BOCA RATON, Fla. — A new round of help in Boca Raton is helping families rebound in this trying time.
"What we're seeing right now, a lot of it is still associated with the pandemic," Greg Hazle said.
Hazle is the executive director of Boca Helping Hands. He said when the pandemic began, there was a huge demand for food assistance. But over time, the demand for their services has changed.
"So, we're seeing a lot of people coming in seeking help for rent and with utility cut-offs," he said.
Hazle said the demand can strain a nonprofit's budget. But help is possibly on the way from the city of Boca Raton via the federal CARES Act. Through a community development block grant, Boca Raton will receive nearly $900,000.
"We're going to be doing a large portion of about 350-some-odd thousand and give that away to nonprofits in the community," City Council Member Andy Thomson said.
Thomson said another $350,000 will go to emergency housing assistance and the remainder for administration needs.
"But there's a whole host of other kinds of nonprofits that could be eligible for this kind of assistance -- nonprofits that deal with mental health care or give services to senior citizens," Thomson said.
Tuesday, the council approved a resolution for the city manager to enter into a contract with the federal government to get the money. That will take a few weeks and then the application process will begin.
Hazle said every little amount counts.
"We're not surprised," he said. "We've been kind of preparing for this sequence of events."