PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A hefty donation helped a local nonprofit help low-income kids with mentorship.
"We're pleased to support 'Suits for Seniors,' and we intend to do it for years to come," Foundation President Irwin F. Edenzon said.
The nonprofit received $15,000 from the Palm Beach Gardens Police Foundation.
Founder Jervonte Edmonds said the money is duly needed.
"A donation just like this helps aid over a hundred kids around Palm Beach County," he said.
Suits for Seniors is an 8-12 week program in about 20 different high schools that teaches financial literacy, leadership, and business entrepreneurship, and in the end, they give everyone tailored suits.
"We've worked with over a thousand high school students and 100% of those students have graduated high school and 95% of those kids are in college," he said.
One of those kids who got a suit and went to college is Wood Brutus.
"The program helped me," he said. "It gave me confidence in who I am and make me grow as a person."
He said Suits for Seniors inspired him to think beyond his current circumstances.
"Right now, I'm in Palm Beach State College," he said. "I'm studying to become a diplomat and I'm doing international relationships."
Edmonds said it's a blessing to guide young people to see value in themselves.
"It's fortunate to be in a platform where young black males can, that they can be lawyers, advocates, doctors, financial advisers, anything they want to be," Edmonds said.
The Palm Beach Gardens Police and Fire Foundation has helped the nonprofit since the beginning. In fact, in a five-year span, the foundation has donated $50,000.
