Advocates for homeless march 15 miles for cause
The group walked from West Palm Beach to Boynton to publicize The Lord’s Place Sleep Out on April 6.
WEST PALM BEACH — The face of homelessness isn’t just the intersection panhandler or downtown bench-warmer.
“It’s also the mother and her children, sleeping in cars,” said Jack Scarola, a West Palm Beach lawyer who co-founded The Lord’s Place, a nonprofit resource center that helps homeless people. According to the school district, as of this month, 3,907 Palm Beach County students are homeless.
Advocates for the homeless walked 15 miles from West Palm to Boynton Beach on Wednesday to draw attention to homelessness and publicize SleepOut 2018, an event to raise money and awareness for the cause. On their way, about three dozen marched through the City Hall courtyard at 10:30 a.m.
They were waving “Home to help the homeless” placards and chanting, joined by leaders of The Lord’s Place, Goodwill, Quantum Foundation, Place of Hope and other nonprofits, Mayor Jeri Muoio, Housing and Community Development Director Armando Fana and others. Also among them were formerly homeless members of a working team formed to keep the downtown clean.
Scarola said the county is making progress raising awareness that homelessness is more than
by the end of this year, the owner recently said.
Richard Lucibella, the former vice mayor of Ocean Ridge, and Barbara Ceuleers bought 480 E. Ocean from the CRA. The building is the historic Ruth Jones Cottage and previously operated as the Little House tavern and cafe.
Lisa Mercado, who owns The Living Room restaurant in Boynton Beach, is expected to run the cottage restaurant. Mercado told The Palm Beach Post in July the restaurant will serve small plates commonly called tapas and will be named Fork Play.
Lucibella told The Post this week that he expects the restaurant to open by September or October. The restaurant already has its certificate of occupancy but the group is still working on the menu and finalizing grants with the CRA.
“We intended to have this open for last season,” Lucibella said while citing frustrations regarding how long it took to be approved by the city.
The property at 211, the historic Oscar Magnuson house, has been more complicated. The CRA was ready to invoke the reverter clause until the owners came to the agency’s board meeting this month and said they’d be able to start construction within 60 days.
That restaurant’s team has gone back and forth with the city regarding building plans and the lack of progress has Casello frustrated with the owner.
Owner Steve Labov said he has to redesign the interior and resubmit the plans. He said he expects everyone to be pleased once the restaurant is open. Labov has teamed up with Timothy Gaglio, who owns the Osteria Salina restaurant in Delray Beach.