The Milagro Center in Delray Beach, FL, recently received a financial boost of $35,000, thanks to a 2013 grant from the DPR Foundation. The grant brings the Foundation’s support of the organization to a three-year total of $105,000.

The grant was awarded to the Center on Jan. 6 by DPR’s Luke Stocking and Deborah Beetson. Joining them were Theresa Kinsloe and Adriana Martinengo, both colleagues in DRP’s West Palm Beach office. Milagro Center Executive Director Barbara Stark accepted the grant on the Center’s behalf.

The grant will go to support the Milagro Center’s current programs, as well as its plans to implement a career development series for participating teens. According to Martinengo, most of the children at the Center do not realize the various career opportunities available within the construction industry. To educate them on the possibilities, volunteers in DPR’s West Palm Beach office will give presentations on different career paths within the construction industry (i.e., accounting, superintendent, manager). DPR also is committing to mentoring some of the kids on a regular basis.

“We can’t thank DPR Construction enough for supporting Milagro Center this year and in years past,” said Stark. “The hands-on projects completed by DPR’s West Palm Beach employees, augmented by the company’s financial support, and the anticipated future involvement of the employees in Milagro Center’s new Teen Career Development Initiative, all have a positive and resounding effect on our Center, our students, their families and the community at large. Thanks to DPR’s commitment to Milagro Center, so many undervalued and at-risk children are reaching their fullest potential and succeeding academically and socially.”

The Milagro Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency whose mission is to enrich children’s lives through cultural arts, academic support and living values, benefiting both the children served and their families, as well as the community. The Center was established in 1997 housing art exhibits, outreach programs and afterschool/summer camp programs for disadvantaged children. Since 2003, the Center has focused on providing superior arts education, academic enrichment, living values education, and mentoring for at-risk children, youth and families living at or below the federal poverty level in South Florida.

The Milagro Center is one of 15 youth organizations nationally awarded a total of $900,000 in grants by the DPR Foundation in December 2013. Over the past six years, the Foundation has awarded more than $3.2 million to 22 different organizations focused on providing community support to grade school and high school-aged children.