Holding Out Help
Join Hands Ministry’s mission is “to serve as the heart of Perry County, providing essential support to neighbors facing hardships.” They achieve their mission through their HELP program, which aids those facing challenges with their basic human needs, including housing, utilities, hygiene, and food.
Their Financial Assistance Program provides for the tangible needs of the community, including rent, medical bills, and utilities, and a Financial Literacy Program, which teaches community members how to make sound financial decisions.
They also offer youth assistance, which connects students with financial support and mentorships, along with their Back-To-School Programdesigned to prepare students and teachers and their Christmas Program, which provides gifts to children and elderly individuals through community sponsorships.
Beyond their HELP program, they also distribute clothing and shoes to neighbors in need and provide toiletry products. Last year they provided more than 5,000 servicesthrough monthly distributions to over 1,500 individualsand families.
Joining Together To Make A Difference
The CommunityAid Foundation is thrilled to partner with Join Hands Ministry to make a difference for our neighbors in need.
We provided nearly $20,000 in grants since 2023 to grow their impact and support their mission. Last year, we provided $10,000 to magnify the impact of their HELP program and $4,000 to meet a funding gap caused by an increased demand for services.
We continue to provide Care Cards throughout the year to supplement JHM’s clothing offering to their clients. These $25 CommunityAid store vouchers provide recipients with the dignity of choice, enabling them to select the items that meet their individual needs. Since 2024, we’ve supplied $1,500 in cards to expand their reach and impact.
They have attended several LIFTS Workshops, including “Responding to Increasing Service Demands” and “Effective Approaches to Grants.” Join Hands Ministry’s Executive Director Rita Schaaf shared, “JHM leadership has been able to attend workshops, which have provided insight into some of the most important matters facing nonprofits along with the network opportunities presented.”
Finally, Join Hands Ministry has CommunityAid bins at their location, which enables them to exchange unwanted clothing or items for unrestricted funds through our Donation Program.
“Our partnership with the CommunityAid Foundation has been a tremendous blessing to the families we serve,” Rita concluded. “The resources generated through this collaboration directly support our financial assistance programs, hygiene distributions, and emergency services. Because of the CommunityAid Foundation, we are able to respond more consistently and effectively to community needs.”
We are so grateful to be able to work with great organizations like Join Hands Ministry. Want to learn more about the work they do? Check out their website at https://joinhandspa.com/. You can learn about even more organizations that we support here.