Campus & Community

For the second time, Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus served as a partner in an annual event designed to help Palm Beach County K-12 students in need prepare for the new school year.

The Back to School PBC! drive-up event was held July 24 at six locations across the county where students received backpacks, school supplies and books, as well as dental kits and other personal hygiene items. At the Belle Glade campus, nonperishable food also was distributed, and the Health Care District of Palm Beach County mobile clinic was on site to provide COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals 12 and older.

The event, which served 8,587 students countywide, including1,735 in the Glades, was planned and sponsored by the Palm Beach County Office of Community Revitalization. In addition to PBSC, key partners included the Spirit of Giving Network, the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the county’s Youth Services and Parks and Recreation departments, the United Way of Palm Beach County, Liberty Delta Dental, Florida Crystals, Florida Atlantic University, the Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center and Cabana Colony Pal.

Dozens of volunteers were on hand, including elected officials. PBSC became a partner in the initiative last year to provide an accessible location to serve those in the Glades and to prove that the power of Palm Beach State College exists in the efforts made to support the community.

“It was exciting and rewarding that Palm Beach State College could partner for the second year with the Office of Community Revitalization and various community agencies,’’ said Dr. LaTanya McNeal, executive dean of the Belle Glade campus. “Additionally, we were appreciative to partner with the Health Care District of Palm Beach County this year as their mobile van made available 200 vaccines. The Back to School event demonstrated the power of teamwork and the positive impact that it can have on the community even during the pandemic.”