South Florida

South Florida Millionaire Takes in 70 Foster Kids After Irma

The local millionaire created a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds to make the foster community habitable again

A South Florida millionaire opened the doors of his Boca Raton mansion to dozens of foster kids who had nowhere to go after Hurricane Irma pummeled the area.

"We got the call on noon Monday that the Sheriff threw out 70+ kids and their chaperones from their shelter after it lost power and had no place to go," Marc Bell wrote in a Facebook post describing the deed.

Bell, a member of the SOS Children's Villages board of directors, received a call from the foster care organization asking for help. Without thinking twice, he and his wife, Jennifer, agreed to let the kids into their home, he said.

The Bells' family and friends rallied to ensure that the children and their chaperones were comfortable and well accommodated.

"Over 72 hours we served over 800 meals, entertained amazing kids who had no home, arranged for medical care, and most importantly an abundance of love," Bell wrote.

The kids stayed at the Bells' lush home until power was restored at their homes.

Bell created a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds to make the foster community habitable again. As of Thursday, the campaign had collected more than $50,000.

The foster organization is also reaching out to the South Florida community for donations to support the more than 100 kids in its program in the wake of Irma.

"Our children need your help," SOS said in a press release.

The collected donations would go toward food and therapy for the program’s kids affected by the storm. To learn more about the foster organization or to donate, click here.

Contact Us