WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. A celebrity golf tournament in Palm Beach County brought athletes, community leaders, and supporters together for a day on the course, but the larger goal stretched far beyond golf.
Par for the Culture, presented by the Higher Learning Foundation, raised support for The Lords Place and its efforts to expand housing and early-intervention services for people experiencing homelessness in Palm Beach County.
The need is significant.
The Lords Place says the county has more than 500 shelter beds dedicated to people experiencing homelessness, while roughly 1,500 people currently need housing.
Those existing beds are generally prioritized for people with the greatest needs, including those who have experienced homelessness for longer periods of time or face significant health and safety concerns.
That can leave people who are newly unhoused waiting for help -a gap The Lords Place hopes to address with a new shelter model focused on early intervention.
The goal is to provide intensive, short-term support before a temporary housing crisis becomes long-term homelessness.
We would really love to shorten their experience in homelessness and get them bridged back and transitioned back into the community as quickly as possible, said Christine Frederick, CEO of The Lords Place.
Outreach workers say intervening early can help people maintain jobs, stay in school, address health needs and preserve the support systems that can help them regain stability.
Cristina Lucier with The Lords Place said the longer someone remains on the streets, the greater the risk of losing those connections.
The longer people spend on the streets, they may lose some of those critical social connections that will help them get back on their feet and retain stability long term, Lucier said.
For Devin Perry, that instability was once part of everyday life.
The hardest part is knowing where youre gonna sleep at, where youre gonna wake up at, if your stuff is gonna be there when you come back, Perry said.
Perry later entered The Lords Place culinary training program, secured housing and began moving toward employment.
Having a place of his own has changed what he is able to think about each day.
When the weather is changing, I dont have to worry about getting sheets or blankets or when its too hot, I dont have to worry about getting fans, Perry said. I have some place to call my own.
That type of stability is exactly what organizers behind Par for the Culture hope to help create for more people.
Founder Darren Wingate said he created the event as a way to combine his love of golf with community impact.
I just thought, like, hey, why not through the game of golf to spread the message with something that we love as a sport, and also as a community to give back and show progress as well, Wingate said.
The event brought athletes and community leaders to Palm Beach National Golf Club in Greenacres, with proceeds benefiting The Lords Place and its housing initiatives.
Wingate said the larger mission is to remind participants that their impact can extend far beyond sports.
Its more than sports. Its more than golf. Its home, shelter, community, all those things, he said.
For The Lords Place, the hope is that support generated on the golf course can ultimately help more people find a path back to permanent housing and a place they can call home.
For more information on the services The Lord's Place provides you can click here to learn more.
