On Tuesday, September 29, The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office donated $80,000 to assist in the work of the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County. The donations were raised through personal donations from the PBSO staff including deputies, officers and employees.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and Deputy Jim Mackey spearheaded the fundraising effort for his team and presented the donation to Sophia Eccleston, the Homeless Coalition’s past president. Palm Beach County Mayor David Kerner also attended the donation presentation.
“Every day I go out to see who needs help and help them,” stated Mackey. “That’s why I became an officer. Policing is all about helping people.”
Deputy Adrian Maldonado added, “I talk to the homeless, see where they can go, how to help them.”
He noted that sometimes that involves using his personal resources to get people back on their feet or into housing. “This is what it means to serve,” he states.
Eccleston thanked Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and PBSO for the timely donation. “Coming as it does just before our 2020 Mayor’s Ball, one of our major fundraising events for the year, this timely, generous donation is a welcome one to kickstart the ball’s fundraising effort,” she said. “We could not be more thankful to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and their deputies for this act of service.”
This year, the Mayor’s Ball was held virtually on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.
The Homeless Coalition was formed in 1986 and incorporated in 1989. It is a not-for-profit corporation that serves as a catalyst for community collaboration to prevent and end homelessness in the community.