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Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County Ushered in Veterans Day Honoring, Remembering and Serving “Hometown” Veterans

During Its Fifth Annual VETERANS BUILD Presented by Vertical Bridge in Partnership with the City of Boynton Beach 

During this Year’s Initiative More Than120 Volunteers Transformed 10 Homes; WWII U.S. Army Veteran William Barton was Keynote Lunch Speaker 

Boca Raton, FL – To usher in Veterans Day commemorations in South Palm Beach County, businesses and area residents joined Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County (HFHSPBC) to honor and serve military veterans in appreciation for their service as teams of volunteers transformed 10 homes within a Boynton Beach neighborhood on Friday, November 5 through Habitat’s ongoing Neighborhood Revitalization program powered by Vertical Bridge Holdings.  Volunteers installed new mailboxes, spread mulch, planted landscaping and assisted with other repairs and clean up for homes owned by veterans, homes in which veterans are residing with their families and homes of families who have inherited their homes from WWII veterans. 

More than 120 corporate and civic team members from sponsoring companies participated in the HFHSPBC’s 2021 VETERANS BUILD presented by Vertical Bridge in Partnership with the City of Boynton Beach. The initiative was made possible by a generous gift from Vertical Bridge, grant funding from Materials Sponsor Home Depot Foundation & Team Depot and home sponsors that included Vertical Bridge, FPL, Home Depot, Moraca Builders, City of Boynton Beach, City of Boynton Beach Police Department and others. It was orchestrated in close collaboration of Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County and the City of Boynton Beach’s City Manager, City Commissioners, ​and its Departments of Economic Development & Strategy, Police Services, Community Standards, Parks & Recreation and Building.

“Vertical Bridge is proud to once again sponsor Habitat for Humanity’s Veterans Build this year,” said Alex Gellman, CEO and Co-Founder of Vertical Bridge. “This is our fifth year sponsoring the Habitat Veterans Build, and we continue to support this cause because it’s one our company believes in and our employees enjoy participating in. We appreciate the work Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County does for our veterans and community and the opportunity they provide us to give back. By bringing together the community to improve the homes of 10 veterans and seniors, we get to positively impact the lives of those who have laid their lives on the line for our nation.”

Morning program opened with welcome remarks made by HFHSPBC President & CEO Jennifer Thomason. The lunch program featured a presentation of the colors by the Boynton Beach High School MCJROTC, remarks by City of Boynton Beach, Vice Mayor Woodrow L. Hay, District II, recognition of all veterans present at the event with the challenge coin presentation by City of Boynton Beach Vice Mayor, Woodrow L. Hay and U.S. Army Veteran Sophia E. Eccleston who currently serves as an External Affairs (EA) manager for Florida Power and Light Company (FPL) in Palm Beach County. Featured keynote speaker was William Barton, a 99-year-old, WWII Army veteran who was stationed at Camp Edwards in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  He worked as a truck driver and in maintenance while serving. After the war, Mr. Barton went to night school and got his Associates Degree and then moved to Boynton Beach with his beloved wife Mary.  They were married for over 60 years.  The Barton’s raised three sons and one daughter in their home in the Cherry Hills Community.
                                                                           

Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County Ushered in Veterans Day/2/2/2/2 

The family was instrumental in preserving what is known today as the Barton Memorial Park Cemetery, originally an unofficial burial place for Boynton’s black community. Concerns were raised in the 1970s over the poor condition of the cemetery. It appears an attempt was made to clean it up in 1974 but by 1978 it was again in a poor condition. Some of the main campaigners to have the cemetery cleaned up was the Barton family, whose son, Alton, is buried there and after whom the site is named. Mr. Barton also served as Chairman over the Deacons at New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Boynton Beach.

As an affiliate of the global nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County brings people together to build homes, community and hope in the cities of Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton, Florida. The nonprofit builds because it believes that everyone everywhere should have a safe, decent and affordable place to call home, especially those hard-working, low income families who have yet been able to qualify for traditional mortgage financing. To give a “hand-up, never a hand-out”, the 501(c)(3) organization depends upon volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money, materials, services and property to fulfill its mission. To learn more about HFHSPBC, its home build sponsorships, corporate team builds, fundraising events, year-round volunteer opportunities and donations to our home improvement and thrift shop ReStores in Boca Raton and Delray Beach. visit www.HabitatSouthPalmBeach.org or contact Marta Knowles at mknowles@hfhboca.org or 561.819.6070 ext. 208.


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