One of the oldest Orders of Chivalry in existence, The Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller of Florida is a charitable nonprofit organization that has been a driving force behind many of the milestones BHH has achieved.
Among the Order of St John’s most significant contributions to Boca Helping Hands was donating a 22-foot refrigerated truck in 2008 to assist in our growing food recovery efforts. Having our own refrigerated truck helped us accelerate our food recovery, jumping to 292,432 pounds recovered in 2009 over 198,853 pounds the previous year.
BHH was also a fortunate beneficiary of Order of St. John fundraising events held in honor of the late Henrietta, the Countess, de Hoernle, a long-time Order of St. John member and local philanthropic icon. For her 100th birthday benefit gala in 2012, the Order raised $275,000 for six local charities, BHH being one of them.
Local Commandery leader, Commander Isabelle Paul, said, “The mission of our 1,000-year-old Order is to take care of the sick and less fortunate. Boca Helping Hands’ programs have always stood out to us, and we are proud to support an organization doing such good work.”
Over the years, the Order of St. John’s grant funding has also supported BHH’s continued food recovery efforts, the BHH Backpacks weekend meal program, Tuesday hot lunches, as well as our Job Training Program and healthcare assistance programs.
“We have supported almost every program Boca Helping Hands offers,” Paul said. “We are hoping that we will be able to continue this partnership well into the future.”
