It was my pleasure to serve on the Grants Committee of the Lost Tree Foundation. As the captain of a visitor team, I assisted other members of the Lost Tree community to research, visit (pre COVID) and discuss (via Zoom) the status of agencies that had applied for grants.
After visiting more than twenty agencies over a five-year period, two really stayed in my memory. The first was when our team visited Jack the Bike Man. Jack began his philanthropic venture more than 15 years ago by helping kids repair bicycles in front of his house. Today, the nonprofit agency provides thousands of repaired bicycles each year for needy children and adults. What an amazing story.
Another memory involves our visit to Pahokee which is a community west of Palm Beach at the base of the Lake Okeechobee. We reviewed the need for medical equipment for a small clinic that was being set up for low-income workers who did not have the resources or insurance coverage to visit an established medical facility. Not only did the clinic provide much-needed first responder care, but it also assisted patients in applying for necessary governmental benefits. I think our donations made a material change in their lifestyle.
Finally, I would like to thank the leadership and staff of the Lost Tree Foundation for providing guidance, strategic direction and fund raising for all the capital projects we supported in Palm Beach County.