Your donations of new or gently used furniture, art, clothing and more impact our community in truly meaningful ways. All proceeds from the sale of our inventory directly support vital Levis JCC programs. Giving is convenient and tax-deductible. Drop off by December 31st to receive a tax deduction for 2014. Call (561) 368-3665 to schedule a pick up of furniture and larger items or drop off items in bags and boxes to the Levis JCC Thrift Shop located at 141 N.W. 20th Street in Plum Park Plaza or on campus at the Sports & Wellness Center or the Levis JCC Sandler Center. And enjoy the best prices daily on upscale, resale, new, vintage and designer items daily at the Levis JCC Thrift Shop!
Category: Services
Volunteer Opportunities for Teens and Tweens
Students entering ninth grade in Palm Beach County must complete 20 hours of community service in order to graduate from high school. In addition, middle and high school students must complete community service hours to be members of Honor Society or to become bar/bat mitzvah. Luckily, there are many opportunities to volunteer locally.
Those in sixth grade and above may become a Reading Buddy at the West Boca Library. On September 2nd, beginning at 10 a.m., applications will be available at the children’s information desk. A reading buddy reads to elementary school children and plays literacy games with them. The student must commit to Mondays at 5:30 p.m. for 45 minutes for the school year. The program starts September 8th.
The West Boca Medical Center accepts volunteers over age 15 who can commit to a 4 hour shift per week. Students may staff the gift shop, attend daily rounds or provide hospitality services. Call 561-488-8178 or 561-488-8293 for more information.
Do you like animals? You can volunteer at the Tri-County Animal Rescue if you are over 16 years of age. Student volunteers clean the cat room and feed feed the cats between 8 to 8:30 a.m. Once a volunteer is familiar with the cat room, he/she can help answer questions from prospective adopters between 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The shelter is located at 21287 Boca Rio Road in Boca Raton. Call 561-482-8110 for more information.
Nature lovers can also volunteer at Daggerwing Nature Center. Teens ages 15 and up who are willing to commit to 2 hours per week for 6 months can volunteer at the Center. Volunteers greet visitors, assist with the office and special events and help care for the animals. For more information, call 561-629-8760.
For more volunteer opportunities, check out these sites:
Volunteens
Boca Helping Hands
Volunteer Match
If you know of volunteer opportunities, please email us at [email protected].
Sales Tax Holiday
August 1-3, 2014 is a sales tax holiday for Florida Back to School Shoppers. No sales tax will be collected on sales of clothing, footwear and accessories that are $100 or less per item or on certain school supplies that sell for $15 or less per item. In addition, there is no sales tax on the first $750 of the sales price for computers and computer-related accessories when purchased for home or personal use.
The Use of Alternative Groundcovers: Part 2
As a follow up to the previous article on alternative groundcovers, this entry will explore the costs associated with establishing and maintaining bahiagrass and perennial peanut lawns as alternatives to St. Augustinegrass.
Generally, the cost of establishing a lawn will increase if the vendor furnishes delivery and labor. To avoid these costs, the homeowner can pick up each pallet from the vendor and lay the sod at her or her home. This will require the use of a pickup truck as a pallet will typically contain 400-500 ft2 of sod or approximately 150-180 pieces. For many homeowners, the only practical option is to have the sod delivered and laid by the vendor. In addition, any existing vegetation in the area where the sod is to be laid should be removed. This can be accomplished by spraying all vegetation with Roundup. It may not be possible to destroy all existing vegetation, but as much as possible should be removed to ensure that the muck-side of the sod is touching the soil. In addition, any irrigation lines should be in place prior to laying the sod.
The following table represents cost estimates for each groundcover:
| Total Costs (including delivery and laying sod) per square foot | |
| St. Augustinegrass | 45¢ |
| Bahiagrass | 30¢ |
| Perennial Peanut | $1.25 |
Bahiagrass is the cheapest sod and requires no watering, even in the dry season, if planted on a level surface. Perennial peanut requires little to no watering (except in periods of severe drought). By contrast, St. Augustinegrass requires approximately 20,000 gallons per 1000 ft2. This equates to approximately $15 per year for each 1000 ft2 of St. Augustinegrass. Therefore, the cost savings of Bahiagrass is approximately $165 per 1000 ft2 relative to St. Augustinegrass (planting and watering). Sodding perrenial peanut costs approximately $800 more per 1000 ft2 compared to St. Augustinegrass. Mowing costs for bahiagrass and St. Augustinegrass are relatively similar. By contrast, perennial peanut requires virtually no mowing. Depending upon the size of the lawn and cost of the lawnmower and/or landscaping fees, the higher establishment costs of perennial peanut may be well worth it in the long run.
Unfortunately, we were unable to locate any nurseries in West Boca that sell perennial peanut or bahiagrass. There are a number of companies in the Delray area that can special order bahiagrass at a rate that is markedly lower than St. Augustinegrass. For those not in need of an “instant lawn,” bahiagrass seed can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes. The price is $66.98 for 10 lbs. of seed, which will cover 1,000 ft2 of new coverage or 2,000 ft2 of over seeded coverage. As discussed in the previous article, this is the cheapest way to establish bahiagrass and may be the best option for homeowners that can wait for the new lawn to grow in. The use of bahiagrass seed is another advantage over St. Augustinegrass, which can only be established with sod.
For additional information on lawns and lawn care, contact the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension office at (561) 233-1700.
What is pure barre?
Pure Barre is a new fitness studio that recently opened in the Westwinds of Boca (Home Depot Plaza). According to their advertising, it is a total body workout that lifts your seat, tones your thighs, abs and arms in record breaking time. Classes are 55 minutes and designed for all levels of fitness.
One class costs $23 and a package of 5 classes costs $105. Currently there is a New Client Special, 1 month unlimited for $100. The studio is open Monday and Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. It is also open Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Classes can be scheduled online.
For more information, call 561-465-5994.