St. Ann Place

In March 2001, St. Ann Catholic Church in downtown West Palm Beach initiated programs to reach out to its poor neighbors and the homeless women and men in the area. It opened the Community Services Office on the Church property which included a food pantry, van service, and lunch for those who came for something to eat. Without overnight shelters in the city, a place was needed to meet the needs of these vulnerable people and in November 2003, in response ton this urgent need, St. Ann Place for homeless clients was relocated to a building at 2107 N. Dixie Highway. The property had been purchased and renovated by the Diocese of Palm Beach, and the building is shared with the Haitian Community of St. Ann Church. The new location allowed for the expansion of services to these most vulnerable people by providing shower and laundry services as well as other new programs designed to ease the burden of those living on the street. Sr. Carleen Cekal, SSND, assumed responsibility for the operation of this daytime center, which was named St. Ann Place.

St. Ann Place has expanded its services to include breakfast and lunch, a food stamp program, birth certificate and ID for clients, an address for clients to receive mail as well as a health advocacy program. As more and more needs for the homeless have been identified, St. Ann Place has expanded their services to meet these needs. In seven years, SAP has grown to a staff of 3 full-time professional staff, 6 part-time employees, and more than 85 active volunteers.