Photo courtesy of CPC

The Child Protection Center (CPC) celebrated another yearly “Turkey Day” last week. The clients and families of the organization, who utilize the nonprofit’s child abuse services, pick up a food basket for Thanksgiving, provided by the Gulf Gate Rotary Club. In partnership with Publix at Sarasota Pavilion, the Gulf Gate Rotary Club has provided these baskets to the Child Protection Center for over 40 years. Each family receives a turkey and fixings for Thanksgiving dinner as well as food for a full week. Stan Beberman, the President of Gulf Gate Rotary, said, “This year and the foreseeable future remain challenging with the COVID pandemic and economic pressures creating heightened stress levels and resulting in significant needs for many families.” Despite the fundraising obstacles brought by the pandemic, the Rotary accomplished their goal of providing 80 baskets, which were then distributed to CPC client families.

Doug Staley, the Executive Director of CPC, stated that most of the nonprofit’s clients are on the “economic edge” with 74% living below the Federal Poverty Level. “The impact of these baskets for our clients is huge,” Doug said. “Children cannot heal and learn when they are hungry. These baskets do more than satisfy their hunger, it allows them to begin to heal as they work through their trauma.” After receiving their family’s basket, a client said, “From my heart, from my family, I want to say thank you for caring about strangers, because the impact is huge.”

Photo courtesy of CPC