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, Coral Sunset Elementary School, Florida Atlantic University’s Community Service Club, Grandview Preparatory School, J. C. Mitchell Elementary School, Katz Hillel Day School, Morikami Park Elementary School, Plastridge Insurance, Saint Andrew’s School, Saint Jude Catholic School, St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, Sandpiper Shores Elementary School, Spanish River High School, Sunrise Park Elementary School, Verde K-8 School, Village Academy, 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 have 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.
