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The Lord's Place

This is a menu of the topics on this page (click on any): The Lord's Place Programs The Family Shelter Program Cafe Joshua The Chef's Apprentice Program Joshua House The Lord's Place Stores The Food Pantry .

John and Angela Frisbie, Kathy Bihl, Carl House and Jane Tierney visited The Lord's Place for lunch on July 29 and found it to be a superb comprehensive program for assisting homeless people and families. It challenged our assumptions about the homeless and about social service programs in several profound ways.

We thought of "the homeless" as being represented by people we see on the street or at exits off I-95 asking for contributions. These are a very small part of homeless people and they are not representative. A far greater number of homeless people are families with children, especially single parent families, who lived paycheck to paycheck and finally encountered the event for which their circumstances did not prepare them -- the illness or lost job that resulted in eviction. We don't know about these families because under our Florida system they will lose their children if authorities know that they are homeless.
There are 4000 homeless people in Palm Beach County. 35% are children. The average age is 9. 44% have jobs which are not sufficient to keep a roof over their heads.
Assistance can be given in a manner that preserves and enhances dignity and hope and the people and institutions of Palm Beach County are helping at an admirable level. The Lord's Place raises $2.6 million annually to provide assistance in a wide variety of ways. Facilities are clean and modern. Services are provided within the founder's vision of gracious hospitality by a staff of 40 and hundreds of volunteers. In its 26 year history it has only had two Executive Directors, Brother Joe Ranieri and the person he chose (in 1996) as his vision carrier, Suzanne Cabrera. Long time PBC residents will remember Brother Joe as the person who slept in dumpsters in the early 80's to bring attention to the plight of the homeless. Brother Joe is no longer involved in The Lord's Place, but he put in motion an exceptional vision that has been faithfully followed.
We experienced a surprising example of this vision. As we finished lunch, we asked how we could pay or donate. We were told that no money changes hands for food service. After considerable reflection, it dawned on us that if we paid for lunch we would be establishing that we were different from the homeless people that Cafe Joshua was serving. By our being served on the same basis as the homeless, we and they were reminded of our kinship and no one was reminded that he or she was needy. This, to us, was a profound lesson in dignity.
Over the years, many thousands of people have been helped the The Lord's Place. Nowadays, there are typically 500 people helped each month in a wide variety of ways. Assistance is managed for these 500 or so people by 3 case workers. People are expected to become self-sufficient within 24 months, though, of course, many become self-sufficient in a far shorter time. Volunteer mentors are important as coaches towards self-sufficiency.
The greatest source of new people seeking assistance is from referrals by people they've helped in the past.
It would seem that providing housing and other assistance for hundreds of homeless people would require immense physical facilities requiring immense fixed investment supported by uncertain monthly income (the dilemma which brought about the savings and loan collapse in the late 1970s). A substantial part of services provided by The Lord's Place are through flexible funds which allow motel rooms to be obtained for homeless persons or families.
To better understand the needs of the homeless, the director and several staff talked to 59 of the people we see at highway intersections and on the street. While they had a wide range of assistance to offer, they found they were only able to help 1 person (a homeless mother with a child). Some who seemed homeless weren't homeless, just trying to make a living. Some were not able or willing to cooperate with a system that required some structure; some Viet Nahm vets fell into this category. Some were mentally ill and not able or willing to accept assistance. This is presumably the result of our public policy a decade or so ago when we simply discharged many mentally ill people from public institutions.
Cafe Joshua and all headquarters activity is at 2808 N. Australian Avenue in West Palm Beach. The southernmost service facility of The Lord's Place is in Boynton Beach. It's gift and thrift store is at 1230 Hypoluxo Road in Lantana.

Our conclusion is that we have much to learn from The Lord's Place and there may be many ways we'll want to help.

The following text is from GoPBI.com.

Founded in 1981, The Lord's Place, Inc. is dedicated to restoring dignity and self-esteem to the homeless and committed to breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness. The Lord's Place and its programs provide housing, food, education and support services designed to promote self-sufficiency, self-reliance and a stable environment for families and individuals. Programs of The Lord's Place include the Boynton Beach Family Shelter, the West Palm Beach Family Shelter Complex, Cafe Joshua, Joshua House, the Chef's Apprentice Program, the Retail Apprentice Program, The Lord's Place Thrift and Gift Store and the Upscale Resale Store. Administrative offices are located at 2808 Australian Avenue, West Palm Beach. For more information about the programs, please call (561) 494-0125. Click here for The Lord's Place Website

The Lord's Place Programs

The Lord's Place is a non-profit, non-sectarian, 501(c)(3) organization established and maintained in recognition of the community's moral obligation to assist its disadvantaged members and dedicated to restoring dignity and self-esteem to the homeless. The Lord's Place is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness by providing housing, food, education and support services designed to promote self-sufficiency, self-reliance and a stable environment for families and individuals.

The Family Shelter Program

The Family Shelter Program provides emergency and transitional shelter for homeless families with children. There are two locations, in Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach, each with support services designed to address the issues that lead to the family's homelessness. Units are fully furnished, and food is provided through an on-site pantry. Families work with staff to develop a service plan and budget for saving money. Life skills seminars for adults, and tutoring for children, are offered. Families turn in approximately 75% of their income to be placed in a savings account, with all funds returned at the end of their stay to secure their own housing.

Cafe Joshua

Cafe Joshua, a "reservations-only" restaurant for the homeless, offers case management and more than twenty personal support services to equip individuals with the tools needed to become productive members of society. Potential "guests," referred by community agencies, are interviewed by a case manager who identifies personal issues and needs to be addressed. More than a feeding program, guests are served a meal prepared by a certified chef at tables graced with linen, silverware and flowers. Volunteer servers and table companions offer support and encouragement. Empowerment programs include intensive case management, job listings, interview/application/resume assistance, voicemail access, life-skills seminars, on-site AA and NA meetings, vision & dental referrals, legal clinic, GED workbooks and practice tests, computer tutorials, haircuts and personal care products.

The Chef's Apprentice Program

The Chef's Apprentice Program was created to help break the cycle of homelessness by providing homeless individuals an opportunity to learn marketable skills and the training necessary to find gainful employment. The 12-week Chef's Apprentice Program is open to qualified individuals at no cost. Individuals are chosen from our existing client base or referred by agencies we work with. Participants learn basic cooking skills, food preparation and food safety. The program also provides participants with hands-on-training by giving them the responsibility for planning and preparing daily meals and learning all the aspects of the restaurant business such as ordering supplies and staff management. Additionally, the participants receive basic tools such as a set of knives and proper uniform. Participants receive case management to ensure they will finish the 12-week program. Once particpants finish the training, they are required to take the Florida Department of Professional Regulation test in order to work in the food service industry. The Lord's Place also offers job placement through a network of local hotels and restaurants.

Joshua House

Joshua House is a safe, supportive transitional home for homeless men dealing with substance abuse issues. The program provides long-term, comprehensive care as part of a daily recovery program. Residents receive luncheon reservations at Cafe Joshua and participate in its restorative and empowerment programs.

The Lord's Place Stores

The Lord's Place Stores serve as job training sites, employing formerly homeless individuals. Many families arrive at The Lord's Place in need of job skills and work experience; others come in need of clothing, furniture and household items. The Lord's Place Thrift & Gift Store was created out of these needs. Families are allowed to volunteer and earn store credit to purchase items instead of having to accept charity. As added benefit, all proceeds go directly to the operating costs of the Family Shelter Program.

The Food Pantry

The Food Pantry provides food assistance to families residing at our shelters. Food Pantries are located at both the West Palm Beach and Boynton Beach Family Shelters. Residents are able to chose from a wide variety of foods when making their weekly grocery lists. For those not residing at either shelter, referrals are made to programs including food stamps and SHARE. The Food Pantry is stocked in cooperation with the Daily Bread Food Bank, WPTV's Food for Families, USDA and through the generous donations of other organizations and individuals.

All services are provided free of charge. Hope is restored and lives are changed when the homeless are treated with dignity and welcomed into a caring supportive community.

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