Throughout this fall season, there are many ways to give back to the community, whether it’s through volunteering, donating or creating something for those in need. 

In Palm Beach County, PBC, around 173,000 residents, 53,000 of those being children, don’t know where their next meal is coming from. There are many ways to help families not go hungry this Thanksgiving.

Project Thanksgiving is run through the PBC Food Bank and it’s a charitable initiative that is focused on providing Thanksgiving meals to as many families as possible.

Help by donating money to the fundraiser or by donating food and dropping it off at the nearest food bank. A donation of just $15 can provide dinner to a family of 4-6 people.

Another way you can help is by volunteering at one of the many food banks in PBC. Some include ElSol, CROS Ministers and Feed The Hungry Pantry.

The Palm Beach Turkey Trot is an annual 5K that helps provide 6,200 Thanksgiving meals to residents in PBC. They partner with 26 different agencies in PBC, and the proceeds from the race buy Thanksgiving meals and help out families in need. 

“I had a lot of fun running in the race and it was very motivating to cross the finish line, especially since it was for a good cause,” Delaney Ulmer, freshman said.

Volunteer work can also be a great way to give back as it provides many opportunities to enrich the community. 

“Some local places people can volunteer to help are The River Center, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, or animal shelters like Big Dog Ranch and Busch Wildlife,” Saylor Hawken, sophomore said.

Loggerhead has many different volunteer opportunities such as working at the front desk/gift shop and beach cleanups. The process of signing up for volunteering is quick and simple.

“I went online to their website and sent a letter of recommendation from a teacher at JHS and then got accepted to volunteer over the summer,” Hawken said.

Some other places for volunteer work are Busch Wildlife and Riverbend Park. Both are located out in Jupiter Farms and provide a perfect opportunity for anyone who enjoys being outside and with animals. 

“I’ve volunteered at Riverbend, helping to pick up trash left by others, and it was a great way to get outdoors while also helping our environment,” Dana Buddemeier, freshman said. 

Additionally, you can help by getting involved in one of the many clubs at JHS. Joining a club is a great way to get community service hours, meet new people and give back to the community. Letters for Rose (LFR), Oceans First and HOSA are a few popular clubs that are dedicated to helping our community.

“In LFR we make cards for people in nursing homes,” Lily Starke, freshman said.

She explains how they are making cards specifically for Thanksgiving at their next meeting. 

“Students should join LFR because it helps spread joy to the elderly who might not get a lot of company,” Starke said. 

Links To Get Involved:

Volunteer at:

PBC Food Bank: https://www.pbcfoodbank.org/volunteer

El Sol: https://friendsofelsol.org/volunteer/

CROS Ministers: https://www.crosministries.org/volunteer

Loggerhead Marinelife Center: https://marinelife.org/volunteer/

Donate to:

Project Thanksgiving: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/Pgx_kg?vid=196r9u

Activities To Help:

Turkey Trot: https://www.palmbeachunitedway.org/turkey-trot