Renovating for the Future

In June 2020, BHH recovered over 325,000 pounds of food — more than we did in all of 2010, our first year of operation at the Remillard Family Resource Center. While we’ve opened three satellite pantry-bag distribution locations over the last 10 years (West Boca in September 2011, Boynton Beach in October 2017, and Lantana in June 2020), we’re now operationally maxed out within our existing footprint. To meet our 15% annual increase in food demand — as well as demand from COVID-19 — BHH will renovate a warehouse space across the street from our main facility to double our food storage capacity.

While this renovation may sound like just an infrastructure project, it’s really much more than that: It’s an opportunity to create a conduit of compassion in our community, helping BHH to touch the lives of even more children and families in Palm Beach County. 

Combating Food Insecurity

The United Way of Palm Beach County estimates that over 180,000 county residents struggle with hunger; more than 53,000 are children who go to bed hungry. The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has undoubtedly increased these estimates. Since the crisis began, we have seen a doubling in the demand for our food programs. Over 2,000 new families, representing as many as, 4,700 new people, have signed up to receive pantry bags. Most of these are — or were — working families who have been undone by circumstances outside their control. Feeding people has been the heart of BHH’s operations since we began as a humble soup kitchen over 21 years ago, and we continue to confront the serious issue of food insecurity in our community during the pandemic.

Increasing BHH’s dry food and refrigerated storage capacity will significantly improve our ability to expand our feeding programs. The increased refrigerated space will allow us to store and distribute more fresh produce, thus enhancing the nutritional and economic value of the food our clients receive. For the many working families who use our program to supplement their income, this may help them to keep their lights on, take their kids to the doctor, or pay for other necessities. 

Project Status

Our general contractor is waiting for the City of Boca Raton’s building department to review and approve the final permit applications before starting work. We expect to commence construction by late August, with completion targeted by the end of the year. 

What’s Next?

Once the renovation work begins, we'll post periodic updates on our social media accounts - follow us to stay tuned! If you have questions or want to learn more about how the project will impact our feeding programs, please contact Development Manager Karen Swedenborg at 561-417-0913 x 202 or Karen@BocaHelpingHands.org.