Helping Hands 365

WHO WE ARE

What we do... 

We are a group of mothers and grandmothers who decided that there needed to be more help for those in need. We work with the Toys 4 Tots program; however, we observed that they only assist children up to the age of 14 and only parents. What about the children aged 15-18? And what about grandparents that are raising their grandchildren? We knew that we could make a difference if we put our minds together and got the word out to the community that we were here to help. 

So approximately five (5) years ago we started signing up families (both parents and grandparents alike) and distributing gifts for the children and food baskets for struggling families. What started out as a simple idea and concept then, has now blossomed into way more than we ever anticipated. In 2017 we started with 37 families and 63 kids to serving 73 families and 246 kids in 2021. We anticipate that this year will have us helping 181 families and 543 kids. That’s a huge jump! 

However, we could not do what we do or assist so many families in putting smiles on the faces of their children and grandchildren were it not for the great generosity of the community. Every donation, be it cash or gift card or food or toys or simply volunteering your time, makes a huge difference to the families that reach out for our help. Our board members volunteer their time and resources to ensure that 100% of all donations received go directly to the families who need it.  

Our Mission Statement: To lend a helping hand to the families of Central Minnesota through gifts and food.