As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues, the need to provide community assistance is more important now than ever. Not only do residents need help getting food, but nonprofit organizations need volunteers to pack and deliver these items.When the Broward Sheriff’s Office was contacted by The Pantry of Broward to provide assistance with the distribution of 55-pound boxes of food throughout Broward County, Sheriff Gregory Tony and members of BSO’s Neighborhood Support Team (NST) stepped in to help.
Through NST’s Operation Helping Hands program, food boxes consisting of nutritional products such as fresh fruits, vegetables and bread were hand delivered to eight senior citizen families within the cities of Lauderdale Lakes and Tamarac. The families that were identified by The Pantry of Broward are in need of assistance, and each food box is said to be enough to prepare at least 46 meals.
Sheriff Tony enacted NST in 2019 to ensure the needs of the community are met through unified efforts with community stakeholders. It consists of a captain, 34 dedicated sergeants and deputies, and four regional NST specialist throughout BSO’s districts. NST also focuses on increasing crime prevention education and awareness.
