WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Lord’s Place, a nonprofit that provides hope and restoration to the homeless for decades is being rebuilt from the ground up. After standing for decades on Australian Avenue the current main campus building will be torn down for a new one. At the same time, volunteers are needed now more than ever to sustain the mission of The Lord’s Place during this transition.
U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel-retired David Dunn is used to being on the front lines. He’s a decorated veteran who served in Vietnam who knows the value of unfailing commitment to service.
”You see people who really have got struggles,” said Dunn, a Cafe Joshua volunteer. “It gives you a different perspective.”
And Dunn has brought that commitment to the Joshua Cafe for 20 years, a free lunch service offered by The Lord’s Place five days a week.
”It’s that sense of maybe doing something that makes their day a little bit better or helps them out,” Dunn said. “So that’s why I keep coming back.”
But Dunn is also serving more people and it’s the same story with housing, reentry services, job training, and employment.
Board of directors member Michael Stevens said it didn’t happen overnight. It’s been years in the making. And that’s the reason for the “Home for Good Campaign.”
”We just couldn’t accommodate the growth of the agency,” Stevens said. ”It’s more than tripled.”
And next month, the Australian Ave. main building is being down for a new campus that’s three times the size. In the interim, four temporary locations have been established. But sustaining the transition requires more volunteers both immediately and in the years ahead.
”They truly see our clients in their journey and they know what they’re doing to help them through that and that friendship and kindness and compassion is what they need to get through their day — both for our volunteers and our clients,” said Anne Noble, The Lord’s Place chief advancement officer.
The demand for volunteers extends to outreach and thrift store services. The goal is to expand, increase and sustain.
”The volunteers are here every day and they really understand what’s going on,” Stevens said.
”Soldiers mean everything to you. They are the guys that get the job done,” added Dunn.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities, click here.
On July 8, a Departure Day celebration will be held at 2808 Australian Avenue (the old campus) to temporarily say farewell to the main campus. The public is invited to meet with staff, volunteers, community leaders, and supporters. To learn more, click here.
To learn more about the demolition and long-term vision, click here.