Serving a Side Of Hope Serving a Side Of Hope

By: Jaime Joshi Elder armsofhopecommunityinc.org/ | @armsofhopeco

Life happens around the dining table - whether it’s sharing a meal with loved ones, a heartfelt conversation, holding hands in a prayer of gratitude or just a chance to be together.

“In short, eating brings people together. Our organization functions similarly to a dining table in that it brings everyone together and allows for open dialogue,” said Patrick Livingston, founder of Arms of Hope - a Lake Worth Beach-based non-profit organization which includes a free, full-service restaurant (Above the Sea) and food pantry whose mission is to, “rebuild hope where it’s been damaged or lost.”

“Every serving day, employees as well as family, friends, and members of the community pitch in to help guide and serve hot meals and groceries,” Patrick said. “By feeding the hungry through the Above the Sea Restaurant, we find that people who are struggling, out of work, underemployed or recently reformed from drugs or jail are much more receptive to listening to Christian hope when their empty stomachs are filled.”

The genesis of Arms of Hope was when Patrick met a young man named Steve who was struggling with addiction. After surviving the trauma and pain of a serious car accident when he was young, Steve became addicted to painkillers.

“I saw him fight to keep his addiction going and doing whatever he could to make money to pay for his drug of choice,” Patrick said. “I watched how easily addiction can transform and influence one’s life.”

In the hopes of helping Steve become sober, his family introduced him to Patrick.

“Steve’s family was at odds with him, attempting to help him sober up and become the finest version of himself,” said Patrick. “As he began working with us, he began to shift his focus away from his addiction and toward our objectives.”

As he grew closer to Patrick and his family, Steve became more and more invested in the family business - a struggling restaurant - and saw parallels between his own struggle with addiction.

“I witnessed him fight his addiction and fight for my life,” Patrick said. “He devoted his entire life to saving the restaurant, and it became an extension of him. His parents were grateful for this interaction since they had spent a lot of time and money trying to keep him sober, and here comes this stranger who helped him stay sober for over a year for free.”

Steve’s parents showed their gratitude for Patrick by assisting the Livingston family with the initial funding for our first building for Arms of Hope Community Inc.

Now, Arms of Hope has expanded far beyond just feeding the hungry and includes community effort on a much broader scale such as small construction projects, shelter, community awareness and educational opportunities. Patrick’s hope is for Arms of Hope to expand beyond the borders of Lake Worth Beach.

“I would like to see Arms of Hope contribute to other communities as much as we do the Lake Worth region, if not more,” he said. “With all of the recent hardships we’ve had such as COVID-19, food scarcity, job loss and struggles with addiction, we use food and consumables to strengthen the community and lighten the strain. But the ultimate goal is to see our group develop and aid other adjacent towns with their challenges with food, jobs, mental health and the other necessities of life.”

Serving the mental health needs of the community is foundational to the heart of Arms of Hope’s mission.

“My counseling endeavor stemmed from my management abilities, ability to listen and witnessing others make sacrifices for the sake of others. Working with others allows you to learn about their lives,” Patrick said. “Each narrative is crucial because it is what distinguishes them and defines who they are. One of the most fundamental lessons in counseling is that you cannot discredit or measure someone else’s story because it is unmeasurable.”

Patrick cites his unwavering Christian faith as the driving force behind everything Arms of Hope does.

“Our objective and goal is to assist individuals in need,” Patrick said. “We are only at our best when we are working together or for the benefit of others.”

Beyond The Couch highlights non-traditional mental health outlets and resources in Palm Beach County. To contribute, send your article ideas to thewell@bewellpbc. org with “Beyond the Couch” in the subject line.