Throughout the year, Junior Service League (JSL) works to ensure local families in need are well fed.
Food for Families is a popular ongoing JSL program initiated in partnership with the Hernando County School District Students and Families in Transition Program. Through this partnership, during the Spring and Winter Breaks, JSL members pack bags containing breakfast, lunch, and snacks for the homeless and transient student population. (https://www.jslbrooksville.org/service-projects).
“JSL has been doing this service project since winter break of 2015 and has packed approximately 3,500 bags in total,” said Ady Isaac, JSL Secretary and F4F Chair. “The students are identified by school board employees that work in the Students & Families in Transition program. From here they divide the bags up and distribute them to the elementary schools. They will also reserve another bag if the elementary student has an older sibling in another school, this way both/all kids in that family will have something.”
Isaac said they also work alongside many Hernando County organizations like The Dawn Center, Hernando County Schools, Brooksville Main Street, and the Kiwanis Club.
“JSL raises all of our funding through donations and fundraisers we have throughout the year in the county,” said Isaac. “We actually just finished up our two largest fundraisers, 9th Annual Mystery Dinner and 3rd Annual Royal Breakfast.”
For information on upcoming events, follow JSL on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JSLBrooksville.
“People can help in a couple ways,” said Isaac, “if you are a woman interested in joining the league, please reach out and fill out an application. Another way is to come out and support us at our events, watch for Facebook posts from friends and family or even some group pages will have event posts, local Brooksville businesses may even put up flyers advertising for us. Donations can always be made to our PayPal and Venmo accounts as well, [email protected] (PayPal) and @jslbrooksville (Venmo).”
Before Spring Break, Junior Service League collected and packed 150 bags filled with breakfast, lunch, and snacks for Hernando County students in the Students and Families in Transition program.
“From helping with the food pickup, to packing the bags, and then loading the bags into the district vans, these students will have big smiles and full bellies over Spring Break when they will not have access to their normal school meals,” read the organization’s Facebook post.
“Food for Families will continue to provide the bags for the winter and spring breaks,” Isaac vows.
