WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — As the holiday season approaches, many families and organizations are struggling to keep up with holiday traditions. That includes the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County has teamed up with GL Homes for a virtual holiday gift drive this year to make sure every child at its 13 clubs across the county receives a gift during the holiday season.
The drive needs to collect 9,400 gifts for children across Palm Beach County. But right now, the drive is down about 80% from where it should be at this point.
Boys and Girls Club member Rayne Taylor has fond memories of last year's holiday party and hopes to experience that again this year.
"It was fun. We got to make slime, gingerbread houses, and we had lots of candy and toys," Taylor said.
Taylor added it means a lot to the students to receive a gift during the holidays.
"It means a lot because some people can't get toys and stuff. So if they give it away for free, it means a lot to people, and because of the pandemic. It brings joy," Taylor said.
GL Homes has donated $10,000 to sponsor and kickstart this year's holiday gift drive.
"These kids may not have any other toy at Christmas or the holiday season. So by even purchasing one gift, one toy, you can make a difference in a child’s life," said Sarah Alsofrom, the director of community relations for GL Homes.
This is the first year GL Homes is sponsoring the drive.
"Families are really struggling this year because of the pandemic, and we knew we had to give and to give generously to help out people who are having problems paying rent, putting food on the table, keeping their lights on," Alsofrom said. "For parents, it's a real hardship to be able to buy even just one gift for their child, so were doing this so we can bring some joy on these children’s faces."
The drive runs until Dec. 15. If you'd like to donate, click here and shop directly on the Boys and Girls Clubs website. The item will be sent directly to club, and often with free shipping.
"This is something special. We want to be able to make sure the kids don't have to sacrifice the holidays, because they’ve already made so many sacrifices," said Eric Roby, the director of marketing and public relations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. "It may sound small, a Barbie or even some Legos, but for these kids, they look forward to this all year long and we just want to make sure we don’t disappoint."