At Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, our mission to fight food insecurity doesn’t stop at the end of September. While Hunger Action Month serves as a critical reminder of the importance of food access, we work every day to ensure that no child in our Clubs goes hungry.
Research has shown a strong connection between food insecurity and various negative outcomes for children. According to Feeding America, 1 in 6 children in the U.S. faces not having enough to eat. In Palm Beach County alone, 50,890 youth are considered food insecure, lacking reliable access to the nutrition they need to lead healthy, active lives.
To combat this challenge, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County provides healthy meals and snacks to all of our Club members each day they attend. We serve nearly 700,000 meals annually across our Clubs, and this effort is critical to the well-being of the youth we serve. In fact, 83% of parents reported that our snack and hot dinner program is an essential part of their child’s daily nutrition.
Our commitment doesn’t end when the school week does. With the help of generous community partners, we provide additional resources to ensure our Club members and their families have access to nutritious food on weekends and non-school days.
At our Jupiter Elementary School location, Blessings in a Backpack provided 2,560 weekend meals to 160 Club members over 16 weeks. Meanwhile, Feeding Dreams, in partnership with United Way of Palm Beach County, delivered Family Weekend Backpack Meals to an average of 384 Club members in the Glades area. Since 2016, Glades Club members have gone home every Friday with food for the weekend, totaling 14,976 backpacks to date. Throughout the summer months, Boca Helping Hands extended their support by donating food to ensure all Club members had access to nutritious meals during camp.
We know we can’t tackle childhood hunger alone. That’s why we continue to expand our partnerships and invite the community to join us in this vital mission. Whether through donations, sponsorships, or volunteering, there are many ways to make a meaningful impact.
What to help fight hunger in our Clubs? Click the button below to learn more about how you can make a difference.
