Helping Hands continues to live up to its name this holiday season.
This organization is a ministry of local churches in Upland, store manager Beverly Pugsley said. It is based specifically out of Upland Community Church (UCC) but is also affiliated with Jefferson Christian Church, Pierce Church, Upland Christian Center and Upland Friends Church.
This ministry seeks to “provide assistance to Upland area families who are experiencing financial difficulties due to unemployment, illness, or other crisis situations,” according to its mission statement.
One way the volunteers extend a helping hand during the holidays is by providing dinners.
This Thanksgiving they distributed approximately 60 dinners to Upland area residents. These dinners consisted of food donated by church and community members, as well as turkeys purchased by Helping Hands, Pugsley said. Volunteers assembled the Thanksgiving meals and, rather than having the recipients of the dinners come and pick them up at UCC, the volunteers delivered them out into the community.
Helping Hands will also provide Christmas dinners for those in need. Additionally, they facilitate ways for children in the community to receive Christmas gifts. At UCC, there are papers that include specific gift requests of local children. A person can pick up a paper, purchase the gift and then drop it off at UCC where the gifts will then be distributed for the holidays.
While these are just some of the ministry’s seasonal services, it also helps the surrounding community year-round through its two-pronged ministry. This includes the Helping Hands thrift store and the food pantry, which are open on Tuesdays 6 to 8 p.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donations can be dropped off during normal hours on Tuesday and until noon on Saturday.
All the proceeds from the thrift store, other than some money set aside for the pantry and general maintenance, goes back into the community to assist people who are in need, Pugsley said.
They provide emergency monetary assistance as specific situations come about. Typically, a call will come in through UCC notifying them of a need in the community. There is then a Helping Hands board member who assesses the need and helps coordinate the necessary financial assistance. This process is vetted as best they can.
“We have helped people with car repairs, car purchases,” Pugsley said. “A lot of it is utility and rent. That’s probably the biggest I would say. And the money does not go directly to that person. If it’s the water bill, it goes to our town. We’re paying; we’re not handing them cash.”
Whether it is providing dinners or emergency financial assistance, Helping Hands services stay local, assisting those in the Jefferson and Monroe townships. Pugsley said they have been extending their hand in this community since the 80s.
This ministry is also sustained by volunteers – one of which is Jane Sauer, volunteer and Helping Hands board member.
“There is not one single paid employee,” Sauer said. “Here it is all volunteer and has always been all volunteer.”
Saurer serves at the thrift store, which she said offers good quality clothing for much lower prices than surrounding stores. For example, blouses and shirts are $1 to $1.50, and pants are $2, she said.
She has continued to see people walk out with good deals this winter.
“You know, a lady went out with a really nice winter coat for $8 today,” she said. “Another one, $15 for a Land’s End winter coat that looked like it’d never been worn.”
More than watching people benefit from good deals, Sauer said her favorite part of volunteering at the thrift store is encouraging the people who come in and building relationships.
For her, it’s a blessing to not just meet people’s physical needs but also their social and emotional needs as they visit the store.
“Oftentimes, someone will come in and they just need to get out of the house,” Sauer said. “They just need to see someone. They just need to talk to someone. And they'll verbalize that, you know? And I love that – being able to be that person to kind of help bring some sunshine into their day, some connection with another human being.”
In addition to serving Upland residents, Pugsley and Sauer also want Taylor University students to know about Helping Hands. While students often visit for their Labor Day sale, Pugsley said the store welcomes students all year long.
People can stop by Helping Hands at 64 Railroad Street during their Tuesday and Saturday hours. If anyone is interested in volunteering, they can pick up an application at the thrift store. Additionally, people can follow Helping Hand Upland on Facebook for more information regarding updates, events or specific needs for their pantry.
“We've been around for a long time, and there have been a lot of people who have been invested in this ministry for a lot of years,” Pugsley said.
