Published On: Wed, May 25th, 2022

Boca Helping Hands Struggling to Keep Up with Inflation and Decreased Volunteer Support

Boca Raton, FL – 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 December 2021, the organization has seen increases of 18% in demand for pantry bags and 10% 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% 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 to supplement our supply of donated food, and wholesale 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 organization encourages residents to host food drives at their schools, places of worship, or workplaces.

Another operational challenge in feeding those in the community is the decline in the number of volunteers. In the last two months, the organization has seen a decrease of 20% to its volunteer group and expects a total decline of 30% by the beginning of June. BHH is in critical need of additional volunteer support at multiple service locations and roles.

Individual Volunteer Opportunities:

East Boca

•       Monday – Saturdays (8:30 am – 12:30 pm)

o   Food Center – Making sandwiches

o   Warehouse – Packing pantry bags of food, packing meat and produce, packing meals for children in summercamp

•       Monday – Saturday (8:00 am – 12:30 pm)

o   Kitchen – Prepping food for the hot meal program

•       Thursday (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

o   Kitchen – Prepping food for the hot meal program

•       Thursday (4:00 pm – 6:00 pm)

o   Pantry Bag Distribution – assisting with distributing groceries in the drive-thru car line  

•       Friday (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

o   Kitchen – Prepping food for the hot meal program

Boynton Beach

•       Monday (9:30 am – 12:00 pm)

o   Pantry Bag Distribution – assisting with distributing groceries in the drive-thru car line

•       Tuesday (9:30 am – 12:00 pm)

o   Pantry Bag Distribution – assisting with distributing groceries in the drive-thru car line  

•       Wednesday (12:30 pm – 2:30 pm)

o   Pantry Bag Distribution – assisting with distributing groceries in the drive-thru car line  

Delray

•       Thursday (2:30 pm – 5:00 pm)

o   Pantry Bag Distribution – assisting with distributing groceries in the drive-thru car line  

Group Volunteer Opportunities:

·      Monday – Friday (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm)

o   Warehouse – Packing meals for children in summer camp or packing meat and produce

To donate, visit BocaHelpingHands.org/Donate. To volunteer, visit BocaHelpingHands.org/Volunteer. To host a food drive and download a list of most needed items, visit BocaHelpingHands.org/FoodDrives.

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.

In 2021, BHH distributed more than 70,000 pantry bags from five Palm Beach County locations and served nearly 80,000 hot meals. 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.

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