Growth and support begins at home, and the Helping Hand Foundation was created with that belief in mind. The following are some of the examples of recent giving by the Helping Hand Foundation, and the impact it had to the recipients.

- In partnership with the Kansas City Brigade, the foundation established a fund for the Osawatomie, Kansas, flood victims.

- The Helping Hand Foundation, in partnership with Crawl for Cancer, has granted the wish of a terminally ill cancer patient to spend time with her children on a memorable trip. In addition, the foundation assisted a patient receiving chemotherapy and unable to work for eight weeks with two months of mortgage payments and one car payment to help alleviate the financial burden during her recuperation.

- The Helping Hand Foundation provided mortgage and car payment assistance to a family who was in need. Because the husband was out of work for 2 1/2 months due to illness, the family became overwhelmed with regular monthly obligations, and was slipping further and further behind, causing stress and fear and doubt. Their home was in default, they were in danger of losing their automobiles, falling increasingly behind on their utilities and concerned about providing for their little ones at Christmas. Because of the assistance offered by HHF, this challenge was a temporary detour and not a derailment for this young family. Her husband is back at work, she has completed her real estate licensing exam and is moving forward in her plans for a small but meaningful Christmas for her family. The family found it difficult to put into words the impact this has had beyond the obvious facts of saving their home. They spoke of the spiritual impact of having their prayers answered by a stranger who cared.

- The Helping Hand Foundation partnered with the Metropolitan Lutheran Ministries and the applicant's family to support dental extractions and dentures to an applicant with advanced tooth decay due to disease. As a result, the widowed applicant is now working full time in hotel housekeeping. Someone close to the applicant explains, "I am 100% certain that her life has been greatly impacted. She is able to eat, open her mouth to talk with people, and most importantly - smile. She had been in immense pain due to the decay and could only drink her food. Having the treatment improved the quality of her life. Her self-esteem was raised, which impacts her quality of life both personally and professionally and improves her work potential. When you know that there is someone out there who really cares, the tears are real. It is a growing experience for them. Before the foundation stepped up to help, there was a feeling of hopelessness and defeat…Her son will be happy to eat with her now and happy to see his mom smile."

- The Helping Hand Foundation, in partnership with CDDO and JCDS, supplied a computer and printer to a severely aggressive autistic child. This action tremendously improved the quality of life in the home by reducing the level of violence. The computer is used as a behavior reinforcement and motivation tool. Additionally, the mother uses it as a tool to record complex (in formula form) information to track son's progress and communicate with the doctor directly to better regulate his medication. This also presented an avenue whereby his sister is able to meaningfully interact with her autistic brother. He invites her involvement in the exploration of websites. This type of support could eliminate the need to have him removed from the home and institutionalized, as he had been in the past. According to his social worker, this grant has long lasting effects for the entire family.

- The Helping Hand Foundation granted a computer system to an 11-year-old cancer patient unable to attend school, which enabled him to do his class work from home and maintain contact with school and friends.

- The foundation provided digital hearing aids to an elderly woman who had curtailed her activities due to her hearing impairment. She is now actively participating in life and enjoying improved relationships because of improved communication.

- A single mom was about to be evicted from her apartment and lose the contents of her storage unit. Within one day, the foundation had her belongings moved from storage to her apartment and covered the rent that was in arrears. According to her mother, "The Helping Hand Foundation not only made a band-aid fix but gave her a second chance. With this boost, she should be able to keep up her rent and the family will not have to go to a shelter. Most of all you have created stability for her children."

- A mother of three was leaving an abusive relationship, her son got in serious accident. She says, "we were in the middle of every parents nightmare, and God let me wake up." A grant from the foundation saved the home and brought the utility bills current.

- An arthritic elderly widow living alone on fixed income with no plumbing had been carrying wastewater to bathroom to discard. The foundation replaced her plumbing, and she is now able to remain in her own home.

- The foundation provided a computer to a former high school football player being treated for agoraphobia that allowed him to continue his studies while house bound.

- The foundation provided a grant to a single parent family for the purchase of diapers for a young child who, due to seizure disorder, could not be potty trained. The grant covered a period of time until child was eligible for Medicaid coverage.

- The foundation provided transportation to an out-of-state hospital for life saving surgery for a father, and housing for his family near the hospital while undergoing transplant surgery and recovery.

- A young couple expecting their third child was forced to leave their rat infested rental unit. The children were placed in care of the Salvation Army children's home until new lodging could be secured. A grant from the foundation covered the first month's rent and security deposit for new home allowing the family to be reunited. The mother is now in planning stages of a new business with her mom, to be started in the City Market this summer, and they are working with their landlord toward the purchase of their home. The children are now in school at the neighborhood church. She is also enrolled in a criminal law course of study at a junior college.

- Extensive dental treatment (13 extractions and dentures) was provided for an uninsured mother of four. Due to the embarrassment of her tooth decay, the mother's self-esteem suffered and she became embarrassed to be in public, and eventually lost her job. Her son was sole support of their family until the mother regained her smile.

- The foundation granted compression garments for patient with lymphoma affecting their abdomen, legs and buttocks.

- The foundation provided a grant to replace the stolen and uninsured tools of an independent elderly woman in rural Kansas who supports herself by repairing, fashioning and selling furniture.

- The foundation provided prescription eyeglasses for a critically ill man. He could not afford the minor payment of $85.00 because his wife had to leave work to provide care for him full-time.

- Computer Initiative: Gently used computers have been donated to the following organizations:

• Friendship House/Catherine's Place - The computers serve mothers in recovery and their children in an extended-stay, residential setting. Computers are used for job training, classes and employment research.
• Ronald MacDonald House - Computers are used by the families to stay in contact with by e-mail, for research and fun.
• Meals-on-Wheels - Computers are used in record keeping for administration of meal delivery programs to elderly in Shawnee Mission and Christ the King Parish.
• Hope House - Computers are used by residents in classes and for job training, resume preparation and research.
• The Upper Room - A neighborhood program offering computer classes and GED training, after school programs for children, tutoring, and daycare.
• Paid-in-Full Ministries - Computers used by the children in the reading, math and tutoring programs.
• Boys and Girls Club - Computers used by the children in the after-school programs.
• East Area Community Coalition - Computers used by youth and teens in after school programs and in service to senior citizens.
• Higher M-Pact - Provided computers for after-school programs and adult education for the community center at Charlie Parker Square.
• Our Lady of Unity School - Provided computers for the computer lab.