[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 186 (Friday, December 11, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2981-E2982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE COMPASSION AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF MS. DIANA STANLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 11, 2009

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. 
Diana Stanley and to recognize her contributions in fighting 
homelessness in South Florida. Ms. Stanley is the Executive Director of 
The Lord's Place, one of the leading homeless providers in West Palm 
Beach, Florida. The Lord's Place provides homeless families and 
individuals with a new beginning.
  Beginning as a modest soup kitchen in 1979, The Lord's Place has 
become a place of transformation for many homeless men, women, and 
children in Palm Beach County over the last 30 years. In 1983, The 
Lord's Place expanded its services by opening its first shelter and has 
since opened two more shelters along with two retail stores and a 
retail job-training program. In 1997, The Lord's Place began a 
partnership with Cafe Joshua, another homeless restoration agency, to 
provide additional and improved services in the community. In April 
2000, this collaboration led to the merger of the two organizations. 
The Lord's Place is dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness by 
providing innovative, compassionate, and effective services to those in 
need in the community.
  Ms. Diana Stanley joined The Lord's Place as Executive Director in 
April 2007. Under her leadership, The Lord's Place created two 
campuses: a family campus in West Palm Beach, bringing together the 
Family Emergency Housing Program with the Family Permanent Program; and 
a men's campus in Boynton Beach, joining the day program, Operation 
JumpStart, with the permanent men's housing program, Joshua House.
  Furthermore, Ms. Stanley enhanced the agency's internal continuum of 
care with two new programs. The Engagement Center provides the area 
homeless and near-homeless with a much needed point-of-entry to 
services in the community. In the first year of operation, more than 
14,000 men, women, and children entered through the Engagement Center 
doors for a hot meal, peer mentoring, access to the resource center, 
and case management services in a home-like atmosphere. Additionally, 
the Recovery Center is an innovative new emergency housing program for 
single men located on the Boynton Beach property opposite Joshua House. 
Its innovative programming provides housing and personalized support 
services designed to address the issues that led to the resident's 
homelessness.
  In 2008, Ms. Stanley was the driving force in creating The Lord's 
Place's Micro-Enterprise Program, comprised of Cafe Joshua Catering, 
Maintenance and Beyond, and The Lord's Place's new thrift shop and 
coffee bar, ``One More Time.'' In 2009, the Cafe Joshua Job Training 
and Placement Program was born, enhancing Cafe Joshua programming. The 
program employs an education model that teaches the hard and soft 
skills necessary for successful employment. It meets the participant 
where they are in their process of finding a job and teaches them 
employable skills in a supportive environment.
  Madam Speaker, I truly appreciate all the hard work that Ms. Diana 
Stanley does each and every single day on behalf of the less fortunate 
in the West Palm Beach community. Ms. Stanley has been an integral part 
in writing Palm Beach County's 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. With 
her assistance, the plan was recently approved by the Palm Beach County 
Board of Commissioners. I greatly admire her commitment and dedication 
to helping the homeless get back on their feet as our nation strives to 
end homelessness.

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