“Omicron has affected the entire world right now, including us here at Boca Helping Hands,” said Tara Currier, the volunteer manager at Boca Helping Hands.
Part of the problem is getting food donations. That’s always been a challenge and even more so during the pandemic.
But a bigger problem right now is finding volunteers. It’s not that people don’t want to volunteer. They can’t volunteer because of COVID-19.
“Some have unfortunately gotten it. Some have been exposed to it. Their family members have gotten it,” Currier said.
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And some volunteers are older and can’t risk being exposed. Currier said Boca Helping Hands normally has around 40 volunteers every morning. Lately, they’ve been getting just a little more than half of that.
“Our volunteers that are showing up are having to work twice as hard, three times as hard, just to be able to get it done,” she said.
And it’s not just at Boca Helping Hands. Judith Cruz, the president and CEO at Treasure Coast Food Bank, said their volunteer hours have also been cut almost in half.
Jamie Kendall, the CEO at Palm Beach County Food Bank, said their volunteer hours have also been slashed, though not to quite that extent.
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All three organizations said they continue to feed the community. Nobody has been turned away.
But they said each time COVID-19 spikes, it gets more and more difficult.
“During all these surges, it’s been hard,” Currier said. “And I don’t think we’ve ever been hit this hard before.”
To donate or volunteer, you can go to the websites for Boca Helping Hands, Treasure Coast Food Bank or Palm Beach County Food Bank.
