Page 8 - Boca Exposure - July '22

Page 8, Boca Exposure
Fuller Center Affected

By High Fuel Costs, Inflated Food Costs

Fuller Center, a not-for-profit organization focused on
empowering children and families through education and
family support, is facing a serious challenge hitting both average
Americans and childcare centers especially hard.
“The cost of the center’s food and supplies that keep
our facilities going has spiked by over $15,000 a month,”
said Ellyn Okrent, CEO of the Fuller Center. “The cost of
fuel for the buses that transport our children to field trips
and to our after-school programs has increased by more
than $2,000 a month. How could any nonprofit childcare
center budget for such unusual circumstances?”
News reports have shown that inflation and supply
shortages have impacted nearly everyone, from consumers
to businesses. However, unlike a for-profit business where the 600 families that depend on Fuller Center, who are “With food and fuel costs skyrocketing, these essential
increased costs are often passed along to the consumer, essential workers keeping local businesses and economy services risk being reduced – in other words, children in our
open, are already stretched to their limits. Putting community may go hungry, and many may have nowhere safe
additional costs on them is simply not an option. and supervised to go after school,” said Okrent. “For already
Fuller Center serves over 1,000 meals and snacks a day to low-income families, the sticker shock is severe. Basic needs
over 700 children – often the only wholesome and nourishing like groceries, health care, and shelter are going unmet. These
meals they get. During the school year, Fuller buses pick up unmet needs are linked to higher rates of mental health problems
more than 200 children from 12 local elementary schools so for children in their most critical developmental stages. Their
that parents can work while having peace of mind knowing experiences now – like constant hunger and the toxic stress
their children are being fed and tutored in an enriching and risks of growing up in poverty – can have profound and
environment. Over the summer, Fuller Center buses are lasting effects that often result in anxiety, depression, emotional/
on the road every day taking the children to field trips they behavioral difficulties, and more, well into adulthood.”
would otherwise not have access to. For more information about the Fuller Center and ways
to support the children, faculty, and staff, please email
Gabrielle Aleksinko, executive administrator, at galeksinko@
fullercenterfl.org.
About The Fuller Center
For more than 50 years, the Fuller Center’s mission
has been to embrace, educate, and empower hardworking,
under-resourced families and children to reach their full
potential. We build a positive future through education for
the more than 900 children (infants through teens) that
we serve annually, as well as 600 family members. The
Fuller Center reaches families in 20 zip codes throughout
Palm Beach County, as well as North Broward County.

Fuller Center on page 10

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