Boca Helping Hands Expands to Feed Underserved in Lantana
Through New Pantry Bag Distribution Site
Boca Raton, FL, June 26, 2019 – Boca Helping Hands is expanding its feeding program with the opening of a new pantry bag distribution site in Lantana. The distribution site, located at Advent Lantana, 2116 Lantana Road, Lake Worth, will open on Saturday, June 27 with a grand opening at 1 p.m. Pantry bags filled with food for underserved families will be available each Saturday after that from 1-3 p.m.
Anyone wanting to receive a pantry bag in Lantana must qualify under TEFAP guidelines (people who are at or below the poverty level). Anyone who meets this qualification can register at the new Lantana location.
Boca Helping Hands’ Pantry Bag program helps economically disadvantaged families in Palm Beach County. Current distribution sites include Boca Raton, West Boca, and Boynton Beach. While the need for supplemental food has nearly doubled since the COVID-19 crisis began, the new location was already in the works late last year.
“Thanks to Advent Lantana, we are going to be able to expand our Pantry Bag program further north, bringing hope to even more families in need,” said Greg Hazle, Executive Director of Boca Helping Hands. “This is a service we intend to continue for the long term.”
Congregants from Advent Lantana will volunteer.
“Advent Church Boca has been partners with Boca Helping Hands from the very beginning, and we are thrilled to be able to extend their reach at our new satellite church, Advent Lantana,” The Rev. Dr. Andrew D. Hagen said.
Reverend Andy Hagen serves on the board of Boca Helping Hands and as Pastor of Advent Church’s Boca Raton and Lantana campuses.
Advent Lantana holds community outreach programs throughout the year. During an October 2019 event, Boca Helping Hands conducted a survey to assess if there was a need for a pantry program – and the results showed that there was.
For more information, contact Karen Swedenborg at 561-417-0913, ext. 202.
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.
BHH distributes more than 80,000 pantry bags each year at four Palm Beach County locations and serves over 55,000 hot meals annually, six days per week. The organization expands access to affordable medical, dental and behavioral care through its partnership with Genesis Community Health, serving clients at clinics in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach. 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, transportation, and hospitality industries. BHH also offers free English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes and courses in nutrition and other life skills. Staff and volunteer mentors counsel the unemployed and underemployed in basic workplace skills and help them polish resumes and search for jobs.
Charity Navigator named Boca Helping Hands a Four-Star Charity for the 14th Consecutive Year. Boca Helping Hands is located at 1500 NW 1st Court, Boca Raton, FL 33432. For more information, please visitbocahelpinghands.org.