Alair’s Partnership with Blessings in a Backpack: Making a Difference in Childhood Hunger

Alair Blessings in a Backpack Donation — Joining Glen Harris III from Alair Homes Florida are Kevin Scott, Partner at Alair Homes Sanibel and Casey Key; Matt Marovich, Partner at Alair Homes Casey Key; and Alex Martenson, Director of Client Services at Alair Homes Sanibel. Together, they proudly support this meaningful initiative.

Living Better with “Buddy Benches”

At Alair Homes, we’re not just about building houses—we’re about building stronger communities. On January 21, 2025, our Southwest Florida team had the honor of partnering with Blessings in a Backpack to make a meaningful contribution at Neil Armstrong Elementary School in Southwest Florida.

The school received two custom-made “Buddy Benches,” which were created to help students connect during recess. A Buddy Bench is a designated seat on the playground where a child can sit when they want to find someone to talk to or play with. The Buddy Benches aim to cultivate a spirit of friendliness on school playgrounds and make them more inclusive.

Additionally, the team donated $5,000 to support Blessings in a Backpack’s weekend food program, ensuring students have access to nutritious meals when they are away from school on the weekend. Hunger has both short- and long-term negative effects on children’s health and ability to succeed in school.

After the Buddy Bench presentation, team members from Alair Homes were given a tour of the elementary’s school food pantry, where the Blessings in a Backpack weekend food packs are stored. The pantry is also stocked with shelf-safe food for families and other essentials for children like shoes, backpacks, and clothes. The school developed this resource after seeing a dramatic increase in the need for basic essentials. Currently, 150 children are homeless.

“As a longtime resident of Florida, I’m acutely aware of the challenges facing our community. But our team is in awe of what we’ve witnessed here, and we realize there’s a much bigger need than what we’re able to do today. Partnering with Blessings in a Backpack allows Alair to make a real difference in the lives of local children. We’re proud to support their mission and excited to expand our collaboration on a national scale.”

Glen Harris III, Regional Partner, Florida

A National Partnership with Blessings in a Backpack

This event also marked the continuation of a national partnership with Blessings in a Backpack, where Alair Homes proudly serves as a Titanium Partner. The collaboration began in February 2024 at the inaugural “Get Fed Up” event, which raised both awareness and over $18,000 for Blessings’ weekend meal programs. Instead of holding a traditional new office launch celebration, Alair chose to invest in this mission to combat childhood hunger, making it an integral part of our community-building efforts.

Get Fed Up 2025

The team is excited to continue working with Blessings in a Backpack, and recently attended the “Get Fed Up” event on February 6, 2025. The event was a huge success, raising over $160,000. The event was a powerful reminder of how much we can accomplish when we come together as a community.

In its second year as a signature event, Get Fed Up is designed to raise awareness and drive fundraising for Blessings in a Backpack Southwest Florida. The funds raised will support elementary school children in the 5-county region who go hungry every weekend. Alair’s teams in Southwest Florida have purchased a table for the event.