Page 6 - Boca Exposure - June '22

Page 6, Boca Exposure
Boca Helping Hands Struggling To Keep Up

With Inflation And Decreased Volunteer Support

Boca Helping Hands (BHH) is struggling to keep up with
food demand as inflation squeezes budgets and their volunteer
force dwindles. With gas prices continuing to rise, shortages at
the grocery store, and the cost of commodity goods increasing,
Boca Helping Hands has seen an uptick in demand for their
hunger relief services. In addition, many of the organization’s
regular volunteers are migrating back north, and college students
are heading home for the summer, causing a volunteer shortage.
In April, Boca Helping Hands fed 10,365 individuals,
distributed 7,162 pantry bags of groceries at five Palm Beach
County locations, and provided 6,761 hot lunches. Since First Baptist Church Boynton Beach client check-in (Beth
December 2021, the organization has seen increases of 18 percent Calabrese and Claire Smith)
in demand for pantry bags and 10 percent for its to-go hot meals.
With inflation at a four-decade high, households feel the
pinch to get by. According to the Labor Department’s most
recent consumer-price index, the price of food at grocery stores
in March was 10 percent higher than a year earlier. This has
resulted in more people needing help to make ends meet.
Boca Helping Hands is not excluded from the effects of the
current economic strains. As a result, the organization has had
to meet the extra demand by purchasing food to supplement the
donations that come from our partners and community food
drives. The need to purchase food has increased significantly in
the past year.
“Surging food prices and supply chain issues are affecting
all areas of our hunger relief programs. We’re purchasing food Bill Harper (director of food and warehouse operations) and
to supplement our supply of donated food, and wholesale Jason Cascio (food recovery driver)
prices have increased,” said Greg Hazle, executive director
of Boca Helping Hands. “With increased prices, our clients’
dollar stretches less at the grocery store, so they rely on us more.
Unfortunately, that means Boca Helping Hands is buying more
food at the same time that food prices are higher.”
Supply chain issues, lower inventory, and labor shortages
have impacted the organization’s hunger relief programs across
the board. In addition, as people flock back north, the food
donations are even lower in the summertime. As a result, the To donate, visit BocaHelpingHands.org/Donate. To
organization encourages residents to host food drives at their volunteer, visit BocaHelpingHands.org/Volunteer. To host
schools, places of worship, or workplaces. a food drive and download a list of most needed items, visit
Another operational challenge in feeding those in the BocaHelpingHands.org/FoodDrives.
community is the decline in the number of volunteers. In the last About Boca Helping Hands
two months, the organization has seen a decrease of 20 percent Boca Helping Hands (BHH) is a community-based
to its volunteer group and expects a total decline of 30 percent nonprofit that provides food, medical and financial
by the beginning of June. BHH is in critical need of additional assistance to meet basic human needs as well as education,
volunteer support at multiple service locations and roles. job training and guidance to create self-sufficiency.
Individual Volunteer Opportunities Through its various programs, BHH assists over 27,000
East Boca people annually.
• Monday to Saturday (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) In 2021, BHH distributed more than 70,000 pantry bags
○ Food Center – Making sandwiches from five Palm Beach County locations and served nearly
○ Warehouse – Packing pantry bags of food, packing meat 80,000 hot meals. The organization expands access to
and produce, packing meals for children in summer camp affordable medical, dental and behavioral care through its
• Monday to Saturday (8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
○ Kitchen – Prepping food for the hot meal program Boca Helping Hands Struggling on page 7
• Thursday (1 to 4 p.m.)
○ Kitchen – Prepping food for the hot meal program
• Thursday (4 to 6 p.m.)
○ Pantry Bag Distribution – Assisting with distributing
groceries in the drive-through car line
• Friday (1 to 4 p.m.) ARCHIVE GALLERIES
○ Kitchen – Prepping food for the hot meal program
Boynton Beach
• Monday (9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
○ Pantry Bag Distribution – Assisting with distributing PAYS HIGHER PRICES FOR FINE ART AND ANTIQUES
groceries in the drive-through car line
• Tuesday (9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
○ Pantry Bag Distribution – Assisting with distributing • Oil Paintings • Sterling Silver • Collectibles
groceries in the drive-through car line • Oriental Rugs • Objects of Art • Fine Crystal
• Wednesday (12:30 to 2:30 p.m.) • Tapestries • Sculptures • Orientalia
○ Pantry Bag Distribution – Assisting with distributing
groceries in the drive-through car line • Fine Furniture • Bronzes • Tiffany Items
Delray • Service Plates • Porcelain • Clocks
• Thursday (2:30 to 5 p.m.)
○ Pantry Bag Distribution – Assisting with distributing
groceries in the drive-through car line We Also Purchase Men’s And Ladies’ Items Including:
Group Volunteer Opportunities
• Monday to Friday (1 to 3 p.m.) • Old Watches • Cufflinks • Smoking Items • Coins • Antique Jewelry
○ Warehouse – Packing meals for children in summer camp • Designer Handbags • Fine Modern Jewelry • Vintage Costume Jewelry
or packing meat and produce

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