BOCA RATON, Fla. — COVID-19 continues to stress food pantry shelves ever since the pandemic's inception in March of this year.
"The demand for our feeding programs since the pandemic started affecting us, has gone up dramatically," Greg Hazle said.
Hazle works for Boca Helping Hands. His organization is looking to provide more Thanksgiving meals than ever before through their Box Brigade Program.
"We have signed up approximately almost four-thousand new families for pantry bag feeding programs," he said.
Three-thousand families are registered for a box. That's a thousand more families than last year. This year, an anonymous donor is providing the turkeys while members of the community can donate the cost of a box, $27.50, to provide the side dishes.
Hazle said the need is real.
"It is a direct result of what the pandemic has caused in terms of the additional kind of desperation for simple things like food," Hazle said.
Councilmember Andy Thomson said Boca Helping Hands continues to be a service to the community.
"They're doing their best to try and fit that need and try to provide meals that they historically have been able to do to the members of the community who need it," Thomson said.
Hazle said they've never fed as many people as they have this year.
"A friend in need is a friend indeed," he said.
Hazle said there are four locations where his organization will distribute food. He said people can pick up food at their east and west Boca locations, Lantana, and their Boynton Beach location.
Click here for more information about the program and to learn how to donate.