Springboard Pallet Village celebrates its opening

The Springboard Pallet Village in Georgetown hosted a donor recognition and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 4, attended by a large group of elected officials, board members, staff, partners, and donors.

The entire Delaware federal delegation was present, including U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons.

The delegation also announced that the long-awaited American Rescue Plan Act grant of $2.4 million for Springboard Collaborative is finally available.

Jeff Ronald, Springboard co-founder, said the village has already changed lives in just six months of a two-year demonstration project. He said people are getting better healthcare, mental healthcare, and help to quell addiction and find jobs.

Ronald also announced the Vision 2029 campaign to end chronic homelessness in Delaware in six years. “It's a bold, audacious plan, but it is solvable if we all collaborate together,” he said.

Judson Malone, the other co-founder who lives in Georgetown, was the driving force behind the village's construction. He said the project would not have been possible without assistance from Georgetown town officials and First State Community Action Agency, on whose property the village is located.