United Way Announces Hunger Relief Grant to Increase Number of Children Receiving Weekend Meals
United Way Of Palm Beach County Announces $645,000 Hunger Relief Grant From The Jim Moran Foundation
Grant Increases Number of Children in Belle Glade Receiving Weekend Meals During School Year
Boca Raton, FL – Thanks to the generosity of The Jim Moran Foundation, United Way of Palm Beach County and its partners will provide more food insecure children and their families with healthy meals during the school year through the Family Weekend Backpack program.
There are more than 53,000 food insecure children in Palm Beach County who often go without eating nutritious food over the weekend. In 2016, United Way of Palm Beach County addressed this issue by collaborating with several providers of backpack programs and the School District of Palm Beach County to develop the “Super Power Pack” Weekend Backpack Program. This program aligns with the work of the county-wide Hunger Relief Plan, which is a partnership of dozens of community organizations and partners, facilitated by United Way of Palm Beach County, focused on alleviating hunger in our community.
The Jim Moran Foundation has supported the program since its inception. The Foundation’s grant provided more than 734 food insecure children with nutritious meals each weekend during the 2018-2019 school year to bridge the hunger gap when they are not in school. The meal offerings and snacks meet or exceed the USDA recommended calories, protein, and carbohydrates for youth 11 years old and under.
United Way of Palm Beach County was recently awarded an additional three-year grant from The Jim Moran Foundation totaling $645,000 to continue and increase the number of children in Belle Glade who receive healthy meals through the Family Weekend Backpack Program. This grant will expand the number of children receiving quality, nutritious meals for 39 weeks of the 2019-2022 school years by 16 percent.
Research indicates that if a child is food insecure, many times their families are also experiencing food insecurity. The recent funding from The Jim Moran Foundation will also increase the number of servings per weekend from 19 to 30 to help feed the children’s families. This expanded program will provide healthy, non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food for homeless and low-income students and their families in the Glades and western areas of Palm Beach County.
Dr. Laurie George, President & CEO of United Way of Palm Beach County shared: “The Jim Moran Foundation’s partnership has been crucial for improving our children’s access to nutritious meals and educational outcomes, specifically in the Glades area. The Hunger Relief Plan and its partners have contributed to the decrease in the number of food insecure children in Palm Beach County from more than 60,000 to 53,000, as reported by Feeding America’s 2019 Map the Meal Gap report.”
Additional funders of the Family Weekend Backpack Program include The Batchelor Foundation, Pan Florida Challenge, and other private donors. For more information on the Hunger Relief plan, please visit UnitedWayPBC.org/Hunger
About United Way of Palm Beach County: For 90 years, United Way of Palm Beach County has been the local leader dedicated to identifying and addressing critical community issues to improve the lives of our residents. We champion community change by strategically uniting key stakeholders and community leaders and investing in successful, sustainable nonprofits. United Way funds 100 local programs and initiatives that provide lasting solutions and measurable results – from increasing graduation rates and supporting literacy to ensuring financial independence, promoting healthy lifestyles and ending hunger. When you support United Way of Palm Beach County, you are strengthening your community. To learn more call 561.375.6600 or visit www.UnitedWayPBC.org.
About The Jim Moran Foundation: Founded by automotive pioneer Jim Moran, the mission of The Jim Moran Foundation is to improve the quality of life for the youth and families of Florida through the support of innovative programs and opportunities that meet the ever-changing needs of the community. The Foundation has invested more than $130 million in education, elder care, family strengthening, after school and youth transitional living initiatives since its inception in 2000 – with efforts currently focused in Broward, Palm Beach and Duval counties. Through a long-term grant agreement, The Foundation’s significant funders are JM Family Enterprises, Inc., and its subsidiaries, including Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC.
