WEST PALM BEACH — Dozens of cars lined up in the parking lot of College Prep School in West Palm Beach Saturday morning as community members waited to receive free food.
Volunteers packed bags of fresh chicken, salmon, pasta, bread, fruits and vegetables into the trunks of cars for the distribution, which was part of the Urban League of Palm Beach County's third annual summer food distribution, which took place simultaneously in three locations: West Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Belle Glade.
Urban League President and CEO Patrick Franklin estimates that each location will provide food to 400 to 500 families. This year's food distribution drive was moved from July to June, but organizers wanted to tie the event in closer to the end of the school year, Franklin said.
This summer's food fundraiser is similar to one the Urban League holds each fall to provide meals to families in need around Thanksgiving time.
“We've been doing Thanksgiving for 30 years,” Franklin said, “but it's not the only thing people eat. Our kids rely on breakfast and lunch at school every day. School ended three weeks ago, so we feel like we need something.”
More than $27,000 has been raised for the food drive, mostly through donations from individuals and businesses, Franklin said.
Three places at once
In addition to distributing food in West Palm Beach, volunteers also distributed food at Pompey Park in Delray Beach and Hand Park in Belle Glade.
“We can't just meet in one place,” Franklin said, noting they need multiple locations. “We cover the entire county, so this is our way of saying, 'How can we make a difference?' And not just in one place, but three at the same time in one day.”
Franklin said the goal is to provide people in need with staple foods that will last for several meals.
The food distribution in West Palm Beach lasted more than two hours, with volunteers arriving around 6 a.m. As music from a local radio station played in the background, volunteers carefully loaded the food into each vehicle. Volunteers were greeted with smiles and words of gratitude.
Javoris Ingram, a board member for the Urban League, said seeing the smiles on the faces of those receiving assistance made the early morning efforts worth it.
“It's very, very moving to see our community's smiles and words of gratitude and to know that we've met a need,” he said.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for the Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at jwhigham@pbpost.com and followed on Platform X, formerly known as Twitter.@Julius WhighamPlease subscribe now to support our work.
