ORLANDO, Fla. — A nonprofit with more than a decade of experience helping people get identification is officially planting roots in Orlando.

What You Need To Know

  • After operating out of temporary spaces for years, IDignity is building a permanent facility at 1115 S. Division Avenue to better serve residents in need of legal identification

  • Since 2008, IDignity has helped over 33,000 people — many of which who are experiencing homelessness — obtain essential documents needed for employment, healthcare, and housing

  • The new facility, set to open next spring, will allow IDignity to expand services and address identification-related issues such as identity theft and fraud

Leaders with IDignity have broken ground at 1115 S. Division Avenue near Delaney Park for their first permanent location. They had been working out of various locations such as the Salvation Army and Trinity Lutheran Church.

“No doubt, it’s a huge milestone for the organization,” said executive director Michael Dippy.

Dippy says his team kicked off the project seven years ago and will use the space to provide their clients with legal identification.

The group, founded in 2008 by five downtown Orlando churches, work with attorneys to obtain threads of their client’s identification. That includes medical, school, military, and prison records to compile a case and get them an ID.

Dippy says roughly 90 percent of their clients are in extreme poverty, with more than half being homeless.

“It is a solvable problem. It's going to take a long time to solve it. We have a plan to solve this, but we got to make significant investments like we are with this project,” he said.

This is vital for people trying to find a job, receive healthcare, or find somewhere to live, including a shelter.

The group has helped more than 33,000 residents in less than 20 years get their identification back by partnering with government agencies like the health department, DMV, and social security office.

“All of a sudden, you open up even bigger problems of identity theft and identity fraud, and really no credibility to any forms of identification. So really, the only true solution is for an institution like identity to step in to assist those individuals of our society that cannot navigate it on their own,” said Dippy.

Since the team broke ground last Wednesday, they are hoping construction crews get on site next week and wrap up construction by next spring.