Boca Helping Hands to Purchase Truckload of Canned Goods to Help Fill Emptying Shelves, in the Wake of Drastic Drop in Food Donations
The truckload will be delivered on Monday and will help feed families and seniors in need
Boca Helping Hands, which provides food, medical, and financial assistance to help individuals and families improve their quality of life and build financial stability, will receive a truck load of canned goods on Monday, June 30 to fill the empty shelves at the organization’s warehouse, located at 1500 N.W. 1st Court, Boca Raton.
Nonprofits like Boca Helping Hands face shortages in the summer as volunteers and donors leave.
“Federal cuts, food prices and the summer slump have reduced the amount of food Boca Helping Hands has received over the past few months to a trickle,” Executive Director Andrew Hagen said. “I was walking through the warehouse today and saw the saddest sight—empty shelves. A volunteer who was going to pack our food bags approached me and said, ‘What are we going to do about this? People are hurting out there.’”
Dr. Hagen said he met with his Food Program Manager Bill Harper and they decided to use some of their financial donations to purchase a truckload of canned goods. They hope this will get them through the next month as they expect demand to rise due to cutbacks on food and funds for food banks at the federal level.
This $40,000 is the entire balance of the budget that Boca Helping Hands has for purchasing food in 2025. This truck, filled with 38,000 pounds of food, represents six days of food that is distributed by the organization.
“This food isn’t going to last long. We’ll have distributed all the food we received fairly soon and will need the community’s help. This is an unusual circumstance because our normal food sources have dried up,” Dr. Hagen said.
Boca Helping Hands has just launched its Feeding Hope Summer Support-A-Thon and are asking for donations of food or funds for food. To donate, food can be dropped at 1500 N.W. 1st Court, Boca Raton. Hands In July, Hands On Tzedakah will double unrestricted contributions up to $250 to a total of $25,000.
“People know that this is a tough time for seniors, families with children and the working poor,” said Dr. Hagen. Our generous donors have made it possible to step up this time to the tune of $40,000. But every donation, every can counts.”
According to the Palm Beach County Food Bank, more than 173,000 in the County are food insecure including one in five children.
Through its various programs, Boca Helping Hands assists nearly 35,000 people annually. Distributing food to the working poor from five distribution centers, the organization provides each year approximately 112,000 pantry bags, 73,000+ hot meals served and delivered. It also provides job training aimed at bringing individuals out of poverty.
To donate food, please reach out to Bill Harper at bill@bocahelpinghands.org or call 561-417-0913.
About Boca Helping Hands
Boca Helping Hands (BHH) is a community-based nonprofit that provides food, medical, and financial assistance to help individuals and families improve their quality of life and build financial stability. Through its various programs, BHH assists nearly 35,000 people annually.
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.
Boca Helping Hands holds accreditation for Sound Nonprofit Management from Nonprofits First, has a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid/GuideStar, and has been a Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity for 17 consecutive years. Boca Helping Hands is located at 1500 NW 1st Court, Boca Raton, FL 33432. For more information, please visit BocaHelpingHands.org.