Causes: Congregate Meals, Employment Preparation & Procurement, Food, Food Programs, Homeless & Housing, Housing Expense Reduction Support, Job Training

Mission: Provide food, medical and financial assistance to meet basic human needs as well as education, job training and guidance to create self-sufficiency.

Programs: See schedule o - food centerthe organization operates a food center, where volunteers cook and serve seven hot, nutritional meals weekly to those less fortunate in the community (lunches from monday through saturday and a thursday family night dinner). Volunteers also distribute grocery bags containing food staples (meat,fruit, produce, dairy, bread and other food items) to eligible low income individuals and families from monday through saturday and deliver lunches to the homebound. Eligibility is monitored very closely. During the year ended december 31, 2017, the organization prepared and served approximately 54,000 hot meals, including delivery of more than 4,000 hot meals to the homebound, and distributed approximately 62,000 grocery food bags to the working poor, unemployed, disabled, homebound and homeless. During the year ended december 31, 2017, the organization recovered more than 1,960,000 pounds of food from supermarkets, restaurants, individuals, businesses, governmental agencies and other organizations.

see schedule o - bhh backpacksthe organization administers bhh backpacks, which addresses the critical problem of what low income school children eat on weekends; i. E. , those who receive their primary meal each weekday through free and reduced school lunch programs. Each friday during the school year, the organization provides six meals, two snacks and two juice boxes in backpacks to hundreds of eligible school children who attend eight area elementary schools to take home for the weekend. The organization purchases the food and then delivers the appropriate amount of each food item to each of the schools on a weekly basis during the academic school year. Volunteers from local faith communities and other organizations have "adopted" these schools and committed their financial resources as well as the manpower needed to pack the backpacks each week. The specific food items used in the backpacks cost approximately $6 per child/per week. During the years ended december 31, 2017, the organization incurred approximately $175,000 in food purchases in connection with this program.

see schedule o - resourceresource center boca helping hands provides limited, financial assistance to qualifying boca raton residents in crisis. Clients may receive limited financial assistance in a twelve month period for aid with rent (must have a 3 day notice from landlord) and utilities (must have final notice from fpl or water department). Individuals are reviewed on a case by case basis. Not all clients qualify, nor are funds available to assist every qualified applicant. Clients have to go thru a specific screening process to meet criteria to be approved. All financial assistance provided by the organization for these crisis situations is paid directly to the landlords, utility companies and similar enterprises only. Prescription medication assistance: the resource center provides emergency, one time financial assistance with prescription medication (does not include prescriptions for narcotic or anti-depressants) for those individuals that qualify for the program. In addition, the resource center helps connect clients to additional resources in the area. Discounted bus passes: individuals wishing to purchase discounted 31-day palm tran bus passes can do so at boca helping hands on tuesdays from 9:00am - 12:30pm. 1-day bus passes are also available for purchase. Discounted rates depend on income eligibility. In order to purchase discounted bus passes, individuals must provide accepted valid documentation based on palm tran's guidelines. Children's assistance program ("cap"): cap helps full time (40 hours or more) working parents by providing limited financial assistance for summer camp, after-school care, and day care for qualifying boca raton residents of 1 year or longer. Those interested in applying for cap have to go through a specific screening process to meet criteria to be approved. During the year ended december 31, 2017, the organization's resource center provided approximately $143,000 in financial assistance for crisis situations and the children's assistance program. Bhh and genesis community health center, inc. ("genesis"), a florida not-for-profit healthcare organization, have established collaboration agreements whereby genesis is providing healthcare services (medical and dental) to bhh clients and others. These services include primary care for families, lab services, hiv rapid testing, physical examinations for work and school, health benefits counseling, dental services and more.

bhh's job mentoring program helps clients become job ready and apply for employment opportunities. Clients receive personalized assistance from volunteer job mentors in job searching, application assistance, resume writing, cover letter development, interview preparation, and access to computers and fax machines for job search and application purposes. The job mentoring program offers computer classes for those wishing to learn basic computer skills, ms word, or excel. During the year ended december 31, 2017, the organization's job mentoring program assisted more than 200 individuals in obtaining employment. Bhh job training programs allow the organization's clients to choose from a variety of no-cost training programs, including hospitality, commercial driver's license, home health aide and it help desk technician. Selected clients are carefully screened for each program and initially must complete a job readiness skills class. During the year ended december 31, 2017, 92 graduated from bhh's job training programs. Hospitality: this course prepares participants to work in the south florida hospitality industry. Students can earn key industry certifications and practice hands-on skills. Graduates work with the organization's job mentors to pursue job opportunities. Commercial driver's license (cdl): the organization partners with the cdl school in lake worth to train students to earn a class a commercial driver's license. Students must complete classroom training, required tests and forty hours of vehicle driving training. Graduates work with the cdl school and the organization's job mentors to pursue job opportunities. Home health aide: the organization works in partnership with international institute for health care professionals to prepare students to work in the home healthcare industry. The organization pays the tuition & related costs for the required 75 hour course. Graduates work with the organization's job mentors to pursue job opportunities with local home healthcare agencies. Those students who demonstrate superior dedication and commitment are encouraged to pursue an advanced 120 hour class leading to certification as certified nursing assistants which generally leads to higher wages as well as greater opportunities for employment and advancement. It help desk technician: this program prepares students to work as computer service technicians in partnership with the academy and pc professor and to provide the necessary training for graduates to earn comptia a+ and network+ certifications. Students attend weekly classes over a ten week period and graduates work with their individual accredited school and bhh job mentors to pursue job opportunities.