Boca Helping Hands Seeks Community Support to Feed 24,000 People This Thanksgiving Amid Growing Food Insecurity

Boca Helping Hands is seeking community support to distribute Thanksgiving meals to approximately 4,000 families through its 21st annual Thanksgiving Box Brigade program. The initiative will provide turkeys and complete holiday meal boxes to feed an estimated 24,000 people across Palm Beach County, where one in nine residents struggles with food insecurity.

The program comes at a critical time as rising food costs, housing expenses, and stagnant wages have intensified the need for hunger relief programs throughout the region. According to the 2024 Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) Report for Florida, 46% of Palm Beach County households struggle to make ends meet. This includes 12% living below the Federal Poverty Level and 35% earning above the poverty line but insufficient to afford basic necessities.

Community members can support the effort by donating the cost of a complete Thanksgiving box for $29.72 through the organization's website at https://bocahelpinghands.org/thanksgiving. Distribution will occur the weekend before Thanksgiving on November 22 and 23 at five drive-thru locations throughout east Boca Raton, west Boca, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and Lake Worth.

The program has garnered significant corporate and individual sponsorship, with Dalfen Industrial serving as Overall Sponsor. Other supporters include east Boca Raton sponsors Bob and Anita Kriensky, West Boca sponsor Humana, Boynton Beach sponsor Purity Wholesale Grocers Inc., Delray Beach sponsor Vertical Bridge Charitable Network, and Lake Worth sponsor Avalon Bay Communities.

Bob Kriensky, an east Boca Raton sponsor, emphasized the importance of community support, stating that he and his wife recognize the difficulties many families are experiencing and are proud to support the Thanksgiving Box Brigade. The program specifically targets current Pantry Bag Program clients who might otherwise lack resources to celebrate the holiday.

BHH Executive Director Andrew Hagen expressed gratitude for community support, noting that food drives and Thanksgiving box donations enable families who might not afford holiday celebrations to share meals together. However, he emphasized that food insecurity remains a year-round challenge, particularly with recent reductions in funding for food assistance programs.

Any contributions exceeding Thanksgiving program expenses will be directed toward ongoing food programs supporting the 181,000 families in Palm Beach County facing food insecurity throughout the year. The organization maintains accreditation for Sound Nonprofit Management from Nonprofits First and holds a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid/GuideStar, having been a Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity for 17 consecutive years.