Because Hunger Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation

Boca Raton, Fla. (May 29, 2015) – West Boca Medical Center is leading a community effort to provide area children struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer. The Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive, which is benefitting Boca Helping Hands, kicked off Friday, May 29 and ran through Friday, June 5. West Boca Medical Center was able to collect nearly 600 pounds of cereal and $250 of donations.

“Our goal is to ease the burden on families during the summer whose children rely on school meal programs,” said West Boca Medical Center CEO Mitch Feldman. “The donations from this drive will allow many families to have a healthy breakfast each morning.”

According to a study released by Feeding South Florida and Feeding America in 2014, there is a food budget shortfall of 152,704,800 meals, or $17.83 per person per week in South Florida. There are meals missing from the tables of 871,920 people (15.4 percent of the South Florida population). The report also stated that 23.6 percent of children in South Florida are food insecure, meaning 287,650 children go to bed hungry.

In South Florida, nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free school breakfast and lunch programs are available to school children each day. Whole-grain cereal, when part of a healthy, balanced breakfast including dairy, fruit and lean protein, is a popular food item that experts say can easily address the hunger gap during the summer months when children are not in school. Healthy cereal contains one serving of whole grain, no more than 200 calories per serving, six grams or less of sugar and at least three grams of fiber per serving. It should also be free of artificial colors and dyes.

Eat right and keep your health in check. Have you had your yearly physical? Call 561-488-8000 for a free physician referral to a primary care physician on the medical staff of West Boca Medical Center.