Boca Raton, FL — Ten local families in need will receive $100 Publix gift cards each month for the next year from Boca Helping Hands, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor.
The families were selected from a cross-section of the organization’s programs and various locations within the Boca Helping Hands service area. Four of the candidates are participants in the BHH Job Training Program. Another four pick-up pantry bags or hot meals at BHH’s Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, and Lantana/Lake Worth food distribution locations. Finally, two candidates are clients in BHH’s Resource Center who were seeking emergency financial assistance for childcare expenses or overdue rent/utility bills. All these families were chosen because, in addition to the specific need for which they sought BHH’s support, they were also battling other ongoing issues with food insecurity, joblessness, or caregiving for other family members. The anonymous donor wanted to specifically help families like these who are facing hardships on several fronts.
“We are always grateful for and inspired by partners like our anonymous donor who find their own way to make a big difference in the lives of our clients,” said Greg Hazle, Boca Helping Hands Executive Director. “For each of these families, a $100 gift card each month for the next year will quite likely be a determining factor in their ability to afford other basic needs.”
One of the recipients of the gift cards, Victor Bembry, a BHH Commercial Driving student, said, “It’s eye-opening to know that there are people out there who don’t even want you to know who they are. They want to donate to someone to help the next person. That’s a blessing.”
Boca Helping Hands’ Director of Program Trina Chin Cheong, who presented some recipients with their gift cards, could see the immediate impact they had “Some aim to pay it forward, and others are determined to finish their training programs stronger than before. One Job Training student had tears in his eyes as he took a step back from receiving his gift card and said, ‘You guys have helped me so much already. What have I done to deserve more?’”
“It’s worth remembering: Even small acts of kindness can make a difference,” Chin Cheong said. “We see it every day.”
ABOUT BOCA HELPING HANDS
Boca Helping Hands (BHH) is a community-based nonprofit that provides food, medical and financial assistance to meet basic human needs as well as education, job training and guidance to create self-sufficiency. Through its various programs, BHH assists over 27,000 people annually.
BHH distributes more than 80,000 pantry bags each year at five Palm Beach County locations and serves over 90,000 hot meals annually, six days per week. The organization expands access to affordable medical, dental and behavioral care through its partnerships with Genesis Community Health (serving clients at clinics in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach) and Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Community Based Clinics (serving residents in West Palm Beach). In addition, BHH sends weekend meals home with food-insecure elementary school students via the BHH Backpacks Program and assists working families with the rising cost of childcare through the Children’s Assistance Program (CAP).
With an increased focus on client self-sufficiency, BHH awards scholarships for qualified candidates to attend accredited vocational training classes that prepare them for careers in the healthcare, information technology, construction, and transportation industries. BHH also offers free English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes, courses in nutrition, and other life skills. In addition, staff and volunteer mentors counsel the unemployed and underemployed in basic workplace skills and help them polish resumes and search for jobs.
Boca Helping Hands is a partner agency of The Town of Palm Beach United Way. Since 1945, the Town of Palm Beach United Way has been committed to improving lives and building strong communities throughout Palm Beach County by focusing on programs and priorities that promote education, health, and financial stability.
Charity Navigator named Boca Helping Hands a Four-Star Charity for the 15th consecutive year in June 2021. Boca Helping Hands is located at 1500 NW 1st Court, Boca Raton, FL 33432. For more information, please visit BocaHelpingHands.org.