Ponte Vedra Beach-based nonprofit organization Hugs Across the County is looking to add to its community of volunteers to help provide clothing, shoes, food, school supplies, mentors and more to St. Johns County kids.
Girls empowerment program at Murray Middle School
Hugs is supporting the school counselors at Murray Middle School in providing a monthly empowerment lunch program for 40 of their students who face homelessness, parent incarceration, substance abuse and more.
How you can help:
■ Purchase an $18 copy of the Wowsdom workbook for a student on the Amazon Wish List at a.co/adEKpqM
■ Consider sponsoring lunch one month.
■ Write an encouraging note to a girl in the program each month.
For more information, email info@stjohnshugs.org
Year-round and winter break food programs
Hugs is working hard to address food insecurity and help ensure local kids have the food they need through two programs:
■ Year-round, school-based food pantries: Consider holding a community or business food drive to help stock much-needed pantries at five St. Johns County schools. Hugs provides kid-friendly, nonperishable breakfast and lunch items each month, and appreciates any donations or collections.
■ No Hungry Holidays: Now in its fourth year, Hugs expects to provide 10 days of breakfast and lunch items for more than 700 local kids to eat over the long winter break. It cannot do this program without community support and seeks neighborhood or business collections. Hugs plans to collect through mid-November until packing/delivery day on Dec. 11.
For more information on helping with a food program, email info@stjohnshugs.org
For more information on Hugs Across the County or volunteer programs, go to www.stjohnshugs.org, or visit the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hugsacrossthecounty, on Instagram at stjohnshugs or on Twitter at stjohnscohugs.
