news release

The Source in Vero Beach is gearing up to custom fit a previously operated passenger bus with an interior that will sleep 20 homeless individuals as part of their Dignity Bus initiative. This newest bus will be their 8th temporary overnight shelter on wheels in their fleet. In addition to the 3 operating in Vero Beach, the other 4 are located in Illinois, Rhode Island and two in Orlando, FL.

What began as participants in an annual chicken wing competition in St. Thomas in June, turned into a positive partnership between The Source and top executives in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) who were in the midst of coming up with ways to combat their homeless issues for their three territories that include St. Thomas, St Johns and St. Croix.  They recognized there was a critical need for beds and they had limited housing available for their most needy.

In learning about The Source’s Dignity Bus initiative, they discovered their solution for temporary/transitional housing in their own Dignity Bus and soon thereafter proceeded to find the funding needed to purchase the bus. Once complete, Dignity Bus will be traveling on a 5-day boat ride via a barge from The Port of Miami to St. Croix. Expected completion of St. Croix’s Dignity Bus and delivery to its new home is anticipated to be January, 2026.

According to Anthony Zorbaugh, The Source’s Executive Director, “Our partnership may have started by cooking chicken wings in a competition, but it continued to build over the next several months with additional visits to the islands followed by representatives coming to Vero Beach to see what we do first-hand with helping our homeless population. They were ready to make a move, sooner than later in solving their homeless problems. And we were there to help them find the way.”

The 45 foot motor coach purchased for St. Croix has already begun its customization in Vero Beach with the bus building team taking the lead. The “bus builders” make slight modifications to the basic plan based on the new community’s needs. This bus will be retrofitted with 20 beds (or sleeping pods) with a wider middle aisle and shoe storage under each bed. It provides for a custom-made climate-controlled interior, privacy curtains, a USB port and an individual light by each bed, a lockable door, a private bathroom facility, under-bus storage, pet pods for companion animals, monitored CCTV surveillance and the most up-to-date HVAC systems. A washer and a dryer will also be provided.

“What began in 2021, during the peak of the pandemic, became a blueprint for  success for us,” Zorbaugh recalls. “We knew we needed to find a creative way to get people off of the streets and into beds for a safe and secure night’s sleep. It turned out that our idea of utilizing this temporary “bed on wheels,” named Dignity Bus could essentially change the future for the homeless. It’s meant to be a temporary resolve but our experience has proven what a bold action looks like, and when done correctly, it totally changes people’s lives for the better. We know now that if you can think big, big things can happen.  And it has….8 times and more on the way!”

I am Ministries, DBA The Source, a trusted symbol of hope, is a Christian social outreach ministry that has been empowering communities into a lifestyle of service for the homeless since 1995. Founded in Indian River County, the organization serves its homeless neighbors through a myriad of core programs and services that instill a sense of community. For more information on The Source and Dignity Bus, contact Executive Director Anthony Zorbaugh or Development Director Jonathan Orozco at 772-564-0202, or visit www.iamthesource.org .