In the News

Cereal4All, which runs an annual cereal drive organized by twin brothers Jett and Luke Justin, hopes to collect more than 4,000 pounds during its annual cereal drive this Spring and donate it to Boca Helping Hands (BHH). This donation means that Boca Helping Hands will be able to provide clients with approximately 40,000 bowls of cereal. The Justins, 16-year-old twin brothers and Boca Raton residents, are 10th graders at American Heritage School in Delray Beach. The Justins have expanded their organization nationally to partner with schools in Connecticut, Arizona, New York, Nevada, Washington, Virginia, New Jersey, Texas, and California for Cereal4All cereal drives that benefit local food banks in those areas. They’ve also established a new Student Ambassador Program that guides students from across the country to volunteer sessions at local food banks to get them more engaged in the fight against hunger and food insecurity. The Justin brothers have partnerships with other businesses. Target donated gift cards for participating schools to buy school supplies. Publix will provide cereal parties for K-5 schools’ top-donating classrooms; and there will be a drawing for prizes for students who participate in cereal drives. In addition, First Watch has partnered with Cereal4all by donating breakfast food for a recent “Oatmeal Airlift” that Jett and Luke piloted to different islands in the Bahamas. "We created Cereal4all to fight hunger around America's breakfast tables because millions of American families suffer from food insecurity, which means they can't always afford enough meals for everyone in their homes. Those families depend on food banks to help ease their hunger issues. Since breakfast food is one of the least donated items to food banks, pantry bags of meals distributed to families in need are often missing breakfast food,” said Luke Justin. Local schools participating in the cereal drive at this point include Village Academy Center in Delray and the following schools in Boca Raton: Calusa Elementary, Verde K-8, Blue Lake Elementary, Sunrise Park Elementary, Whispering Pines Elementary, Grandview Preparatory School, FAU Community Service Club, Del Prado Elementary, Addison Mizner School, St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, West Boca High School, Olympic Heights High School, and others. “My brother and I learned about the breakfast food shortage in 2016 while volunteering in the food bank at Boca Helping Hands, and it had a big effect on us because, like most young people, we love cereal. Cereal is about breakfast, but it’s also about happiness, so we were bothered by the reality that millions of families and kids might not have daily access to breakfast and that moment of happiness in their day,” said Jett Justin. Jett and Luke organized their first cereal drive for BHH in 2016 at their school, Calusa Elementary, when they were just eight years old. Despite their busy high school schedules and being active members in the Boca Raton Civil Air Patrol Squadron, the Justin brothers devote a significant amount of time to working on Cereal4all so they can expand their impact and help provide even more relief to families struggling with food insecurity. “Running a nonprofit is hard work, but Cereal4all is one of the most fulfilling things my brother and I do. There’s really no better feeling than making a positive difference in someone else’s life,” said Luke Justin. Jett and Luke were also recently recognized for their nonprofit work by U.S. Congressman Jared Moskowitz in the House of Representatives. To donate to the cereal drive, contact Suzan Javizian at suzan@bocahelpinghands.org or call 561-417-0913.

The following is an excerpt from an article in The Coastal Star.

The following is an excerpt from the original Sports Illustrated article about FAU basketball player Johnell Davis, who took part in a food drive with BHH in the past: "Off the floor, [Johnell Davis] has used his newfound stardom to impact the community, especially in Gary. He hosted basketball camps each of the last two summers and saw the event grow by more than 20 attendees last year after the Final Four run. Back in Boca Raton, he hosted a food drive in the spring, collecting more than 1,600 pounds of food for Boca Helping Hands ." To read the rest of the article, click the button below.

Boca Raton Rotarians honored one of their own at a car show to benefit Boca Helping Hands. The Sunday afternoon fundraiser was an unexpected hit. Would they do it again? You bet. “The event reminded me of how creativity finds a way to support our work,” Helping Hands’ executive director Gregory Hazle said a few days after the show with 58 cars on display at their compact campus. “This was such an unexpected success.” “Better than we could ever imagine,” senior operations director Bill Harper said, surveying the large turnout at the show. The Rotary Club of Boca Raton arranged the car show to honor their longest and oldest member, and twice-a-week Boca Helping Hands volunteer. Club president David Dweck presented Art Polacheck, 95, with a Rotary appreciation at the event. “Art has been a faithful volunteer for us for 10 years, Hazle said, adding, “his assignment now is packing desserts.” The financial goal for the day was $10,000 to benefit Boca Helping Hands, the nonprofit that serves nearly 35,000 people in need in Palm Beach County with food, job training, health care and financial assistance. Toward the end of the show, Dweck announced over the mic they were $3,000 short. That didn’t last long. Philanthropists and donors stepped forward to close the gap. “Everything was underwritten so it all goes back to Boca Helping Hands,” he said. 

Boca Helping Hands (BHH) will be the beneficiary of the Charity Car Show, hosted by the Rotary Club of Boca Raton, on Sunday, January 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event, sponsored by Hagerty Garage & Social, will be held at Boca Helping Hands, 1500 N.W. 1 st Court, Boca Raton. The car show will honor Art Polacheck, a devoted BHH volunteer since 2013 and member of the Rotary Club of Boca Raton. The top 20 cars will receive awards, and the event will feature music, food trucks, and a 50/50 raffle. The event is free for attendees and $40 (tax-deductible) for those entering a car. For more information, contact David Dweck at 954-354-1000. 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 nearly 35,000 people annually. 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. Boca Helping Hands holds accreditation for Sound Nonprofit Management from Nonprofits First, has a Gold Seal of Transparency from Candid/GuideStar, and was named a Four-Star Charity by Charity Navigator for 16th consecutive years. Boca Helping Hands is located at 1500 NW 1st Court, Boca Raton, FL 33432. For more information, please visit BocaHelpingHands.org .