More than 53,000* Palm Beach County children currently do not have enough food daily due in part to the slow recovery from the pandemic for struggling families. GL Homes will fully fund Boys & Girls Clubs of Delray Beach and Boca Raton’s Hunger Relief programs with a $16,000 donation to mark September as Hunger Action Month. The generous gift will provide more than 12,000 hot, nutritious meals and healthy snacks to the neediest children in the south county area.
“It’s unfortunate that any child in our community goes to bed hungry, and that’s why it’s important for GL Homes to support organizations that work tirelessly to fight childhood hunger like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. The healthy meals that GL Homes’ donation will supply will ensure that the Club children can concentrate on succeeding in school rather than focusing on being hungry,” said GL Homes Senior Director of Community Relations Sarah Alsofrom.
During the peak of the pandemic, Palm Beach County experienced a 35% increase in hunger insecurity. Since the start of the crisis, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County has led pandemic recovery efforts by supplying free food to 100% of Club members and their families throughout the county. This year the Clubs are expected to hand out more than 675,000 free meals and snacks to children.
“Hunger is often a hidden problem in Palm Beach County, and without the generous support of community partners like GL Homes, solutions would be hard to find for the families that we serve that live in poverty. We continue to see a dramatic need in all of our 17 Clubs across the county due to economic hardships created by the ongoing pandemic,” said President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County Jaene Miranda. “Our mission is to make sure that every child reaches their full potential, but to be successful we need to ensure that every child receives proper nutrition daily.”
Boys & Girls Clubs are strategically located across Palm Beach County to impact children and communities that need the most assistance. As a result, nearly 90% of Club members live in poverty and rely on the Clubs’ Hunger Relief programs.
“We find that many people do not realize the great need that still exists in pockets of our community, especially in such affluent areas as Delray Beach and Boca Raton. Without the continued support of our Hunger Relief initiatives, many of our Club members would not know where to get their next meal,” said Miranda.
“Hunger is a year-round issue for tens of thousands of children in Palm Beach County. Hunger Action Month draws attention to the issue, but GL Homes hopes that its support of childhood hunger programs will spur others to consider taking action year-round,” said Alsofrom.
If you would like to support Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County’s Hunger Relief programs, click the button below.
