City Of West Palm Beach: WPB Wins! Mandel Public Library Helps Families In Need

West Palm Beach FL

14 July, 2021

10:21 AM

Description

Press release from the City of West Palm Beach: 07/13/2021 1:00 PM   WEST PALM BEACH, FLA (July 13, 2021) – The Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach is more than just a library. It is also a community resource center that provides resume and career help to job seekers and teachers who provide homework help to children and teens. Additionally, the library connects those in need with resources and providers. The library regularly encounters families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Library staff do their best to assist them in completing forms, contacting social services providers, and providing a safe, clean place to spend their days as they figure out their next steps. One such family came to the library's attention in the summer of 2018. The family had a bright and friendly 5-year-old who was reading fluently and was planning to enter kindergarten in the fall. The boy would read to library staff and play games with the other children on the children's floor. He would make friends with everyone with whom he interacted. Like many other children, he enjoyed free lunches and attended library programs. As library staff got to know the boy, they learned that he and his family were homeless and living in a park. The library staff was able to connect the family with a Lord's Place outreach worker who gave them temporary, emergency shelter and connected them with Adopt A Family. Three years later, the family remain in stable housing and regularly visit the library. The boy and his younger brother are excelling in school and have a safe place to sleep each night. Did you know that the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, in partnership with the City of West Palm Beach Department of Housing and Community Development, aids with community resources? Kevin Jones, Coordinator of Community Initiatives holds office hours Monday through Thursday to assist individuals and families in need with resources for housing/shelter, food, and mental health services. This press release was produced by the City of West Palm Beach. The views expressed here are the author's own.