WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Every morning between 44th and 45th on Broadway street in West Palm Beach dozens of men and women line up and wait.
“There’s plenty of work if you can find it,” a man named Patrick said.
There are probably thousands of cars that zip down the busy road daily, but Patrick says it only takes one for him to be able to put food on the table.
“Come out here about 7 o’clock my boss comes to pick me up about 7:30, 8 o’clock get off by four. $100 cash every day,” he said.
This is the typical routine for a day worker. During the week neighbors in this area say you’ll see up to 40 people, documented and undocumented looking for work.
“And I wanted to help,” Maricela Torres said.
So in January, Torres started working towards opening the Esperanza Community Center. A place where people in this area could be connected to jobs and educational opportunities. A building on 37th in
Broadway is one of a few places she’s considering setting up shop.
“It has to be centrally accessible for people who want to come in and hire a worker for the day,” Torres said. “It can’t be hidden in some corner of the county and the city where people don’t have access to it.”
Some agree like Omar Ali whose father owns the BP Gas Station on 44th street.
“It’s more safe, it looks better on the community and it makes the gas station look more successful,” Ali said.
“I would say prepare a job center,” one worker said.
But some homeowners have questions about the proposal and the location.
“A mixed reaction. I think the idea of this center and what they’re trying to do makes a lot of sense and I think it comes from a good place and I support its mission broadly speaking, but I don’t think that that being discussed 3701 Broadway is appropriate for that kind of use,” Scott Holtz said.
This project is still in the early stages, but Torres says she is hoping for the city’s support.
WPTV reached out to city commissioner Kelly Shoaf about the project and she sent us the following statement.
“The neighborhoods are working closely with Esperanza to get more details of a potential program and location so the conversations are ongoing.”