More than a dozen nonprofits are being aided by the generosity of Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon R. Bock’s employees, who donated an impressive $50,000 to charitable causes this year.
Bock presented $36,178 to six of the charities during her office’s 21st annual holiday concert held at the Palm Beach County Governmental Center on Monday, Dec. 17.
Six additional nonprofits received donations from the clerk’s office earlier this year.
“It is an honor to lead a team of employees who continue their commitment to building a culture of charity to give back to Palm Beach County’s neediest people,” Bock said. “My team’s endless generosity is making a difference in the lives of so many residents throughout Palm Beach County and the State of Florida.”
During the holiday performance, members of the clerk’s employee choir, Circuit Sound, raised $2,800 for Amanda Silva, an 11-year-old with cerebral palsy, a condition she has battled since birth.
Her family is in need of a wheelchair-accessible van, a front-door ramp and other items for their home.
Each year, the clerk’s choir performs in the governmental center atrium as government employees drop money from the six floors above to help a local family in need. Silva was nominated for the 2018 “Season to Share” campaign by Clinics Can Help, a local nonprofit that provides medical equipment and supplies to those who cannot afford them.
Beginning in 1994, the clerk’s office has a deep-rooted tradition of supporting nonprofits across Palm Beach County through charitable donations and volunteer time.
Clerk employees voluntarily donate money through payroll deductions as part of the office’s Dress Down Program, which allows team members to wear jeans to work on Fridays and other select days.
The employee-led Charitable Giving Committee accepts nominations and employees vote on the charities that receive the donations.
During the holiday concert, Bock presented checks, each for $6,814, to five local nonprofits: Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches, Little Smiles of Florida, Friends of Foster Children of Palm Beach County, Alzheimer’s Care Resource and the Lord’s Place. Back to Basics, a Wellington-based nonprofit that provides the basic necessities for children in need, received a check for $2,110. Earlier this month, clerk employees also donated holiday gift items to 250 children participating in the Back to Basics Angel Program.
Other recipients of this year’s Clerks for a Cause campaign include: the Jerome Golden Center, the Florida Disaster Fund, Gulfstream Goodwill Industries Audiology Services, the American Cancer Society and the United Way of Palm Beach County.
