Boca Helping Hands celebrated its volunteers during an appreciation dinner on April 25th at the Addison of Boca Raton, which attracted 130 guests. The Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Charles Coward, and the Mel Lazerick Lifetime Achievement award went to Dr. Sarah Lochner. Thirteen other individuals, chosen from each BHH program and location, were also recognized for their outstanding service to the organization in 2022.
Recent news reports have highlighted a national decline in volunteering, with Florida showing the steepest decline: from 23% of residents volunteering in 2017 to only 16% last year.
“We try to honor our volunteers at every opportunity since they are so important to our operations,” said Greg Hazle, Executive Director. “Boca Helping Hands volunteers have really stepped up when we’ve needed them, bucking the trends and donating even more of their time over the past year. However, that increase still has not kept pace with the increased demand for services.”
As South Florida rolls into its off-season, Boca Helping Hands is struggling to find enough volunteers to help serve the growing number of people in need of assistance. In March, the organization experienced a nearly 40% increase in demand for food over March 2022.
Boca Helping Hands is seeking additional volunteers to assist with preparing hot meals, processing and storing food donations, and distributing pantry bags and meals at its five Palm Beach County locations. To volunteer, contact Volunteer Program Manager Tara Currier at 561-400-2617 ext.214 or Tara@BocaHelpingHands.org.