The Lord’s Place Announces Restoration Bridge International as an Ending Hunger Food Sponsor

Two Palm Beach County nonprofits are making a healthy difference in combating hunger

Boca Raton, FL – A recently formed partnership between The Lord’s Place and Restoration Bridge International (RBI)–two Palm Beach County-based non-profits–is making a healthy difference in combating hunger for those experiencing homelessness. RBI–committed to providing reliable access to nutritious food to restore dignity and bridge the gap between scarcity and sustenance–established a weekly distribution of commodities with The Lord’s Place that began in mid-February. RBI now serves as The Lord’s Place’s Ending Hunger Food Sponsor. 

Jason Mandle, Nicolas Guevara, and Stacey Dowdle in front of RBI’s weekly food commodity donations to The Lord’s Place on March 26, 2025. (photo courtesy of Restoration Bridge International)

“As more people who are without homes and hungry walk through our doors, we appreciate partners like RBI who help us embrace our philosophy of using food as an engagement tool. Whether we engage with our clients at our physical engagement center at 2808 N. Australian Avenue or directly where they are living on the streets, we know the first necessity is curbing their hunger. Once we address the essential need for food, we can begin the conversation of how to meet their other needs to ultimately end their homelessness,” stated Kerry Diaz, interim CEO of The Lord’s Place.

Based on The Lord’s Place’s growing meal planning needs to feed approximately 200 individuals, five days a week, RBI stepped in to help alleviate pressure on their annual food budget. The weekly distribution of donated food commodities include meats, poultry, fresh produce, fresh dairy, breads, and sweets. Since February 12, 2025, RBI has donated 4,785 pounds of food.

“RBI is pleased to work alongside The Lord’s Place in our community demonstrating leadership in the field as we combat hunger and homelessness conjointly in Palm Beach County. We at RBI believe feeding your clients should not be a line item in your budget, and we are happy to take that off your hands,” said Jason Mandle, executive director of RBI.

The food donated each week serves as a large portion of the menu that The Lord’s Place offers at its Café Joshua–a restaurant-type program where those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness receive a hot meal, kindness from staff and volunteers, and start the conversation about a brighter future. Café Joshua serves breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday and, thanks to this new partnership, is able to focus on making wholesome meals with more nutritional value. 

According to Nicolas Guevara, director of culinary operations at The Lord’s Place, “RBI has provided protein for at least three meals every week since we started the partnership. We are using more fresh vegetables instead of ordering frozen from a vendor and that alone has a huge impact on the clients’ nutritional intake. With the help of RBI, we have dedicated more of the budget toward better quality products that we could not afford before, and we are able to fulfill the needs of every client that walks into the Café, as well as out in the community with the Meal Mobile.”

The Meal Mobile, operated by The Lord’s Place and fully funded by GL Homes, is a comprehensive service delivery bus for those experiencing homelessness. The Lord’s Place uses the transformative vehicle to deliver meals and drive its wrap-around services directly to the most vulnerable individuals living on the streets–connecting hundreds of more individuals to services and community resources. 

In addition to donating weekly commodities to The Lord’s Place, RBI also donated water and fruit for the Inaugural March to End Homelessness that took place at the end of February. 

“We continue to be inspired and motivated by our partnership with The Lord’s Place. Together we are stronger and make a larger impact on the issues of homelessness and hunger affecting the dire circumstances we face in Palm Beach County,” added Mandle.

For more information on The Lord’s Place programs and services that break the cycle of homelessness for men, women, and children in our community, visit thelordsplace.org. 

For more information on how Restoration Bridge International is addressing food insecurity and helping to alleviate the hunger crisis throughout Palm Beach County, visit restorationbridge.com. 

For 45 years, The Lord’s Place has been working to break the cycle of homelessness for men, women, and children in Palm Beach County, FL, through innovative, compassionate and effective services. The Fortin Family Campus in West Palm Beach provides training and support services including: the operation of Café Joshua; job training and placement services; clinical and care coordination; community engagement services; and a reentry program helping men and women transitioning from incarceration. The agency also owns or rents 15 supportive and graduate housing locations, as well as 47 scattered site apartments, to help house about 275 individuals every night. For more information, visit thelordsplace.org. 

Since its inception in 2005, RBI has rescued and redistributed more than 70,000,000 pounds of food impacting more than 7,000,000 lives. RBI “bridges” the gap for those who are homeless, destitute, food insecure, and those suffering from disabilities, addictions, and afflictions throughout Palm Beach County. They provide consistent and reliable access to nutritious food for individuals and families in need, while promoting community resilience and self-sufficiency. For more information, visit restorationbridge.com.