Five Star Beach Properties' most recent initiative is to get more involved in the community. Our responsibility to serve the community grows as our business grows. We took our first step this week by volunteering in the Child Clothing Project held by the Junior League of the Emerald Coast.The Child Clothing Project is a philanthropy that raises money to send children shopping for essentials they may not have such as shoes, socks, and underwear.They also get to pick out two short-sleeved shirts, a jacket, a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of jeans, and a pair of active pants. Many of these children have never owned anything new. “People think about the beautiful beach mansions and condos and assume that this is a wealthy community. People tend to forget that there are a lot of people and children in need in many areas of Okaloosa and Walton County,” said Louisa Baldock, Marketing Director of Five Star Beach Properties. She is right because over 1,000 students qualify for reduced or free lunch in Walton County and over 4,000 qualify in Okaloosa County.
Team members from Five Star Beach Properties showed up at 8:30 am on October, 14 2015 at the Destin Target to help with the setup of the event. Louisa Baldock is also a member of the Junior League. Baldock facilitated Five Star’s involvement in this project. Around 9:30 am students from Okaloosa and Walton County elementary schools started to arrive in buses. Five Star volunteers, as well as volunteers from other organizations, were paired with a child or two and helped them with their shopping. Shopping in a big store like Target can be daunting for a child, but with the help of volunteers every child was smiling and having fun. “This is the best field trip ever!” one student from Mary Esther Elementary School exclaimed to a Five Star volunteer.