Restaurants and grocery stores invited to donate to Boca Helping Hands

Boca Raton, Florida – Boca Helping hand (BHH) received more than 1,400 pounds of food from Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers, a scratch kitchen in West Boca Raton that makes every meal fresh. When the restaurant closed for Passover, it was left with a large amount of food that would otherwise go to waste. Boca Helping Hands picked up the food on Friday, April 15, offering it to those in need of a meal.

Boca Helping Hands hopes other restaurants, cafes and grocery stores will consider donating food to the organization, following in the footsteps of Ben’s Deli.

“We are thrilled to donate the food to Boca Helping Hands to share our vacation with those in need,” said Rachel Stone, Food and Beverage Manager and Assistant Manager of Ben’s Deli. “It feels really good to let us expand this notion of feeding people to feed the people who need a good meal the most.”

This act of major giving is not limited to Ben’s Deli in Boca Raton. Each of the seven New York-based locations also participates in food recovery efforts within their communities. “Having grown up in eight different places at the age of 14, I am hypersensitive to the plight of homelessness and hunger,” said Ronnie Dragoon, CEO and Founder of Ben’s Deli.

“Receiving leftover prepared food from Ben’s Deli is a huge blessing,” said Bill Harper, BHH’s Director of Food and Warehousing Operations. “This food is immediately used in our hot meal program to feed local families in need. Ben’s has been faithful over the years with his Passover giving, and we always look forward to this important help. Partnerships with local restaurants are essential to fulfilling our mission at Boca Helping Hands.

“Rising food prices and supply chain issues are affecting all areas of our hunger programs. We are buying food to subsidize our reduced stocks and wholesale prices have increased,” said BHH Managing Director Greg Hazle. “As prices go up, our customers’ dollars are stretched less at the grocery store, so they have to rely on us more. Unfortunately, this means Boca Helping Hands has to buy more food at a higher cost.

Restaurants, cafes or grocery stores that want to help can contact [email protected].

About Boca Helping Hands

Boca Helping Hands (BHH) is a non-profit, community-based organization that provides food, medical, and financial assistance to meet basic human needs, as well as education, job training, and counseling to create self-sufficiency. Through its various programs, BHH helps more than 27,000 people each year.

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 Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Community Based Clinics from Florida Atlantic University (serving residents of West Palm Beach). Additionally, BHH sends meals home on weekends with food-insecure elementary school students through the BHH Backpacks program and helps working families cope with the rising cost of child care. children through the Child Assistance Program (CAP).

With a greater emphasis on client empowerment, BHH awards scholarships to qualified candidates to attend accredited vocational training courses that prepare them for careers in healthcare, information technology, construction and transport. BHH also offers free English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes, nutrition classes, and other life skills. In addition, staff and volunteer mentors advise the unemployed and underemployed on basic workplace skills and help them polish their resumes and seek employment.

Boca Helping Hands is an agency partner of The Town of Palm Beach United Way. Since 1945, the City 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.