Published in The Lake Worth Herald: The Allen Team and the “Buddy Bench” at local elementary schools.

Below are two excerpts from a recent edition headlined,

“Buddy Bench #2 Dedicated at
Highland Elementary”

At the end of this blog post learn how to become a sponsor of this new program promoting learning and education. This new program called the Buddy Bench according to the Mental Health Assoc. of Palm Beach County,


[P]romotes mental health and support for community children through active listening, kindness, and inclusiveness.


Here is the news published in The Lake Worth Herald; two excerpts:


LAKE WORTH — On a mission to install a Buddy Bench at each of the four Lake Worth [public] elementary schools, long-time Lake Worth residents and local Realtors, Bo, Erin and Jon Allen (The Allen Team), in partnership with the Mental Health Assoc. of Palm Beach County [MHAPBC], and the fifth grade class dedicated the newly installed Buddy Bench at Highland Elementary School on Thursday, Dec. 20.

The bench is the second bench installed by The Allen Team. The first was installed at North Grade Elementary.

What is a Buddy Bench?

A Buddy Bench is where children can go if they are feeling left out from play or don’t have anyone to play with. There are rules to the bench. If a child sees someone on the bench they are to invite them to play. If you sit down on the bench you must play with whoever asks you to join them. You cannot pick and choose who you want to play with.

and Erin Allen continues. . .

“My dream would be for every school in Palm Beach County to have a Buddy Bench. And it’s not only my dream. It’s the dream of the Mental Health Assoc. of Palm Beach County. They, too, are on a mission to get a Buddy Bench installed on every playground. Hopefully other community leaders will embrace the idea and underwrite a bench at an elementary school in their community.”

Additional information.

In the near future, the Allen Team will be purchasing and installing a Buddy Bench at South Grade and Barton elementary schools.

To sponsor a Buddy Bench contact Loverly Sheridan of MHAPBC at 561-832-3755 or send an email to: LSheridan@mhapbc.org