Delaware

Legislators, officials tour Springboard Village

Published

11 months ago

February 17, 2024

Legislators, officials tour Springboard Village

The Delaware League of Local Governments hosted a tour of the Springboard Collaborative Pallet Village for legislators and town officials Feb. 9.

The resounding message of partners in the collaborative was the need for operational funds for day-to-day expenses for the homeless shelter with 40 cabins in Georgetown.

Judson Malone of Georgetown, Springboard co-founder and executive director, said the village continues to receive some additional funding and donations, but a more sustainable funding source is needed.

“In the long term, we are asking the state to work with us and fund operations going forward,” he said.

Malone led the tour and talked about how the village came to fruition and what is planned for the future.

Start-up funding

Springboard used $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from the Town of Georgetown to purchase the cabins. Malone said they were pre-approved for $998,000 in state ARPA Community Reinvestment Funds.

“But we had to get final approval from the U.S. Treasury, and the funds were just recently released,” he said.

Those funds will be used to build a new village community center.

A grant of $800,000 from the Longwood Foundation funded initial operating costs.

The collaborative also received $365,000 for construction costs from Preston Schell, Discover, Del-One Federal Credit Union and the Crystal Trust.

Volunteers painted each of the cabins, and several companies have provided in-kind work.

About the village

The village now has a temporary food preparation building as plans for a community center begin to take shape. The center will include a commercial kitchen, multipurpose room, classrooms, a computer lab and offices. Springboard is in the process of soliciting bids for the project.

Each self-contained shelter has its own microwave and mini-refrigerator. The day’s main meal is provided by volunteers and staff. A free store is open daily to residents.

Malone said wellness checks are conducted at least once each day, and there are at least two staff members on site at all times.

“This is a gated community. We do allow visitors, but they can’t go in the cabins,” he said.

A lot has happened over the past few months at the village. Several new prefabricated buildings have been added to provide office space for case workers and staff, a pantry, a classroom and storage.

The village has been open just over a year and has been filled to capacity every day. Malone said mostly single people live in the 40 cottages, which are on land owned by First State Community Action Agency.

Springboard pays $1,200 per month to lease the property from First State.

The cost per individual per day is about $73, which includes a private cabin, around-the-clock supervision, comprehensive care coordination and meals. Residents have access to financial training, gardening, health services and referrals.

Each cabin has electricity with heating and air conditioning. The village has bathrooms and showers for residents.

Officials on the tour

Government officials attending the tour were Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes; Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown; Rep. Jeff Hilovsky, R-Millsboro; Rep. Sophie Phillips, D-Bear; Rep. Valerie Jones Giltner, R-Georgetown; Georgetown Mayor Bill West; Milford Mayor Archie Campbell; Georgetown Police Chief Ralph Holm; and Georgetown Town Manager Gene Dvornick.

Delaware League of Local Governments Executive Director Kevin Spence coordinated the tour.

Goal is a hand up

Jeff Ronald, co-founder and board member, said it’s not only a moral duty to help those in need, but also makes good business sense.

“It’s smart to empower people who can now live in a dignified dwelling and receive wrap-around services. Our goal is to provide a hand up to help people lead successful lives,” he said.

And, he said, the program is working. He talked about people who were living in the woods who are now working to become professional chefs and trade workers.

Randall “R.L.” Hughes of Millsboro, who is Springboard Collaborative president, said for years he was looking and not seeing what was really happening in his community. Now, he said, he understands the reality of the homeless situation.

“If we do what we have always done, we should expect nothing new,” he said, referring to the village. “This is not a panacea, but we can fix one or two things and try to do better the next day.”

Hughes is a retired Delaware State Police trooper, former Georgetown chief of police, and worked at the Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security. He is currently Beebe Healthcare emergency management coordinator.

Dvornick played a key role in making the dream a reality.

“This is one solution to a very complicated problem. There is not reason we couldn’t have villages in other towns,” he said.

Holm said the homeless problem is not new; it’s something he has watched increase over the past 25 years. He said the village allows people to think about living and not just surviving day to day.

“I wish there were more of these villages because, at the end of the day, the homeless problem is not going away,” he said.

He said there are still people living in the woods around Georgetown.

West, who has been a strong supporter of the village and is now a board member, said, “We have to do what is right for people, and here we have a great success,” he said.

West, who visits the village frequently, said he was speaking with one resident recently who has saved enough money to look for his own place.

“There is no security in the woods. Their lives are unstable. They are happy to be here,” he added.

Residents are getting support

Of the 58 people who have left the village: 15 are permanently housed; 34 have been referred to medical providers; 33 to mental health treatment; 32 to substance abuse programs; 14 are employed and nine receive benefits; and another 25 have received financial training.

The majority of residents are male, aged 25 to 59, with 14 residents over 60 years of age.

So far, case workers have helped residents receive 15 birth certificates, 41 identification cards and seven Social Security cards.

Springboard Collaborative, based in Wilmington, is a nonprofit building dignified dwellings and communities that foster well-being for Delawareans in greatest need – those experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and economic hardship – concurrently connecting compromised populations with community resources to build a better life.

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Delaware

Supreme Court won’t review Delaware gun control laws, but legal battles continue

Published

7 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Supreme Court won’t review Delaware gun control laws, but legal battles continue

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

When Delaware lawmakers banned the sale of assault-style weapons and limited gun magazine sizes to 17 rounds in 2022, firearms rights advocates insisted the new laws were unconstitutional and would not withstand legal challenges.

Sure enough, they promptly sued in U.S. District Court in Wilmington. While the case began winding through the system, they attempted to get a preliminary injunction to prevent the laws from taking effect. But a federal judge rejected that bid, and so did the 3rd U.S. Circuit of Appeals.

Undeterred, a group of gun owners and Second Amendment advocates, including the Firearms Policy Coalition, petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review the lower court decisions.

But this week, the nation’s highest court declined.

The justices also declined to review federal court decisions upholding Maryland’s handgun licensing requirements, which were a model for Delaware’s permit-to-purchase law that passed last year. The Delaware law is also facing a lawsuit by gun advocacy groups, including the Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association.

So with all three Delaware laws still intact — even though the lawsuits remain active — the state’s gun control advocates are ecstatic.

“We’re doing great work in this movement, and the Supreme Court is saying, ‘yeah, you’re doing great work, and it’s constitutional,’’’ said Traci Murphy, director of the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence.

Attorney General Kathy Jennings seconded that notion.

“The gun safety laws that have been passed have been overwhelmingly popular in our state,’’ Jennings told WHYY News. “And so this is yet another failure by the gun lobby to take away those safety measures.”

Attorney General Kathy Jennings says Delaware’s new gun control laws are saving lives. (Cris Barrish/WHYY)

The Supreme Court petition regarding the two Delaware laws asked the justices to consider “whether the infringement of Second Amendment rights constitutes per se irreparable injury.”

Murphy said the only harm is to those who want to sell the expensive assault-style weapons.

“The only reason people are advocating for access to assault weapons is to line the pockets of the gun industry,’’ Murphy said. “They make more money when they sell bigger weapons. The only irreparable harm that’s happening, if you even consider it to be irreparable, is to people who are losing out on the money they would have made by selling weapons that are designed to kill people.”

Though the high court declined to weigh in, David Thompson, the lead attorney for the firearms rights advocates, told WHYY News that the fight on that principle isn’t over.

“We continue to believe that a deprivation of rights secured by the United States Constitution constitutes irreparable injury, and we look forward to vindicating that principle in future litigation,’’ Thompson said.

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Delaware

‘Delaware is home’: President Joe Biden pens letter to First State as he leaves office

Published

15 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

‘Delaware is home’: President Joe Biden pens letter to First State as he leaves office

Joe Biden
| 46th President of the United States

I once saw a greeting card that read: “Home is where you start”. That’s a pretty simple statement, and also, a pretty profound thought.

Home is the place where the tracks of your character and the DNA of your value system are laid down – it’s the place that surrounds you and protects you.

It’s an incubator: through its windows you get a glimpse of the world before you have to step out into it – you can see The Possibilities – and when you are ready – when it is time, you walk out its door into that world – to become all you can be – all you are capable of.

Delaware is home.

And now for the final time, Jill and I, nurtured and chiseled by the State, have come home to stay – with gratitude and love for the opportunities you have given us to listen, to learn, and to lead.

You celebrated with me in 1972 when I was elected to the US Senate at 29 years old – you mourned with me 6 weeks later at the death of my wife and baby daughter. Your grief washed over me and helped heal my soul – and 5 years later, your joy at my marriage to Jill sealed my heart.

You marched with me in parades from Hockessin to Laurel, you ate with me at the Italian and Greek festivals, manned the booth with me at the Harrington Fair – stood beside me when I was bent but not broken, stood behind me when I need that extra push of courage, stood in front of me when I needed to listen and follow your wisdom.

You, my fellow Delawareans, have been the wind beneath my wings. We are a nation of promise and possibilities, of dreamers and doers, of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things. That’s what you showed me.

So Delaware, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you. It has been the privilege of my life to represent you, as a County Councilman, US Senator, Vice President of the United States and President of the United States.

Because of you, Delaware will forever be written on my heart.

I’ll see you back home.

Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States and a lifelong Delawarean. He will be returning to the First State when he exits office on Jan. 20.

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Delaware

Delaware Lottery Mega Millions, Play 3 Day winning numbers for Jan. 14, 2025

Published

23 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Delaware Lottery Mega Millions, Play 3 Day winning numbers for Jan. 14, 2025

The Delaware Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 14 drawing

04-14-35-49-62, Mega Ball: 06, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Play 3 numbers from Jan. 14 drawing

Day: 7-2-9

Night: 2-4-2

Check Play 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Play 4 numbers from Jan. 14 drawing

Day: 6-6-6-0

Night: 0-7-1-7

Check Play 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Multi-Win Lotto numbers from Jan. 14 drawing

05-11-16-20-23-24

Check Multi-Win Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 14 drawing

03-06-17-26-39, Lucky Ball: 04

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Play 5 numbers from Jan. 14 drawing

Day: 0-7-2-7-6

Night: 8-7-4-7-9

Check Play 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Sign the Ticket: Establish legal ownership by signing the back of your ticket with an ink pen.
Prizes up to $599: Claim at any Delaware Lottery Retailer, in person at the Delaware Lottery Office, or mail your signed ticket and claim form; print your name/address on the ticket’s back and keep a copy/photo for records. By mail, send original tickets and documentation to: Delaware Lottery, 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover, DE 19904.
Prizes up to $2,500: Claim in person at Delaware Lottery Retailer Claim Centers throughout Kent, Sussex and New Castle Counties.
Prizes of $5,001 or more: Claim in person at the Delaware Lottery Office (business days 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with a photo ID and Social Security card.
For all prize claims, directions to the Delaware Lottery Office are available online or via mapquest.com for a map.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Delaware Lottery.

Can I claim a jackpot prize anonymously in Delaware?

Fortunately for First State residents, the Delaware Lottery allows winners remain anonymous. Unlike many other states that require a prize be over a certain jackpot, Delawareans can remain anonymous no matter how much, or how little, they win.

How long do I have to claim my prize in Delaware?

Tickets are valid for up to one year past the drawing date for drawing game prizes or within one year of the announced end of sales for Instant Games, according to delottery.com.

When are the Delaware Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
Play 3, 4: Daily at 1:58 p.m. and 7:57 p.m., except Sunday afternoon.
Multi-Win Lotto: 7:57 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Lucky for Life: Daily at 10:38 p.m.
Lotto America: 11:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Delaware Online digital operations manager. You can send feedback using this form.

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