‘A New Day’ to break the cycle of homelessness
The Lord’s Place 15th Annual Ending Homelessness Breakfast provides hope for
new beginnings and honors philanthropist Danielle Moore
650 community members gathered for The Lord’s Place 15th Annual Ending Homelessness
Breakfast, A New Dawn, A New Day, and A New Life, on November 17, 2022, at the Kravis
Center in West Palm Beach. Taking place during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week,
the breakfast spread community awareness and generated support to raise more than $250,000
toward emerging in new ways to break the cycle of homelessness in Palm Beach County.
Chair of the Board of Directors Cornelia Thornburgh stated in her opening remarks that The
Lord’s Place is “an agency powered by a philosophy that everyone has the potential to begin
anew. We just have to find that new path to allow our clients to improve their world and their
outlook by giving power and purpose to their lives.”
Each new dawn brings a new day and new opportunities for The Lord’s Place to lead its clients
to housing, employment, and restoration of dignity and a new life. Chaired by Scott Powers, vice
president, financial sales manager, of First Citizens Bank, the impactful breakfast featured
thematic speeches and real-life stories to provide attendees with a deep understanding of The
Lord’s Place mission in action and the many ways their clients have risen despite challenges
living in our post-pandemic world.
One testimony was Kizzy’s. She suffered from a difficult past, including depression and the
death of her father which led her to drugs and losing custody of her children. Kizzy was “lost”
and became homeless. Once she found The Lord’s Place, Kizzy began working hard–she
regained custody of her three daughters; she did everything to repair her relationships; she
attended every class offered from parenting to meditation. With the help of The Lord’s Place
staff, Kizzy learned to forgive herself and love herself. Determined to go back to work, she
returned to school and graduated from Florida Career College as a medical assistant. She now
works at Family Center for Recovery and lives on her own with her family–paying her own rent
and bills.
Kizzy proudly stated, “Some days I fall short but I don’t let it stop me. Every day is a new day. I
don’t have to do it all in one day. I am truly grateful there is a place like The Lord’s Place for
people like me. I truly have a new life.”
The renewed hope that comes from success stories like Kizzy’s is only possible with the support
of staff, clients, donors, volunteers, sponsors, community partners, and friends of The Lord’s
Place who believe that every single individual deserves a place to call home.
“Please know that it’s this community, all of you here, that has made new lives possible. Every
single time someone moves into a new home, accepts a new job, reunites with their family,
celebrates a recovery milestone, it was you who laid the foundation to usher them out of their
darkest nights and into their new day. Thank you, seriously thank you, for seeing potential in
using your gifts to light the way,” said CEO Diana Stanley.
The Lord’s Place honored one such supporter who is paving the foundation for the future of the
agency and its ability to provide new days to thousands of more clients. Danielle Hickox Moore
received The Ending Homelessness Award. As Director of The Fortin Foundation of Florida,
Moore is a catalyst for positive change throughout the county, state, and beyond, but she was
specifically recognized for her commitment to eradicate homelessness.
The Lord’s Place launched its largest-ever campaign in 2019 with a goal of $20 million in a bold
effort to expand services and break the cycle of homelessness for an increased number of men,
women, and children in Palm Beach County. Understanding the necessity of The Lord’s Place’s
mission and work in our community, The Fortin Foundation of Florida stepped forward with a $4
million lead gift to the agency’s Home for Good Campaign when it was publicly launched at that
year’s Ending Homelessness Breakfast. Since then, 208 donors in total followed suit to surpass
the $20 million threshold and make the campaign a success.
Moore gratefully accepted the honor, “As a group, we have been trying to help and end
homelessness and help so many get back on their feet. No one in our community should be
without a roof over their head or a meal on their table. Without judgment, this organization is an
essential partner in our community and I’m proud to be involved with this campaign and past
campaigns.”
The multifaceted campaign is allowing The Lord’s Place to expand services; increase its
supportive housing inventory by constructing a multigenerational facility in Lake Worth to be
known as Burckle Place III; and sustain funding to ensure more individuals and families get
Home for Good. The expansion includes finishing the construction of a new 25,000-square-foot
client service center on Australian Avenue, replacing the 8,000-square-foot facility that was
demolished in September 2021.
Stanley announced that the new headquarters scheduled to open in March 2023 will be called
The Fortin Family Campus.
“This site will fulfill an unmet need in our community, serving as an all-day, one-stop location for
the unsheltered population–men, women, and children. It will house our beloved Café Joshua,
our state-of-the-art catering kitchen, our job training program, reentry center, and administrative
offices. It will also feature the resurrection of our homeless engagement center. It will be a place
where they can escape the elements. They can connect with others. They can feel loved and
cared for and, most of all, they can begin their journey towards housing, stability, and purpose,”
described Stanley.
For The Lord’s place, ending homelessness means being stably housed but it also means
offering the services and skills training that ensures its clients become productive citizens in our
communities.
“For every person we take off the street we begin to break the generational cycle of
homelessness. For every person we provide a home and offer the chance to find purpose and
dignity, we create a better social fabric and better economic consequences in our county,” stated
Thornburgh in her closing remarks.
This past year, The Lord’s Place provided supportive housing to 419 individuals–94% of those
served were no longer homeless by year’s end. The agency housed 49 families on its
campuses and provided employment training for 434 individuals. On the streets, they engaged
with 647 people and were able to provide 142 of these individuals with emergency short-term
housing.
There is a price to homelessness as too many wind up in jail. A night in the county jail is
estimated to cost $134. A night in one of The Lord’s Place apartments or campuses averages
$67. The agency’s Care Team provides wrap-around care for clients with intensive behavioral
health, substance abuse, and serious medical concerns. This team attended to 143 people this
year with support far more comprehensive and at a substantially lower cost than repeated visits
to local emergency rooms. They estimate that the average savings per person for this year
equaled close to $28,000. By meeting the needs of those in prison or recently released, The
Lord’s Place dramatically reduces recidivism and works to stably house this population. On
average, 82% avoided re-arrest after one year’s enrollment in its programs.
The hundreds of attendees left the breakfast understanding the unbelievable hardships that
Palm Beach County’s most vulnerable individuals face, but attendees were also uplifted by the
hope that The Lord’s Place gives its clients.
“Let’s all be the dawn’s early bright shining light for those who need us most,” ended
Thornburgh.