April 16, 2015 Lifestyles, Uncategorized.
A homeless man sleeps on a West Palm Beach bench.
Note: A rainy forecast has moved the SleepOut from the Meyer Ampitheatre to the United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches, off Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. and Village Blvd.
A sleeping bag, backpack and maybe a pillow.
It’s all many homeless people can call their own.
It’s also all you’ll need for tomorrow night’s SleepOut to support The Lord’s Place, a nonprofit which combats homelessness in Palm Beach County.
The SleepOut is designed to dramatize the plight of the estimated 3,200 homeless people in Palm Beach County.
Or, participants can donate and sleep in their own beds.
After nearly 30 years of living on the street, The Lord’s Place helped James Dixon move into the nonprofit’s first group home called Graduate House.
On Sunday in The Palm Beach Post’s Accent section, read the inspiring story of James Dixon, who stepped “out of the shadows” thanks to The Lord’s Place, ending nearly 30 years of homelessness.
After half a lifetime of alcoholism and drug addiction, the nonprofit helped Dixon with therapy and training programs.
Today, the former drifter who lived on the streets, is among The Lord’s Place’s first four men to make the transition from the homeless shelter to their own group home in Boynton Beach, called Graduate House.
Want to help others like Dixon?
Register for the SleepOut online or at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches. Registration is $25.
The church’s address is 900 Brandywine Rd., West Palm Beach.
The program, highlighting the need for homeless shelters as well as job training programs, begins at 8 p.m. and ends Saturday morning at 7 a.m. Entertainment is included. Food will be available to purchase from Cafe Joshua, The Lord’s Place’s culinary education program.
Don’t want to sleep out? You can still participate by donating through the SleepOut website.