When Bailey Hughes (’13) began to consider where she might attend university, at the top of her list was going somewhere warmer than her native Iowa. When she received a Palm Beach Atlantic University pamphlet in the mail, she knew a campus tour was calling her name.
Hughes would eventually call West Palm Beach home. A seed would be sown in her life after attending a Workship project where students took part in community service for a local underserved neighborhood.
In 2016, Hughes and her husband embarked on a fostering journey that would see them care for 23 children in their home over five years. After closing their home to fostering, Hughes and her husband felt they saw a continued need for support and resources for children in foster care. With the help of her sister, Makayla, Hughes founded a nonprofit called The Hands and Feet, that now serves necessities to foster families in 6 South Florida counties.
Hughes credits the education and experiences she received at PBA for preparing her to start a nonprofit. Her God Sized Dream is for The Hands and Feet “to continue to serve more children, have more staff, and eventually have a space in Broward County.”