(PRESS RELEASE)_YMCA of the Palm Beaches is committed to helping its community through three main initiatives – blood drives, child care services for critical workers, and senior support.  

With sharp declines in donations due to canceled blood drives at churches, schools, and other public gatherings, the YMCA of the Palm Beaches has opened its parking lot to host drives.  Its next scheduled blood drive is on Thursday, May 7 from 12 pm - 6 pm.  All donors will receive a free OneBlood t-shirt and a wellness check-up including blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse, and cholesterol screening.  Register in advance and Click Here to Save Lives at YMCA of the Palm Beaches!!.  Walk-ins are also welcome.  YMCA of the Palm Beaches and OneBlood are following social distancing and CDC guidelines.  The Big Red Bus will be stationed in the Y's parking lot located at 2085 S. Congress Avenue, West Palm Beach, 33406.  (photo attached) 

Child Care Services Open for Essential Workers 
Now that Florida is beginning to reopen parks and recreation, many government workers will need child care services.  YMCA of the Palm Beaches' open enrollment of its child care services continues to be open for all first responders, medical personnel, government employees, and other essential workers that are in need of this service.  The YMCA of the Palm Beaches is also a child care provider for those who have received scholarships from the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County (ELC).  

Senior Support 
From grocery pick-ups to wellness check-ins, YMCA is available to support all seniors in the community, regardless of membership, in any way they can.  Seniors in need can call the YMCA of the Palm Beaches' main number at 561-968-9622.  

The YMCA of the Palm Beaches is located at 2085 South Congress Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33406. Visit ymcapalmbeaches.org or @ymcapalmbeaches on Facebook and Instagram or call 561-968-9622. 

(PRESS RELEASE)_Palm Beach Gardens – While Mother’s Day is only once a year, we think the fabulous gals who gave us birth deserve a lot more than cards and kudos for all the attention and inspiration they freely give us the remaining 364 days of our lives.

On Sunday, May 10, celebrate your favorite superwoman with a gourmet feast from III Forks in Palm Beach Gardens. The celebrated steakhouse and executive chef Tommy Nevill will showcase a decadent Mother’s Day four-course prix fixe menu ($59 per person) to enjoy at home. Mother's Day menu:

Appetizer
Shrimp Cocktail

Salad
(choose one)
III Forks Salad
toasted pecans, blue cheese, Granny Smith apples, maple pecan vinaigrette

Classic Caesar Salad
crisp Romaine hearts, grated parmesan, housemade croutons

Entrée 
(choose one)
Chateaubriand
aged midwestern beef tenderloin, spice rubbed, slow roasted, sliced with Worcestershire demi-glace

Pan-Seared Alaskan Halibut
with toasted almonds in tangerine-pomegranate beurre blanc

Chicken Marengo
grilled chicken breast with rock shrimp, mushrooms, and tomatoes in lemon dill sauce

Dessert
(choose one)
Mandarin Orange Cake
satsuma mandarin orange segments and crushed pineapples, folded into moist vanilla cake, layered with vanilla whipped cream frosting

Chocolate Ganache Cake
layered with chocolate shavings

Mothers will also receive a complimentary long-stemmed rose with their holiday feast.

Mother’s Day curbside pickup hours from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pre-order by calling (561) 630-3660. Orders are packaged family-style unless requested otherwise. III Forks is located at 4645 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens. For more information, call (561) 630-3660 or visit 3forks.com.

(PRESS RELEASE)_(Palm Beach Gardens, FL –April 29, 2020) Ballet Palm Beach Academy, the official school of the county’s professional ballet company, Ballet Palm Beach, connected to quarantined students with the “Tutu Project” in honor of International Dance Day.

Colleen Smith, both Artistic Director of the professional ballet company and School Director of the Academy, organized the “Tutu Project” to uplift over 125 dance students. Academy faculty, clad in BPB t-shirts and tutus, drove from Boca Raton to Stuart delivering each student a special gift- a tutu- and offering words of love and support to the families. Students were encouraged to be creative by decorating and dancing in the tutu and to share pictures of their work with fellow classmates in honor of International Dance Day.

“We have been offering tuition-free, virtual classes for our students, but I wanted to do something more,” said Smith. “The Tutu Project created a fun activity to keep them engaged with dance and to remind them how much we teachers care about them! Although temporarily apart, we are together in spirit!”

(PRESS RELEASE)_(West Palm Beach, FL – April 28, 2020) The Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden today announced that, pursuant to Palm Beach County’s Emergency Order #5/Section 7, regarding reopening of “Public Parks and Natural Areas” (effective 4/29/20), Mounts Botanical Garden will remain closed until further notice, as the Garden is not part of the specific recreational criteria targeted in the Order.

 Over the next 30 days, the Garden’s management team will finalize a tactical reopening strategy, focusing on Safety First, for the well-being of visitors, volunteers, members and staff. Updates will be forthcoming.
Information and virtual activities can be found on the Garden’s website at www.mounts.org.

(BANKRATE)_The Atlantic hurricane season is approaching and it’s more crucial than ever to make sure you’re informed and protected when you’re looking to buy a home in a hurricane zone.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. As of 2016, the population of the 185 coastline counties from Maine to Texas was 94 million, according to the United States Census Bureau. There are 7.3 million homes along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts at risk for hurricane damage this year — and Florida, Louisiana and Texas have the most properties in jeopardy, according to the CoreLogic 2019 Storm Surge Report.

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Lake Park Elementary, along with 34 other schools in Palm Beach County, will continue distributing free grab-and-go meals for children and youth aged 18 and under from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only. Two days' worth of meals will be provided each day. Rules that were implemented beginning April 13 remain in place.

To limit person-to-person contact, please remember to adhere to social distancing. Those driving to one of the feeding sites are asked to open the trunk of their car or leave a seat open where staff can place the food. People walking up to a site should remember to maintain a distance of at least six feet. At Lake Park Elementary, meals will be distributed at the parent pick-up area.

In addition to the meals for students, Feeding South Florida will be at Lake Park Elementary on Mondays with boxes of food for distribution during the same hours student meals are available.

For a list of all of the school sites in Palm Beach County providing grab-and-go meals, or for the days and locations of additional Feeding South Florida distribution sites, please visit https://www.lakeparkflorida.gov/coronavirus-tips.

(PRESS RELEASE)_West Palm Beach, Fla. (April 15, 2020) – During this challenging time in our nation and abroad as we are faced with the threat of COVID-19, the YMCA of the Palm Beaches, following the lead of most YMCAs across the state of Florida and the nation, is committed to providing child care services to the children of men and women who are first responders, medical personnel, government employees, and other essential employees.  In addition to expanded child care, the YMCA of the Palm Beaches will be opening up its parking lot for community blood drives and will be working with local first responders to utilize their property for training purposes.
 
“The YMCA is one of the largest providers of child care in the nation and across the state of Florida. We are uniquely suited to meet the needs of these children, whose brave parents need our help,” said Tim Coffield, CEO and President of the YMCA of the Palm Beaches. “Many of these children’s parents are giving of themselves selflessly to combat this crisis and they are truly our community’s heroes.” 

Additionally, the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County (ELC), is now offering child care scholarships to first responders and emergency personnel.  Qualifying parents can visit the following link for more information on how to apply. The YMCA of the Palm Beaches is prepared to place new students immediately.   https://www.elcpalmbeach.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.details&ArticleId=522

“As a Registered Nurse for the Florida Department of Health, it is vital for me to go to work while school is out of session,” said YMCA parent Judy Smith.  “I am so appreciative for the YMCA and the incredible teachers who are taking such good care of my boys.” 

The YMCA of the Palm Beaches’ community partners have equally stepped up their support.  The Health Care District of Palm Beach County has committed to screen all of the children and staff in the YMCA’s program every day Monday through Friday, starting at 7 am. 

“The Health Care District of Palm Beach County is proud to take part in this initiative to support the needs of our dedicated first responders, health care and government workers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Darcy J. Davis, Health Care District CEO.  “As the health care safety net for Palm Beach County, we are committed to keeping our community healthy.”

Additionally, Don Langdon, Managing Broker at Douglas Elliman’s Palm Beach and Jupiter offices kindly donated hundreds of cookies to the preschool that were originally slated for a polo tournament.

“It is our honor to help support the community in which we thrive,” said Langdon.  “During these uncertain times, we’re happy to support the YMCA of the Palm Beaches’ continued efforts to create a safe, loving and nurturing environment for their kids.”

The child care program for ages 2-12 is practicing social distancing guidelines through small class sizes, has increased their cleaning and sterilization efforts to prevent the spread of germs, and is following CDC guidelines for child care programs to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

For more information, to make a monetary donation to the YMCA of the Palm Beaches COVID-19 Relief Fund to help with added staff and supplies, or to contribute much-needed supplies such as gloves, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, Lysol spray, or rubbing alcohol, please contact Peter Thate, Development Director, at  561-968-9622 ext. 237 or pthate@ymcapalmbeaches.org

YMCA of the Palm Beaches is located at 2085 South Congress Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33406. Visit ymcapalmbeaches.org or @ymcapalmbeaches on Facebook and Instagram. 

(PRESS RELEASE)_NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. (April 16, 2020) – Amid the coronavirus pandemic, first responders are on the frontlines fighting to keep communities safe and healthy. In an effort to express profound gratitude during this challenging time, Doris Italian Market & Bakery delivered penne marinara, chicken francaise, rolls, tossed salad and cookies to the North Palm Beach Police Department.

“We can’t express how much we appreciate all that first responders and medical professionals do each and every day, especially during these unprecedented times,” said John Alfano, president and CEO of Doris Italian Market & Bakery. “It is so important, now more than ever, to come together as a community and help each other. We hope that this meal shows the North Palm Beach police department how grateful we are for them.” 

Doris Italian Market & Bakery locations are open and operating as normal. The specialty supermarket is receiving daily shipments and working with vendors to keep the shelves stocked as best as possible. Hours of operation have been adjusted – Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The North Palm Beach store is located at 11239 US-1 in North Palm Beach. Customers can also shop at the North Palm Beach store through Instacart.  

For information, call visit Doris Market’s website at www.dorismarket.com or call 561-517-8488.

(PRESS RELEASE)_West Palm Beach, FL (April 15, 2020) – With layoffs, furloughs, hiring freezes and reduced wages plaguing today’s job market, South Florida workers are facing an increasingly difficult economic future.

But even in today’s economic climate, many technology companies are actually still hiring. In an effort to put job seekers and employers together, Palm Beach Tech, a nonprofit working to expand South Florida’s footprint in the technology sector, has enlisted the help of Premier Virtual, a South Florida-based software developer whose platform allows an enhanced virtual job fair experience and direct connectivity between companies and job seekers.

“We’re obviously disappointed we couldn’t hold our Career Expo at the Boca Raton Innovative Campus,” said Joe Russo, President & CEO of Palm Beach Tech. “So, naturally, we said, ‘why don’t we just do it virtually?’ and Premier has really stepped up to make this happen.”

Palm Beach Tech has partnered with CareerSource Palm Beach County and Boca Raton Innovation Campus to host the online, one-day event, which takes place on Wednesday, April 22, from 8 a.m. –
8 p.m. EDT.

For job seekers, registration is free, and info can be found HERE.

For employers, a virtual booth is $250, and more information is available by emailing Nikki Cabus, Palm Beach Tech’s VP of Development.

Some of the companies registered to exhibit include: DSS, Inc., Modernizing Medicine, Onsite Dermatology, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, IM Centers/Repzio, Signature Consultants, LaunchCode, Western Governor’s University, SAMA Labs, Nova Southeastern University, LinkActiv, Levatas, FPL (NextEra Energy), Florida Crystals, and others.

For additional information, visit palmbeachtech.org, or call 561.425.8918. 

(PRESS RELEASE)_FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (April 14, 2020) – The Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) has engineered a weekly STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) curriculum aligned with Florida’s new Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (BEST) standards for students of all grade levels to support the Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) Department of Applied Learning. The MODS Challenge began on April 13, allowing students, teachers and parents in grades PreK–12 to solve real-world problems through STEAM and project-based learning. 

During a time when distance learning is at the forefront, this partnership-developed curriculum bolsters 21st century skills, including creativity, critical thinking, design, teamwork, leadership, risk-taking and perseverance. Additionally, each week’s challenge offers selected readings for every grade level and access to some of the IMAX® films in MODS’ library of documentaries. The challenges strive to empower students to become STEAM learners and passionate problem-solvers for life.

“It is the Museum’s mission to connect students to inspiring science from PreK through career,” said Joseph P. Cox, president and CEO at MODS. “We are proud to partner with Broward County Public Schools to provide an enriching STEAM curriculum to students. MODS and the District have built an enduring partnership across many years, and through unprecedented times like these, our collaboration will strengthen this community.” 

The initiative also provides added real-world experiences for BCPS high school juniors and seniors who are part of MODS’ APP-titude internship program. They are working with MODS educators to create video content for the weekly challenges. APP-titude is a highly coveted internship program at MODS. Through the APP-titude program, student interns have the opportunity to earn college credit, a mini-scholarship and, with the MODS Challenge, volunteer service hours for peer-to-peer learning.

“Our District values the strategic relationship we have with the Museum of Discovery and Science. Through this partnership, we are collaborating to create new, unique learning opportunities for our students and families,” Superintendent Robert W. Runcie said. “The MODS Challenge is just one example of how we are working to transform virtual education with real-world activities that engage students while supporting their ongoing learning.”

Students can access the MODS Challenge curriculum by visiting browardschools.com/learningnevercloses or mods.org/modschallenge (available on April 15).