OKEECHOBEE — I’m thrilled to announce that our dealership, Gilbert Chevrolet teamed up with GM (General Motors) and awarded a GM Corporate Giving Grant to support Our Village Okeechobee!

As a proud member of the GM Women’s Retail Network, I’m passionate about giving back to our community, and was honored to select a local non-profit organization that is owned and operated by a woman. This grant will help Our Village Okeechobee with programs that help our local children in need.

Leah Suarez (CEO of Our Village Okeechobee) accepted the donation and said; “The Culture of Our Village defines the work we do. Our mission of giving a hand up versus a handout promotes self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Most of our kids have multi-system involvement, and often we find that basic needs are at the root of the issue. This funding will help us in several ways: kids will be invited to join in a healthy living club at Our Village. Through this club, they will learn about healthy living including hydroponic growing. There is considerable evidence that gardening has healing properties for people who struggle with mental illness. Also growing helps reduce food insecurity, which additionally relieves other family stressors. It is only through our trusted and faithful partners like General Motors and Gilbert Chevrolet, that we can do this much-needed work in our community. We cannot thank them enough for consistently finding ways to help Our Village and the many people we serve.

Thank you to GM for their commitment to making a difference, and to my fellow GM Women’s Retail Network members for their ongoing support.

Together, we can make a real impact!