U.S. Sugar is putting new dollars behind mental health and literacy efforts in the Glades, announcing a roughly $105,000 investment aimed at strengthening families and addressing long-standing educational and social challenges in the rural region.
U.S. Sugar is partnering with the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties on two initiatives focused on adolescent mental health and adult literacy, a collaboration both organizations say reflects a more strategic, long-term approach to community investment in the Glades.
Under the partnership, U.S. Sugar will support the rollout of an evidence-based mental health program for students at Crossroads Academy and help launch a family-centered adult literacy initiative designed to improve outcomes for both parents and children. The programs are set to begin this month.
Community Foundation President and CEO Danita R. DeHaney described the investment as vital to the community.
“This partnership represents a new chapter for the Glades, one rooted in collaboration, long-term investment, and a shared vision for healthier, stronger families,” DeHaney said. “U.S. Sugar’s commitment goes beyond a grant. It signals a deeper, strategic role in creating the kind of lasting change this community deserves.”
U.S. Sugar officials emphasized the company’s generational ties to the region and framed the initiative as part of a broader effort to build up families.
“U.S. Sugar has been part of the Glades community for generations, and we are committed to investing in the long-term success of the families who live and work here,” said Brannan Thomas, the company’s Community Relations Director. “By partnering with the Community Foundation, we can support proven programs that strengthen mental health, expand literacy, and create meaningful opportunities for young people and parents alike.”
One piece of the investment will fund Rebound and Recovery, a cognitive-behavioral mental health program developed by Florida State University that focuses on improving emotional and social well-being among adolescents. The program will be delivered at Crossroads Academy and is designed to help students build resilience, manage stress, and better understand the relationship between emotions and behavior.
The initiative uses a train-the-trainer model intended to embed the program within the school over the long term. Crossroads Academy interventionists, including behavioral health staff, counselors, and ESOL and ESE coordinators, will receive 15 hours of FSU-led training during after-school sessions and professional development days. After completing the curriculum, a cohort of roughly 10 students will be selected for additional training to help reinforce the program’s lessons among their peers.
Students participating in Rebound and Recovery will complete 15 structured modules. Topics include stress management, healthy relationships, problem-solving skills, and recognizing signs of anxiety or depression.
The second initiative focuses on family literacy, an issue that advocates say is closely tied to student achievement in the Glades. According to figures cited by the Community Foundation, 47% of third graders in the region read below grade level.
Building on an existing $200,000 Community Foundation grant to Boldin Community Impact for after-school literacy programming, U.S. Sugar’s contribution will back a new Adult Literacy Program delivered together with the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. The effort is designed to strengthen literacy skills among parents while reinforcing learning at home.
An Adult Literacy Specialist will oversee the process. The program will run throughout 2026 and includes three components: a parent learning academy, structured parent and child together time, and quarterly family literacy nights.
The parent learning academy will meet twice weekly while children participate in Boldin Community Impact’s after-school programs, teaching parents literacy as well as strategies to support learning at home. Each group is expected to include about 10 families, with two to three groups planned for the year.
Parent and child together sessions will also be held twice a week, featuring guided shared reading and hands-on activities aimed at building consistent reading routines. Quarterly family literacy nights at Pahokee Elementary will bring families together for interactive events and shared meals intended to reinforce skills and celebrate progress being made.
U.S. Sugar, founded in 1931, farms roughly 255,000 acres across five Florida counties and employs about 3,000 people.