When the Canyon Branch Library opened its doors in Boynton Beach in January 2025, it wasn’t just a ribbon-cutting moment for Palm Beach County.
The 32,000-square-foot west of Boynton library sits on land donated by GL Homes, a quiet, concrete expression of something Itchko Ezratti has believed since the very beginning: that building homes in a community creates a lasting responsibility to that community.
For Itchko Ezratti, the word community has never been abstract. It shows up in the land his company donates, the meals his employees help serve, and the playgrounds they build for kids who have nowhere safe to play.
Over nearly five decades leading GL Homes, Itchko Ezratti has turned philanthropic giving into something far more structural than a corporate checkbox, it’s woven into the company’s identity at every level.
Philanthropy is built in from day one
GL Homes is a uniquely American success story, built by Itchko Ezratti, who believed that hard work, integrity, and quality craftsmanship would thrive in the marketplace.
But from early on, Itchko understood that a company’s character isn’t measured only by what it builds for sale. It’s also shaped how it gives back.
That philosophy took root alongside the business itself. As GL Homes grew from a small Florida startup into one of the state’s largest private homebuilders, Itchko Ezratti made sure the company’s expanding footprint came with an expanding sense of responsibility.
He guided GL Homes with the belief that business success must go hand in hand with responsibility to people and place, a leadership philosophy built on integrity, quality, and thoughtful growth.
That belief didn’t stay in a mission statement. It became policy, practice, and eventually a formal philanthropic program.
Land is the most meaningful gift
Few gestures signal long-term community commitment more than donating land. Real estate, after all, is what GL Homes is built on, which makes Itchko Ezratti’s land donations all the more meaningful.
GL Homes has donated land for public facilities such as schools, parks, libraries, fire and police stations, and civic centers.
Through public-private partnerships, the company has donated land for schools, parks, police stations, and fire stations while also investing in essential infrastructure like roads and civic centers. These aren’t transactional gestures; they’re investments in the civic backbone of communities that will serve residents for generations.
The Canyon Branch Library stands as one of the most visible examples. Nestled in the Canyon Town Center, the Canyon Branch spans 32,000 square feet, serving the western Boynton Beach community, offering items including books, DVDs, and digital media, along with desktop computers, a CreationStation and Makerspace, and an outdoor plaza with solar-powered lighting.
That community resource exists because Itchko Ezratti’s company donated the land to make it possible. Through investments in workforce and affordable housing, GL Homes contributed and brought many homes to life.
Three pillars: Hunger relief, housing, and children
GL Homes Philanthropy organizes its giving around three core areas: breaking the cycle of homelessness, combating hunger, and supporting children and education. These pillars reflect GL Homes’ commitment to tackling important problems and finding effective solutions to help charities throughout Florida and beyond.
They also connect directly to Itchko Ezratti’s founding values. A company built on providing people with safe, quality places to live naturally understands what it means when families lack stable housing, reliable food, or access to education. Each pillar addresses a dimension of the stability that Itchko spent his career helping families achieve through homeownership.
Feeding South Florida: Fighting hunger meal by meal
Food insecurity affects more than 1.2 million people across South Florida, a staggering number that makes hunger relief one of GL Homes’ most urgent and consistent philanthropic priorities.
In one standout initiative, dozens of GL Homes volunteers worked in shifts over a 24-hour period to prepare 2,800 ready-to-eat nutritious meals for homebound seniors, while GL Homes donated to Feeding South Florida to cover the cost of food delivered to seniors in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties.
The company’s hunger relief efforts go beyond one-time events. GL Homes partners with Feeding South Florida, Feeding Southwest Florida (Harry Chapin Food Bank), and St. Matthew’s House, delivering meals to families who need them most, from volunteering at food pantries to organizing community events.
On Giving Tuesday, GL Homes employees who traveled as far as Broward County and the Treasure Coast boxed 2,304 prepared meals and prepped over 300 boxes for additional meal packing, with those nutritious, ready-to-eat dinners delivered that same day to homebound seniors.
Housing stability: Beyond the communities GL Homes builds
Itchko Ezratti’s commitment to housing doesn’t stop at the gate of a GL Homes community. Through its Make a House a Home initiative, surplus building materials, furnishings, and household goods are donated to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity ReStore and Gulfstream Goodwill — resources that help families transitioning from homelessness furnish their homes and create comfortable living environments.
GL Homes has also supported Habitat for Humanity of Broward’s annual Women Build, a meaningful initiative that empowers women in the construction and housing space. These efforts reflect a company that understands housing as a human foundation — not just a product.
Building playgrounds, building belonging
Children have been central to GL Homes Philanthropy’s mission since the beginning. GL Homes created and launched its Passion for Playgrounds program in 2017 to build and donate a playground for a deserving charity each year. Each playground represents not just a physical space, but the belief that every child deserves somewhere safe to play and grow.
The company’s partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Florida runs deep. GL Homes has created happy holiday memories for over 13,000 children and teens through its annual holiday gift drive, with volunteers handing out presents, serving hot dinners, and providing holiday groceries to children and families across Florida.
Making Every Employee a Philanthropist
One of the most distinctive aspects of how Itchko Ezratti built GL Homes’ culture of giving is that it was never meant to be a leadership-only affair. The expectation was, and remains, that giving is everyone’s responsibility.
Programs such as Summer of Service engage employees and volunteers in hands-on projects that benefit local schools and neighborhoods. Employees regularly show up in Feeding South Florida kitchens, at Habitat for Humanity build sites, and at Boys & Girls Club events, not as observers, but as active participants. This elevates philanthropy into something more personal and more powerful.
GL Homes President Misha Ezratti and his wife, Jessica Ezratti, have themselves joined volunteer teams at Feeding South Florida in Boynton Beach, helping prepare nutritious meals for homebound seniors. That kind of hands-on leadership from the top sets the tone for the entire organization.
What the Next Generation Carries Forward
Since Itchko Ezratti has become the chairman of GL Homes, he has made sure philanthropy remains an important part of the company culture. The philanthropic vision is shared between Itchko and his son, Misha Ezratti, who now leads the company as president.
The company’s community outreach has extended to addressing homelessness through a partnership with The Lord’s Place, where GL Homes fully sponsored the Meal Mobile program with volunteers providing more than 400 meals to individuals facing food insecurity while connecting them with essential services, including shelter assistance and hygiene resources.
Over the years, GL Homes has supported more than 2,000 organizations across Florida, a number that tells its own story about the reach and depth of what Itchko Ezratti set in motion.
The libraries, the playgrounds, the meals, the donated land, none of it happened by accident. It happened because Itchko Ezratti decided, from the very beginning, that building a great company and building a better community were the same project.
