A group of kids strolled up to the second floor to a conference room at the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter on Feb. 18. Not only did they find some tasty soda drinks awaiting them courtesy of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, but they were also delighted to see a table with new laptops for their use.
“Hopefully you get to use them not only for school but also entertainment purposes,” children’s shelter CEO Ben Kemmer told the kids as they took a seat.
Coca-Cola is the fourth-largest black-owned business in the U.S. To recognize Black History Month in February, Coke Florida collaborated with community organizations to provide more than 300 laptops to students and community members. Ten of those laptops were presented to the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter.
With a local office on Big Pine Key, Coke Florida initially reached out to Monroe County Commissioner Holly Raschein regarding community organizations in need of technological resources. Raschein was quick to mention the children’s shelter located on Plantation Key in Islamorada.
“I was really excited when Coke Florida reached out to me for input. I’m delighted this partnership worked out,” Raschein said.
A 19-bed home for kids ages 10 to 18, the shelter provides a safe place for local youth and teens. As Coke Florida representatives saw during a tour, the shelter is more like a dormitory where kids can go outside and play basketball or stay inside and watch some movies or video games. There are also spots to sit and do homework.
The shelter features a full-time counselor and a full-time chef. Rooms are artfully decorated thanks to the likes of Wyland, Pasta Pantaleo and Stacie Krupa. One wall in the hall depicts a Keys bridge outlooking the ocean. Among the vehicles on the road is a Coca-Cola truck.
Whether kids stay a day or several years, the shelter provides a home with caring people who listen.
Upon grabbing an ice-cold Coca-Cola product, the kids took seats and proceeded to their favorite websites, like Tik Tok. Coke Florida representatives took a few minutes to quiz the kids about Coca-Cola; one question had students looking up how many beverages are in the Coca-Cola Company. One student found the answer to be more than 3,500 beverages, from sodas and juices to water, coffees and teas.
Percy L. Wells II, spokesman for Coke Florida, said initiatives such as the laptop donations are helping people and communities reach their full potential.
“Whether it be through the creation of new learning opportunities for an elementary school student or helping an adult in their job search, Coke Florida has stepped in to help foster these opportunities,” he said.
