leave homeless people on the street than it does to provide them with supportive housing.
The Ask
Build an online presence that can act as a central hub for all #rethinkhomelessness social media content that communicates impact, provides the opportunity to donate, surfaces press coverage, showcases our local partnerships that support the advancement of our cause, and presents both #reallivesrealstories and #cardboard series that humanize the homelessness population within Central Florida.
Design Contributions
I collaborated with a network of creative professionals to lead web design and front-end development for the ReThink Homelessness campaign, creating a custom experience that combined bold typography, compelling visuals, and human-centered storytelling to challenge perceptions of homelessness and inspire community action.
Beyond the visual experience, I built a scalable, easy-to-maintain WordPress platform that gave the client's internal team greater control over content publishing and campaign updates. The custom theme supported analytics and performance tracking, while flexible page templates enabled the social media team to launch content quickly without ongoing developer support. I also provided hands-on training and documentation to ensure a smooth handoff and long-term ownership.
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Collaborated closely with CTS Social Media Agency to align the website's design strategy, visual storytelling, and user experience with the ReThink Homelessness campaign's mission, ensuring the digital experience reinforced its message, supported community engagement, and encouraged meaningful action.
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Graphic Design
Web Design
Custom HTML/CSS
WordPress Theme Development -
2 Months
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Photoshop
Illustrator -
Design Strategy / Dev: Matthew Lett
Content: Samantha Henry
Campaign Strategy: CTS.Agency
Planning
Thinking through the pages we might need.
Built lo-fidelity to think through the purpose of each page and how users would access them.
Implementing the design foundations
Website mockups
Reach & impact post launch
Impact
ReThink Homelessness campaign became the most prominent cause-based brand in Central Florida in 2013 which resulted in 35,000+ followers / 6M+ YouTube views / Record of $6M unsolicited donations through the website.
All metrics and performance data have been provided
by the CTS Agency of Orlando.
