Every month United Way of Palm Beach County (UWPBC)'s Hunger Relief Initiative provides you with important news about hunger relief in Palm Beach County. Information is current as of March 6, 2023. Check out what's new and learn about ongoing work below:

National Nutrition Month is an annual Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics campaign. This year, they are celebrating their 50^th anniversary! Everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits in March. This year's theme is "Fuel for the Future." Eating with sustainability in mind is a tasty way to nourish ourselves during every phase of life and protect the environment.

United Way of Palm Beach County is committed to fighting hunger in our community through educating local residents about nutrition and empowering them through access to helpful programs and resources. Please check out our website for information on the WIC Program, SNAP, and much more.

United Way of Palm Beach County has partnered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide free, confidential, and secure preparation and e-filing of tax returns to qualified taxpayers. To qualify, taxpayer’s income must have been $70,000 or less in 2022. You may be eligible for up to $6,935 in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC). The Taxes Filed Free service gives you two options to choose from to e-file your tax return. All options are supported by IRS-Certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteers.

Filed for You – Face-to-face tax preparation provided at several county sites. No appointment needed.

Filed Yourself – Visit www.MyFreeTaxes.com and file your own tax return. It’s simple, fast and secure. Support is available via toll-free helpline or web chat.

For more information on where to find a VITA tax site, or what to bring to your tax filing session click here.

• Palm Beach County Senior Centers: The Palm Beach County Community Services Department's Division of Senior and Veteran Services invites local seniors and veterans aged 60 and older to participate in complimentary breakfast and lunch options at various sites throughout the county. The program provides nutritious meals to eligible seniors at nutrition sites, senior centers, and other group settings. The congregate meal program allows older adults to socialize with other seniors at the meal sites. For a complete list of meal times and locations, click here.
• SNAP Online Shopping: Online shopping is a convenient, safe, secure way to shop for food, and quickly becoming a vital resource for nutrition security and food access. Major retailers nationwide continue to make online SNAP purchasing available for EBT card holders. For more information about the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot and to find a retailer in Florida offering this resource, click here.
• United Way of Palm Beach County (UWPBC) Food Finder Map: The best way to access emergency food is through your local food pantry. UWPBC's Food Finder Map is updated weekly and has been viewed over 221,000 times! Anyone looking for food or helping others find food is encouraged to look up locations on the map. You can also get help finding food locations by calling 2-1-1.

A robust food pantry system is the best way to ensure people can access emergency food. Pantries rely mainly on food from local food banks and other donations. Inflation and the end of many COVID-era food programs have decreased contributions and food available through the emergency food system. You can learn how to support your local food bank and pantry system through food donations here.

• Child Care Food Program (CCFP) Stipend: The Child Care Food Program (CCFP) provides nutritious meals and snacks to childcare institutions and family or group day care homes. The American Heart Association (AHA) is providing a stipend of $1,000 for childcare providers in low-income, low access areas to better equip them with organizational structures needed to apply for the CCFP. To receive the stipend, childcare providers must start the application process with Family Central and complete the Child Care Food Program Stipends Request Form. For more information, click here.

• Apply for Palm Beach County's Youth Services Camp Scholarship Program: The City of West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation Department invites residents to apply for Palm Beach County’s Summer Camp Scholarship Program. Applications will be accepted through April 14. The scholarships are offered to eligible families who have children ages 5-14 and special populations for children up to 17 years old. They include a full scholarship to day camp for the entire summer. For more information, please visit their website.
• Palm Beach County's Office of Community Revitalization (OCR) Neighborhood Engagement and Transformation (NEAT) Grants Program: Palm Beach County's Office of Community Revitalization (OCR) is accepting applications for its Neighborhood Engagement and Transformation (NEAT) grant program. NEAT provides grants of up to $10,000 to neighborhood-based groups and/or organizations for resident-driven neighborhood improvement projects proposed within designated Countywide Community Revitalization Team (CCRT) areas and the Glades region. For more information on how to apply, eligible categories for funding, deadlines, and more, please click here.
• Men Giving Back of South Palm Beach County: The 2023 Men Giving Back of South Palm Beach County grant application period is underway. Click here to see if you meet the eligibility requirements and go over other application criteria.
• CREATE ACTION: CREATE ACTION's mission is to amplify local organizations' through funding, storytelling, and collaboration with Sony. CREATE ACTION grants support organizations serving their local communities in areas such as STEAM/academic enrichment, workforce development, and nonprofit services for underserved and under-represented groups. The deadline to apply is March 31st. For more eligibility information and how to apply, please click here.
• Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Grants: A total of up to $10 million will be awarded in this initial round of funding to help Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) state and local agencies, including Indian Tribal Organizations and nonprofit entities and organizations, to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative outreach strategies to increase WIC awareness, participation, benefit redemption, and reduce disparities in program delivery. The application request deadline is March 23^rd by 11:59 p.m. EST. For questions, email here. For more information, click here.

• Let's Move PBC: The Let's Move Challenge is for all Palm Beach County residents to commit to their health by exercising for at least 30 minutes daily from March 1-31st. You can take a relaxing walk outside or even do some gardening. You don't need to exercise vigorously for the challenge, although that would be fun too! Any physical movement works for this challenge! Assemble a team with your co-workers, family, neighbors, or friends and log your daily physical activity minutes. More information can be found here. Click here to register for UWPBC's team! Anyone can join UWPBC's team, which is a sub-team under the City of West Palm Beach.
• Gleaning Project: Join United Way of Palm Beach County and CROS Ministries on Saturday, March 11 from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. to feed the hungry by picking fresh vegetables. All the collected produce will be distributed to our neighbors in need to give them access to fresh, nutritious food. Please wear closed-toe shoes, comfy clothes, and a hat/sunscreen. Specific location information will be provided the week of the volunteer project. Follow this link to register.
• Florida Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Conference: Calling all women in Florida agriculture! Finding ways to grow as a leader, network, and give back to your community can be challenging. The Florida Farm Bureau Federation Women's Leadership Conference provides opportunities to help you collaborate with fellow women in agriculture. This year's "Growing Forward" conference theme is being held at the Bluegreen Vacations Bayside Resort and Spa in Panama City Beach, FL. The event takes place March 16-18; registration is $100. To register, please click here.
• Baskets4Babies: Join the Perseverance Basketball coaching staff for a 2-hour skills clinic for boys and girls, kindergarten to ninth grade. This event occurs on Sunday, March 12, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Keiser University Flagship Campus. This is a free clinic to support Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies’ annual campaign, Baskets4Babies. To register, please click here.
• National Slam the Scam Day: March 9 is National Slam the Scam Day. The Social Security Administration provides the tools to recognize Social Security-related scams and stop scammers from stealing your money and personal information. Share scam information with your loved ones and Slam the Scam! For more information and how to report a scam, please click here.
• Inspiring Hope Radio Show: Arms of Hope Community is raising awareness of people's challenging circumstances and guiding them in navigating unpleasant scenarios. Topics include homelessness, food scarcity, housing code violations, religion, and mental health. The program highlights other nonprofit organizations seeking to make a difference in the community. Listeners can listen to the show via the Supa Jamz app, which is readily available for download in the Apple App or Google Play stores. Listeners can also tune in by turning the radio station to 107.3 FM. 
• The City of Greenacres Let's Talk Sessions: This community conversation program was established to promote emotional well-being while enhancing the quality of life. Let's talk strives to raise awareness and reduce mental health stigma by allowing for open dialogue among participants. All sessions are in person, and space is limited. To register to attend please call 561-642-2090. For more information, click here.
• Palm Beach County Virtual African American Oral History Project: The Children's Services Council will take this small traveling exhibit on the road. It highlights the lived experience of eight black elders in Palm Beach County and the youth who interviewed them. Participants can learn about what it was like to attend school in Palm Beach County decades ago and how those stories are passed down to a new student generation. The last exhibit will be held Saturday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach, FL. More details can be found here.

• SNAP Communications Toolkit: SNAP Feeds Our Community Campaign (SNAPFeeds.us) has put together a Communications Toolkit for individuals and agencies to uplift SNAP’s many positive impacts on individuals, families, and the community. Access the Toolkit here.

• Providers App: Propel, a mission-driven financial technology company, has launched Providers, an application that helps low-income families navigate government benefits and monitor skimming. If you've been a victim of benefits theft, report it immediately to your case worker and law enforcement. Currently, more than five million SNAP (food stamp) participants use Fresh EBT monthly to manage their benefits. The app is available on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. For more information, click here.
• "What is WIC?" Downloadable Videos: The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program caters to pregnant women, women after giving birth/postpartum, new and breastfeeding mothers, infants, and children under five who fulfill the income requirements. "What is WIC?" videos are available for download in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese to help inform residents of the WIC program and its benefits. We encourage our partners to share these videos widely among their networks, including clients, neighbors, and professional partners. The videos are ideal for showing in waiting rooms, attaching to digital newsletters, or sending directly to interested residents. Please click here to access the videos. To schedule an appointment, contact the Florida WIC Department at 1-800-342-3556. Please click here to look at a list of things to bring for your appointment.
• Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Commends USDA for Efforts to Modernize Online Shopping for WIC: The USDA has proposed changes to online ordering related to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Under the proposed rule, the USDA would work to remove barriers to WIC by no longer requiring participants complete WIC transactions in front of a cashier, granting authority to state agencies to authorize new categories of online vendors, and encouraging states to investigate and plan for cutting-edge future technologies beyond the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, such as mobile payments. For more information, click here.
• Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Applauds USDA for Improved Nutrition Standards: FRAC commends the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for utilizing the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to develop proposed new improved nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. These proposed evidence-based standards will make for a healthier school day, introducing added sugar limits, whole grains, and lowering sodium levels. For more information, please click here.
• Non-Citizens Reinforced Nutrition Service Programs: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently launched a new webpage for non-citizens and their families that reinforces that families should access the nutrition programs for which they are eligible. This is a helpful one-stop-shop that anti-hunger stakeholders and families can use for key program and eligibility information, as well as how participation in federal nutrition programs has no bearing in a public charge determination.
• Shop Simple with MyPlate: Shopping for healthy foods doesn't have to break the bank. This nifty tool allows you to find savings in your area and discover new ways to prepare budget-friendly foods. It works by entering your zip code to find rewards and stores that accept SNAP EBT near you. To find out more, please click here.
• Discover MyPlate – Nutrition Education for Kindergarten: The USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative provides fun resources that foster healthy food choices and physically active lifestyles during children's critical developmental and learning period: kindergarten. Now there are more recipes, food cards, emergent readers, Spanish-language components, and fun new resources showing where food comes from! SNAP-Ed educators can use the materials to assist teachers in introducing the five food groups and MyPlate to kindergarten children. All materials are free and can be found here.

• United Way of Palm Beach County (UWPBC) Data Entry Specialist: Responsible for maintaining the overall integrity and quality of the Andar donor management platform through input donor information for individual donors and organizations. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President Resource Development, this position will optimize the development process with data entry, database management, data integrity, analysis, data extraction, and report customization to support fundraising efforts and donor engagement. For more information, click here.
• United Way of Palm Beach County (UWPBC) Major Gifts Manager: Responsible for directly contributing to Major Gifts and philanthropic fund development for United Way of Palm Beach County through major gift solicitation and high donor matching grants. For more information, click here.
• CROS Ministries Box Truck Driver and Site Assistant, Mobile Pantry: Responsible for driving a box truck to Mobile Food Pantry sites, unloading program equipment and setting up the pantry site, assisting with pantry distribution, and reloading the truck and returning it to the warehouse. For more information, click here.
• Marine Education Initiative (MEI) Farm Manager: Responsible for complete operation, team development, crop health, overseeing interns and volunteers, and the entirety of the organization's sales channels. This role may be part-time or full-time and aims to meaningfully impact the evolution of the indoor agricultural industry. For more information, click here.

We could not do our work without you! The Hunger Relief Initiative uses the Collective Impact Model to implement the Palm Beach County Hunger Relief Plan and make sustainable, long-term changes to reduce hunger in Palm Beach County. We do this work through our Hunger Relief Advisory Council and the Council's work groups and subcommittees.

The staff regularly convenes the Hunger Relief Advisory Council, five Work Groups, and two Subcommittees. Please send us an email to learn more.

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)

UF IFAS Extension Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program: In Palm Beach County, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences EFNEP program aids limited-resource families in acquiring the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivations, and behaviors necessary to improve their diets and overall well-being.

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is the nation’s first nutrition education program. It remains at the forefront of nutrition education efforts to reduce nutrition insecurity of low-income families and youth today. The UF IFAS EFNEP program builds individuals' knowledge and skills to select and prepare more nutritious diets, manage a limited food budget, and increase physical activity.

Please visit their website for more information on the Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program in Palm Beach County.

The Hunger Relief Team is appreciative of everything you do for our community. Please feel free to reach out to us anytime by calling

561-375-6600 or emailing us.