Marissa Kappus, Public Relations Manager
mkappus@bgcofslc.org

FORT PIERCE, FL: On Thursday, June 1st and Friday, June 2nd, representatives from Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County, Home Depot, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, and International Brotherhood Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 728 joined forces to construct and equip a new food pantry at the Boys & Girls Ken Pruitt Club. The pantry aims to serve nearly 500 Club members over the course of a year and provide essential groceries to families in need.

Thanks to generous donations from collaborating community partners, the pantry underwent cleaning, painting, and was fully stocked with a refrigerator, ice machine, sinks, and a microwave. Additionally, the Ken Pruitt Club received brand-new electrical and plumbing systems, which are vital to the smooth operation of the Club and the success of the food pantry.

“Having witnessed the tremendous impact of our Chuck Hill Food Pantry, ‘The CHU,’ we knew this project was going to greatly benefit our Club members, but we couldn’t have done it without the support of our community partners,” said Will Armstead, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County. “It is truly incredible to now have two pantries catering to our young people and helping families in need.”

Of course, you can’t have a food pantry without a table to eat on, so Home Depot Store #0283 surprised Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County with a custom-built, branded Boys & Girls Clubs picnic table for Club members to enjoy.

“The Home Depot Foundation and local associates from our Fort Pierce store were excited to make this vision a reality with Boys & Girls Clubs,” said Kathleen Gronowski, Team Depot Community Captain and Assistant Store Manager. “Ultimately, the foundation aims to improve the lives and homes in our local communities to train skilled tradespeople.”

Sean Mitchell, Director of Workforce Readiness for Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County emphasized, “Fighting hunger and providing meals is just a small way that we can make a big impact on our young people. I look forward to working on more projects like these to help our Club members reach their full potential.”