End-of-season, anti-hunger food drive becomes spring ritual in Palm Beach
As the spring holidays approach and the northern half of the country rejoices at the return of crocuses and the opening day of baseball, our town's snowbirds are making the end-of-season to-do lists.
1. Book car carrier.
2. Forward mail.
3. Close hurricane shutters.
4. Clean out pantry and donate non-perishables.
For items 1-3, you’re on your own. But the Town of Palm Beach United Way can help with the last task.
That agency is once again partnering with the Palm Beach Daily News and Palm Beach Fire-Rescue for the annual Empty Your Pantry food drive. The brainchild of Helen Berberian, the drive is now in its 10th year. It begins today, April 2, and continues through Sunday, April 16.
Nonperishable food items collected during the drive will help food-insecure Palm Beach County residents.
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“Food affordability is still a major issue for many families in our community,” said board chairman Bill Tiefel. “The food drive helps bridge the gap and get people back on their feet. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for Palm Beach residents to empty their pantries before they leave for the summer.”
Each year the Town of Palm Beach United Way chooses two of its nonprofit partner agencies to benefit from the drive. The agencies rotate each year. This year, food collected during the drive will be donated to El Sol, also known as Jupiter's Neighborhood Resource Center, and the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County.
Every morning, El Sol provides a safe and organized space for day laborers to meet employers for a day of work. Workers waiting for labor are offered a continental breakfast, a nutritious hot meal, and a lunch to go. To support its clients, El Sol also offers adult literacy and vocational training, case management services, health information and referrals, and programs for youth. The agency served close to 1,400 unique individuals in 2022.
"Last year we served nearly 19,000 hot meals,” said Suzanne Whitbeck, El Sol's executive director. “For many clients, this hot meal is their main meal of the day. We can't do this work alone, and that’s why we are very grateful to the Town of Palm Beach United Way for selecting us to be a beneficiary of the spring food drive.”
The Homeless Coalition works to prevent and end homelessness through financial assistance, collaboration and advocacy. The agency’s Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers program provides meals to homeless individuals and families residing at the Senator Philip D. Lewis Homeless Resource Center in West Palm Beach. Individuals and families can stay up to 90 days at the center and receive three meals a day. The Homeless Coalition currently serves more than 1,000 clients.
“It’s essential for us to be able to provide meals to clients staying at the Lewis Center and Lewis Annex, and to clients moving into temporary and permanent housing provided through our partners Adopt-A-Family, Gulfstream Goodwill and The Lord’s Place,” said Pamela Payne, CEO of the Homeless Coalition. “As clients are making major life changes and learning to adjust to the expenses of sustaining their new arrangement, being able to not worry about where their next meal is coming from is a blessing.”
Non-perishable food items can be dropped off at the town’s central and south end fire stations, Field of Greens or the United Way office.
In addition to food donations, the Town of Palm Beach United Way will gladly accept monetary contributions. Residents can donate online at www.palmbeachunitedway.org/food-drive or by a check made payable to the Town of Palm Beach United Way with "Food Drive" noted on the memo iline.
Checks can be mailed to the United Way office at 44 Cocoanut Row, Suite M201, Palm Beach, FL 33480.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: United Way of Palm Beach 10th annual Empty Your Pantry food drive underway
