Boca Raton, FL – Boca Helping Hands (BHH) has received more than 7,600 pounds of cereal this year, from collection drives organized by Cereal4All, a nonprofit organization that was started by 14-year-old twin brothers Jett and Luke Justin, Boca Raton residents who attend Don Estridge Middle School. This donation means that Boca Helping Hands will be able to provide clients with about 72,000 bowls of cereal.
The annual drive launched on March 7 to celebrate National Cereal Day and concluded in May. A record number of 18 schools and organizations participated this year, including Calusa Elementary School, J. C. Mitchell Elementary School, Florida Atlantic University’s Community Service Club, Morikami Park Elementary School, St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, Plastridge Insurance, West Boca High School, and Whispering Pines Elementary School.
Breakfast food is one of the least donated items to food banks across the country. Unfortunately, that means not all families have daily access to breakfast in their homes. Like most kids, Jett and Luke consider cereal to be one of their favorite foods.
“We want to live in a world where every kid and family has daily access to breakfast food in their home,” Luke Justin said. “We want to be part of the fight against food insecurity.”
Having volunteered at Boca Helping Hands with their parents, Jett and Luke organized their first cereal drive for BHH in 2016 at Calusa Elementary School when they were just eight years old. The brothers have since expanded the program, now called Cereal4All, to more schools in the area, including Florida Atlantic University.
“Cereal is about breakfast, but it’s also about happiness,” Jett Justin said. “We couldn’t stop thinking about the families in our community who couldn’t fill their bowls, and we wanted to do something about it.”
The entire Justin family continues to volunteer at BHH. “It was always important to my wife and me to instill the idea of thinking about others and helping the community,” said Eric Justin, the twins’ father. “The boys bonded with Boca Helping Hands and their mission because it speaks to their hearts. We realized that Boca Helping Hands is a hidden jewel in the community.”
In 2019, the twins received six additional pallets of cereal from General Mills after persistently writing to the company for three years. General Mills still supports Cereal4All and has sent the boys t-shirts to give to students who donate cereal boxes.
For additional information about ongoing food drives, visit BocaHelpingHands.org/FoodDrives.
About Boca Helping Hands
Boca Helping Hands (BHH) is a community-based nonprofit that provides food, medical and financial assistance to meet basic human needs as well as education, job training and guidance to create self-sufficiency. Through its various programs, BHH assists over 27,000 people annually.
In 2021, BHH distributed more than 70,000 pantry bags from five Palm Beach County locations and served nearly 80,000 hot meals. The organization expands access to affordable medical, dental and behavioral care through its partnerships with Genesis Community Health (serving clients at clinics in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach) and Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Community Based Clinics (serving residents in West Palm Beach). In addition, BHH sends weekend meals home with food-insecure elementary school students via the BHH Backpacks Program and assists working families with the rising cost of childcare through the Children’s Assistance Program (CAP).
With an increased focus on client self-sufficiency, BHH awards scholarships for qualified candidates to attend accredited vocational training classes that prepare them for careers in the healthcare, information technology, construction, and transportation industries. BHH also offers free English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes, courses in nutrition, and other life skills. In addition, staff and volunteer mentors counsel the unemployed and underemployed in basic workplace skills and help them polish resumes and search for jobs.
Boca Helping Hands is a partner agency of The Town of Palm Beach United Way. Since 1945, the Town of Palm Beach United Way has been committed to improving lives and building strong communities throughout Palm Beach County by focusing on programs and priorities that promote education, health, and financial stability.
Charity Navigator named Boca Helping Hands a Four-Star Charity for the 15th consecutive year in June 2021. Boca Helping Hands is located at 1500 NW 1st Court, Boca Raton, FL 33432. For more information, please visit BocaHelpingHands.org.
