PBA’s Workship has cultivated partnerships with over 200 organizations in Palm Beach County, enabling students to practice servant leadership within their prospective careers and meet the community’s needs.
PBA collaborated with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County during the University’s 2024 MLK Day of Service. Over 800 volunteers participated in projects like park cleanups and serving food to the homeless. In April 2024, also in partnership with the Jewish Federation, PBA co-hosted a special event to reflect on Dr. King’s teachings, celebrate compassion and stand against hatred.
Amy Gordon, director of the federation’s Kohl Jewish Volunteer Center, says PBA’s partnership has helped them expand outreach efforts, from interfaith dialogues to educational programs. “The partnership [with] PBA has significantly enhanced the Federation’s ability to serve the community through increased volunteerism and strengthened community relationships,” Gordon adds.
This same sense of compassion drives longtime Workship partner Urban Youth Impact (UYI) to serve West Palm Beach’s inner-city children and youth. “[Volunteering] opens up the eyes of those who would normally not be involved cross-culturally and multi-ethnically,” says Chris Tress, UYI president and CEO. “There’s that beautiful thing where we realize we all have the same issues and Jesus is the one who can fix them all.”
The University’s support also enables UYI to serve more inner-city students, whether in after-school programs or at their new elementary school. Workship volunteers also work with Belvedere Elementary School, supporting in-class and extracurricular activities. This gives PBA students, including education majors, a place to apply their learnings, gain experience and inspire children. Since 2017, approximately 200 students have served at the school.
“PBA has helped us carry out our mission through supporting academic programs, providing support services for our parents, creating a pipeline of future teachers, and showing our learners that college is within reach for them,” says Amy Lopez, Belvedere’s principal.
Tress says he’s grateful for PBA volunteers, who fill a crucial gap in Urban Youth Impact’s volunteer force. “As a nonprofit leader you’ll never have enough money to hire the staff needed to meet all needs,” he reflects. “We could not have this reach without volunteers. It really is a beautiful thing to love and serve.”