Here’s how South Florida helped families in need during the holidays

Looking to spread holiday cheer in a year consumed by COVID-19, nonprofits and businesses extended a helping hand to families, hoping to ensure children across South Florida had a gift to unwrap this holiday season.

From toy drives to monetary donations, charities and organizations rallied this year in an effort to not allow the pandemic to disrupt the spirit of the season.

South Florida

Craig Zinn Automotive Group

The Craig Zinn Automotive Group sponsored charitable programs and hosted toy and gift drives at Lexus of Pembroke Pines, Toyota of Hollywood, Subaru of Pembroke Pines, Lexus of North Miami, 441 Auto Rental and Acura of Pembroke Pines. In addition, Lexus of Miami sponsored the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Spread Joy Toy Drive and partnered with Neighbors 4 Neighbors to support the Adopt A Family 4 the Holidays Operation Elf Program. Subaru of Pembrokes Pines’s annual Share the Love event was also underway with the dealership agreeing to donate $250 for each vehicle sold or leased to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. Sponsoring Light-Up the Harbor for Children’s Harbor, Lexus of Pembroke Pines turned the space into a winter wonderland, providing lights, Christmas trees and holiday decorations. Lexus of Pembroke Pines delivered small boxes of toys as well to Children’s Harbor and gifted each child a $150 gift card. Visit czgroup.com/.

AT&T Pioneers

Serving as Santa’s elves for children and teenagers in ChildNet, the AT&T Pioneers in South Florida recently purchased nearly $6,000 worth of presents, enough to fill an entire cargo van. Through ChildNet’s Adopt-An-Angel program, the AT&T Pioneers included gifts such as bikes, books, play tents, Legos, puzzles, games and more. Gifts were provided to children and teenagers served by ChildNet in Broward and Palm Beach. The AT&T Pioneers is a network of active and retired AR&T employees who donate their time and money to improving their communities. Visit attpioneers.org/.

Morningday Community Solutions

As part of its annual Giving Tuesday event, Morningday Community Solutions distributed $16,600 in products to over 300 charities during December. MCS’s Giving Tuesday initiative typically brings hundreds of representatives from charities to shop at its warehouses in Pompano Beach and West Palm Beach on the first Tuesday of December. With over 300 charities in Broward and Palm Beach counties collectively saving $1.5 million this year alone by going to MCS, the warehouses distribute hygiene products, clothing, mattresses, home goods and more to nonprofit organizations for 70% less than retail price. Visit morningdaycommunitysolutions.org.

Broward

Coconut Creek

Each year, Minto Communities USA celebrates its holiday party by asking its employees to bring a toy in for the company’s annual donation to Toys for Tots. With this year’s party being canceled due to COVID-19, employees were determined to keep the tradition alive, deciding to make monetary donations instead. Raising $13,605, the Minto Foundation, Inc. matched its employees’ donations, bringing the total to $27,210 for Toys for Tots. Run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Toys for Tots collects and distributes toys to children whose parents can’t afford to buy them gifts for the holidays. Visit mintousa.com.

Dania Beach

Through its week-long holiday spirit week Dec. 14-18, Special Needs Group collected nonperishable food items for Feeding South Florida, donating a total of 1,822 pounds of food. Equivalent to nearly 1,518 meals, the initiative was aimed at allowing Special Needs Group to connect with their fellow travel partners while also finding a way to give back to the community. Special Needs Group, which is a medical equipment and supply company, donated an item to Feeding South Florida for each participant in the spirit week. Visit specialneedsgroup.com.

Fort Lauderdale

Lending a hand to those in need, Deliver the Dream distributed 250 holiday toys to 50 families on Dec. 9 through its Toy Chest event. Created to alleviate the impact of COVID-19, the event received assistance from its community partners — IMC Health Medical Centers, Society Las Olas and Little Smiles — to accumulate the toys needed for the distribution. Deliver the Dream, which is a nonprofit that provides programs that strengthen families facing a serious illness or disability, has served over 8,800 family members. Visit deliverthedream.org/.

House of Hope, which is a charitable organization dedicated to the treatment and support of those with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders, recently had a toy and donation drive for its residents and their children during the holiday season. The toys donated in the drive allow moms and dads in recovery to send gifts to their children, despite not being able to visit them or their families due to COVID-19. Along with toys and gifts, the nonprofit also accepted personal items for its residents such as clothes, hygiene products, gift cards, books, puzzles, snacks and more. Visit houseofhope.org.

Treating families in need to holiday gifts, United Way of Broward County’s Commission on Behavioral Health and Drug Prevention recently had its Adopt-A-Family event at Lion’s Den Missions Base on Dec. 19. In total, 39 Broward families received donated gifts such as toys, bicycles, books, clothing, food and Christmas trees to help celebrate the holiday season. Donations were made by United Way of Broward County’s Project Lifeline, Hayes Farms and the Alison South Marketing Group. Visit drugfreebroward.org.

With help from the Miami Dolphins Food Relief Program and Florida Power & Light Co., United Way of Broward County’s Mission United distributed 1,250 Thanksgiving meals to Broward County veterans on Nov. 25. Open to all veterans, active-duty military members, National Guard members, reservists and their family members, meals were given out via drive-thru at United Way of Broward County’s Colker Center parking lot. Items distributed included turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and cornbread. Food was purchased from S&J Catering and Ivory as well as Padrino’s Cuban Cuisine. Visit missionunitedbroward.org.

Hollywood

Selected from nominations from the community and nonprofits, the Carey Family Foundation donated holiday gifts to six families on Dec. 18 and 21. Formerly referred to as the Vernon Carey Foundation, founders Vernon Carey Sr. and LaTavia Carey were on hand to deliver gifts to families from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation and South Florida residents. Visit careyfamilyfoundation.org.

Hosting several drive-thru events to collect toys for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, RelatedISG International Realty recently donated over 250 gifts to the hospital’s Winter Toy Drive. Asking agents to drop off a toy for the collection when coming into the office to pick up their kits for their virtual holiday party, the realty company beat its goal, accumulating three truckloads of toys. Visit jdch.com/patients-families/support/child-life/child-life-wish-list.

Miramar

Despite adjusting its festivities to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fifth annual Sunbeam Properties & Development Polar Express Toy Drive continued with another year of success. Over 40 tenants of the Miramar Park of Commerce dropped off bikes, skateboards, books, toys and more to ensure children and families throughout the community enjoyed their holidays. In the past, the Sunbeam Polar Express traveled from Miramar Park of Commerce in a procession of holiday-decorated vehicles complete with a full police escort to deliver donated toys to the Miramar police station. For this year, the tenants drove up and dropped off gifts throughout the day. Visit miramarflexspace.com/.

West Park

Putting a spark in the holidays for the Boys & Girls Club chapters throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, Florida Power & Light Co. donated over 500 energy-efficient gifts to the nonprofits, helping the members decorate their houses for the season. On Dec. 22, FPL delivered holiday LED lights to the members of the Carver Ranches Boys & Girls Club in Broward County. Visit fpl.com/.

Palm Beach

Boca Raton

The Boca West Country Club delivered 500 fresh holiday meals to the front line workers at Boca Raton Regional Hospital on Dec. 22. Continuing its support of the hospital, the country club’s award-winning culinary team included options such as herb grilled chicken, roasted salmon or a vegetable tower, all served with Mediterannean orzo with feta cheese and lemon oregano vinaigrette. Visit bocawestcc.org.

Continuing to provide food for those in need this holiday season, Lang Realty and Lang Management recently collected 7,413 pounds of nonperishable food for its 22nd annual Move for Hunger food drive. Gathering food items at each of its offices at Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens and Port St. Lucie, Lang Realty donated enough food to distribute 6,177 meals. The Move for Hunger Real Estate Program is an international network of real estate professionals who dedicate themselves to ending hunger in the communities they serve. Visit moveforhunger.org.

Danny More and Dawn Levine from More Sports Group — a management team that assesses and advises college and professional athletes to get the most out of their brand — delivered over 100 wrapped gifts to 10 hand-selected families in the Palm Beach County area. Purchased from a Christmas wish list, holiday gifts were given to each family through A Family Promise. The national nonprofit helps address family homelessness, providing individuals resources such as workforce development, emergency shelter and financial capability. Visit familypromise.org.

Boynton Beach

Chosen as it 2020-2021 Presidents’ Project, the members of the Boynton Women’s Club assembled and donated 150 bags of candy for distribution at the holiday celebration for clients of the Palm Beach Habilitation Center in Lake Worth. The center offers vocational training, employment and community job placement and other services to individuals with disabilities in the community. Visit boyntonwomansclub.com.

Palm Beach Gardens

TBC Corporation associates recently continued its support of Feeding South Florida, donating food products to the food bank in an effort to combat its food shortage. Donated items included peanut butter, cereal, rice, beans, pasta, canned products and household essentials. TBC associates also contributed monetary donations in which every dollar donated provided nine holiday meals. Back in April, TBC began its support of Feeding South Florida by donating a 24,000-square-foot facility in Pembroke Park in which the food bank could store overflow dry food. TBC Corporation is one of North America’s largest marketers of automotive replacement tires. Visit tbccorp.com.

West Palm Beach

In partnership with Spirit of Giving and Feeding South Florida, Connections Education Center of the Palm Beaches distributed holiday gifts to its students as well as a turkey and two-weeks worth of food for each family on Dec. 16. The Title 1 school had families receive their gifts via drive-thru on its campus from Santa and his elves. Visit connectedpb.com.

Over 16,500 toys and gifts were opened on Christmas morning by children in the community thanks to The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County’s Angel Tree Program. Looking to “rescue Christmas” for families affected by COVID-19, the Salvation Army’s program is a needs-based initiative intended to serve families with small children during the holidays. The toys that were provided to the families were not purchased by the Salvation Army but donated by different individuals. In addition, despite only 40 locations this year, the Salvation Army managed to collect $140,000 through its signature Red Kettle program. Funds donated through the Red Kettle campaign help sustain The Salvation Army’s yearly operations. Visit salvationarmyflorida.org/westpalmbeach/.