02.25.2009 - 

Grant helps workers and families gain skills that allow them to improve their economic situations

LAKEWORTH, Fla. (February 25, 2009) – The Lake Worth Resource Center will be able to do more to help workers and families gain skills that provide opportunities to improve their economic situations, thanks to a recent grant from the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. 

The Mentoring Center will utilize a two-year $110,000 grant from the Community Foundation to support the work of The Lake Worth Resource Center, which helps provide a secure place for recent immigrants and day laborers to gather, gain employable skills and makes employers accountable for ensuring safe, fair and equitable employment opportunities.

“More than 25 percent of Palm Beach County’s residents speak a language other than English at home,” said Leslie Lilly at a recent presentation of the grant check at the center. “A goal in grantmaking this cycle was to support programs that address barriers of language, culture, or race in accessing family support services and which support a path to full citizenship and the rights, obligations, and accountability that engaged citizenship requires.”

"We are extremely pleased with the Community Foundation's generous support of the Lake Worth Resource Center,” said Lisa Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of The Mentoring Center. “The Community Foundation clearly has their fingers on the pulse of the needs of the people. We greatly appreciate that the Foundation has boldly embraced our mission and is taking the lead in Palm Beach County- we thank them for helping us provide the services and programs that will move this county forward."

The two-year grant award was enthusiastically received from the staff of the Lake Worth Resource Center, Vice Mayor of the City of Lake Worth Jo-Ann Golden and other community members. A video of the presentation is currently on the Community Foundation’s YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/palmbeachmartincf.

The grant supporting the Lake Worth Resource Center is among the more than $1.2 million in grants distributed recently to 21 nonprofit organizations serving a wide range of needs in Palm Beach and Martin counties. The Community Foundation utilized the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Fund, the Hans and Mary Stratmann Intergenerational Fund and the Galadriel Peace Fund II to support the project.

More information on the project is available at www.yourcommunityfoundation.org and www.thementoringctr.org.

About the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties has been creating lasting value for our communities for more than 35 years. The Foundation accepts contributions from individuals, families, businesses, corporations and other foundations in support of community initiatives, special projects and permanent endowment. Income from endowment is used to make grants and award scholarships primarily in Palm Beach and Martin counties. Since 1972, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $74 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and over $4.5 million in scholarships to more than 1,200 students. For more information, contact the Community Foundation at (561) 659-6800 or visit www.yourcommunityfoundation.org.

About The Mentoring Center
The mission of the Mentoring Center is to provide equal access to high quality, technology-based, academic instruction, career coaching, job placement assistance and new business development training to the residents of the nation's most economically challenged and remote and migrant communities. Residents of these disadvantaged neighborhoods now have access to a team of seasoned, cross-functional, cross-industry professionals and knowledge area experts who are committed to life-long learning and mentoring. For more information, contact the Mentoring Center at (561) 366-9440 or visit http://www.thementoringctr.org.