WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On May 18, 2011, the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties approved a total of $489,000 in grants for the Alleviate Hunger and Affordable Housing Initiatives, as part of the Foundation's "beyond grantmaking" leadership work in the region. The two initiatives help build partnerships between the agencies in our food and housing systems, with the ultimate goal of improving the access to food and affordable housing in our communities.  

In order to leverage the Foundation's nearly $500,000 in grants and double the amount of grant investment to $1 million, the Foundation has issued a one-to-one matching challenge. Organizations who received the grants will have until October 2011 to meet their match opportunity.

Currently, over 1,700 children in the Palm Beach County School District are homeless and over 50% of children are receiving free or reduced price lunches, with that number increasing to over 95% in the Glades area. It is  estimated that there are over 200,000 families that are paying in excess of their income for housing, often forcing families to choose at the end of the month paying rent over purchasing food.  More than 30% of working households in Florida are housing cost-burdened – the highest in the nation.

These grants, made possible through dozens of local philanthropists, will help the nonprofit organizations increase the capacity of hundreds of local food pantries and feeding programs, increase the number of children receiving dinner meals after school, and assist at least 2,500 people in the online application process for food benefits. The grantees will also help a minimum of 450 families to maintain stabilized housing, rehabilitate 100 homes abandoned homes, and build nearly 50 new affordable homes.

Donors are invited to make a gift directly to the organization of their choice, while donor advised fundholders of Community Foundation may recommend a matching grant distribution directly from their fund. If you are interested in establishing a donor advised fund, please contact Danielle Cameron, Vice President for Development, at 561-659-6800 or dcameron@cfpbmc.org.

The matching challenge participating agencies are:

•       Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, Inc.

•       C.R.O.S. Ministries

•       Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County

•       CredAbility

•       Families First of Palm Beach County

•       Florida Impact

•       Glades Initiative, Inc.

•       Habitat for Humanity of Martin County, Inc.

•       Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County

•       Habitat for Humanity, Palm Beach County

•       Housing Partnership, Inc.

•       Indiantown Non-Profit Housing, Inc.

•       Neighborhood Renaissance

•       The Lord's Place, Inc.

•       The Village Baptist Church/Feed the Hungry

•       Treasure Coast Food Bank

•       Urban League of Palm Beach County, Inc. 

About the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties

As one of Florida's largest community foundations, the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties advances quality of life, citizen engagement, and regional vitality through its promotion of philanthropy. We have been in existence for more than 35 years, with permanent endowment now totaling more than $100 million. Last year, the Foundation awarded over $3.4 million in grants and led initiatives to address critical issues of common concern among our region's communities, including hunger, homelessness, affordable housing, and the conservation and protection of water resources. For more information, visit our website: www.yourcommunityfoundation.org

Contact:

Aleksandar Milojica

Sr. Director of Marketing and Communications

Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties

(561) 659-6800 | amilojica@cfpbmc.org

SOURCE Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties

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http://www.yourcommunityfoundation.org