Boca Helping Hands Volunteer Appreciation Dinner Honored 200 Volunteers

Boca Helping Hands celebrated its volunteers during an appreciation dinner entitled “A Night of Hearts” on April 17 at The Addison of Boca Raton, which hosted 200 guests. The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Michael Moran, and the Mel Lazerick Lifetime Achievement Award went to Patricia McCarthy. Fifteen other individuals and six regular volunteer groups were also recognized for their outstanding service to the organization in 2023.

With a staff of only 25 employees, Boca Helping Hands relies on its over 300 regular volunteers to provide the range of services it offers to clients. Last year, BHH volunteers contributed almost 58,000 hours of their time to assist the organization in serving the community.

The Independent Sector, with the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland, recently released their 2023 values for volunteer time, estimating an hour of time donated in Florida at $31.61. That adds up to a contribution of over $1.8 million by Boca Helping Hands volunteers last year, making them one of the organization’s most valuable assets.

“Our volunteers provide not only a critical labor force, but they are also a source of inspiration for all of us at BHH,” said Greg Hazle, Executive Director. “Their selfless dedication reminds us all why we do the work we do. That’s why our theme for the event was, “A Night of Hearts.” As the song says, they are ‘the wind beneath our wings.’”

Boca Helping Hands volunteers assist in various roles such as preparing hot meals, processing, and storing food donations, and distributing pantry bags at BHH’s five Palm Beach County locations in East Boca Raton, West Boca, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and Lake Worth. They also serve as job mentors, instructors for the job training program, and help to administer the organization’s financial assistance programs.

Those interested in volunteering can visit the organization’s website at BocaHelpingHands.org or contact Volunteer Program Manager Nicole Rostant at Nicole@BocaHelpingHands.org.