Starting on March 2, BHH will be serving the Boynton Beach community five days a week through its drive-thru Pantry Bag Program. The program is open to qualifying Palm Beach County residents living at or below the poverty level as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Individuals enrolled in SNAP, TANF, or Medicare/Medicaid automatically qualify. Registration is completed in-person during their first visit to any of five distribution locations.
The Boynton Beach satellite food distribution is located at First Baptist Church of Boynton Beach (301 N Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach, FL 33435). Distribution occurs on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 10 am – 12 pm and Wednesday from 1 pm – 2:30 pm. Pantry Bag Program clients receive non-perishable staples such as rice, pasta, and beans in addition to seasonal fresh produce and protein.
Pantry Bag Program client Patrice D. says the food helps supplement her family’s income. “There’s five of us in the family. It helps us with the food, and if my husband doesn’t have work, which he usually does, but sometimes he doesn’t have work.”
The Boynton Beach satellite distribution site first opened in November of 2017. Demand has steadily increased since then, growing from 355 pantry bags of groceries distributed in that first month to 1,549 bags distributed in January of 2022. Additional information on how to register for the Pantry Bag Program, hours, and distribution locations can be found on BHH’s website at BocaHelpingHands.org/PantryBagProgram.
In addition to receiving pantry bags of groceries, Boynton Beach residents are also eligible for emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities, childcare, and healthcare vouchers for medical, dental, and behavioral care services for the uninsured. Requirements and additional information about how to apply for financial assistance can be found at BocaHelpingHands.org/FinancialResources. Additional information for how to obtain healthcare vouchers can be found at BocaHelpingHands.org/Healthcare.
