Page 6 - Boca Exposure - June '22
P. 6

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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