- April 26, 2024
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The 6,000-square-foot center will provide a thrift shop and, eventually, a food pantry and counseling services.
BY WAYNE GRANT | STAFF WRITER
Prince of Peace Catholic Church, at 600 S. Nova Road, will kick off construction of its new Social Services Ministry Center with a mass 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26.
Social Services Director Gretel Abad said the service will be attended by Bishop John Noonan of the Diocese of Orlando, which recently closed out an Alive in Christ capital fundraiser which raised $150 million, part of which Prince of Peace plans to use for its new ministry.
After mass, the bishop will bless the future site of the center with invocations and holy water, Abad said. The public is invited.
Noonan, along with Catholics throughout the area, will then gather at 6:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, in Port Orange, to celebrate the fundraiser's success. The money was raised through donations and will be used by churches throughout the diocese.
Prince of Peace's planned 6,000-square-foot building will house the parish's Like New Shop thrift store, which will move from its long-time location at 739 S. Nova Road. Proceeds from the store will benefit the church's community outreach.
The Like New Shop is expected to open early 2014.
"The new building will allow us to expand our thrift shop operation," Abad said, "bring it onto the parish campus and provide even more resources to help the poor and needy in the area.""
In Phase Two, the timing of which depends on funding, the project will be expanded to include the church's food pantry and offices for social services intake, counseling and group meetings, as well as a chapel.
The Daytona Beach City Commission, in 2010, refused to approve a permit for the Basilica of St. Paul to construct a social services center on its Ridgewood Avenue property. At the time, residents were concerned about the number of similar agencies already in the area.
“That was unfortunate,” Abed said. "I believe the concerns were unfounded. The services they were going to provide were for families. We had no issues getting a permit in Ormond Beach."
