With food prices rising 11.4% over the past year, the need for affordable goods has increased dramatically, according to Boca Helping Hands. As a result, Boca Helping Hands is seeking help from the community to distribute meals to families for Thanksgiving and through the holiday season.

Its 18th annual Thanksgiving Box Brigade program, which provides a turkey and other essentials to prepare a holiday meal, will feed approximately 3,000 families. Community members can get involved by donating the box cost for $31.48 at BocaHelpingHands.org/Thanksgiving. Before the pandemic, Boca Helping Hands distributed about 2,000 turkeys and Thanksgiving meal boxes to local families each year, which increased to a record 2,958 turkeys and boxes last November, helping to support the 181,000 families in Palm Beach County facing food insecurity.

“We know some families are really struggling right now, and Dalfen Industrial is proud to support a program that eases some of their burden around the Holidays,” Gary Peters says, Chairman of Boca Helping Hands.

Boca Helping Hands will distribute the turkeys and Thanksgiving meal boxes to current Pantry Bag Program clients the weekend before Thanksgiving at its five drive-thru distribution locations in Palm Beach.

“We are so grateful to the community each year for their food drives and Thanksgiving box donations,” Greg Hazle says, Boca Helping Hands Executive Director. “Their generosity means that people who would not otherwise be able to sit down for a holiday meal can enjoy one with their family.”

Food insecurity remains a problem year-round and Boca Helping Hands is currently having to purchase more food than ever to supplement its food recovery efforts. The organization recently surpassed 8,000 pantry bags distributed in a month for the first time in its history. BHH expects that more families will need to utilize their pantry bags of groceries and hot meal program to help pay bills.