PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The Palm Beach County School Board Police Department's pantry program team received the Shannon Cake Community Engagement Award at this year's LEO Awards.
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The program has distributed 100,000 pounds of food to students and families facing food insecurity in Palm Beach County. In addition to food, the program provides clothing and essential items to students in need, including those experiencing homelessness.
During the holiday season, the team goes further through an Adopt a Family program, personally delivering complete turkey dinners to families in their homes.
"Palm Beach County's public school system serves 160,000 students, 6,000 of whom are documented as homeless," School District of Palm Beach County Police Chief Sarah Mooney said after she, and her team, received the award.
The program began at Christa McAuliffe Middle School, where an officer recognized that students were coming to school hungry and, in some cases, wearing the same clothes day after day. Working alongside a school counselor, the officer developed a pantry at the school. The program has since expanded to five schools.
At each school, students and families identified as being in need are referred through counselors and are able to access the pantries discreetly, without other students knowing.
"You can't come to school and learn if you're hungry," School District of Palm Beach County Police Chief Sarah Mooney said.
The team has donated countless hours stocking the pantries, soliciting donations from the community, and working with community partners to keep the pantries full of food and clothing.
"This what it really means to be in the school system and being able to take care of our kids," Mooney said. "This is exactly what Shannon Cake would have wanted, as far as the community engagement award goes."
