CLEWISTON — As South Florida schools  re-open doors for the year, U.S. Sugar’s employees have been distributing backpacks and school supplies to thousands of students in Hendry and Palm Beach counties. The sugarcane and market-fresh vegetable farming company has been partnering with local libraries, churches, cities and health centers to deliver the school supplies over the past few weeks.

“U.S. Sugar is committed to supporting student success in the classroom, and that starts by providing the tools students need to have an outstanding school year,” said Brannan Thomas, U.S. Sugar’s community relations director. “On behalf of our company’s 3,000 employees, we wish the teachers, faculty members, parents and students a safe and successful school year.”

“Palm Beach County schools are greatly enriched through the generosity of corporate neighbors like U.S. Sugar,” said James Gavrilos, President & CEO of the Palm Beach County Education Foundation. “By aligning with us on delivering much-needed school supplies, it’s clear U.S. Sugar shares our foundation’s commitment to supporting and expanding learning opportunities throughout the region.”

As part of U.S. Sugar’s back-to-school drive providing backpacks and school supplies, it distributed nearly 5,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to local students and provided school uniforms to students in LaBelle. U.S. Sugar’s partners in the region included:

• Clewiston Library,

• Florida B. Thomas Community Library in Harlem,
• Florida Community Health Centers in the Glades Communities,
• Christ Central Church in LaBelle,
• Palm Beach County Education Foundation throughout the Glades,
• City of South Bay,
• Melissa’s House in Pahokee,
• Melissa’s Place homeless shelter in Pahokee.

“Families in Clewiston, Harlem and the Glades Communities are incredibly grateful for U.S. Sugar’s support for school supplies as students begin to head back to school,” said Nardina Johnson, Center Administrator for the Florida Community Health Center in Clewiston. “Our communities can always count on U.S. Sugar to step up and provide support when it is needed, and this school year is no exception.”