Hand In Hand understands the limited resources in our local community and wants to help out in ways that does not take away from any other social service organization in the community. Instead, Hand In Hand wants to either support these local organizations or serve people who do not meet the requirements of the other organizations. With a little notice (about one week), Hand In Hand can come and pick up the items for donations, or you may drop them off at the Hand In Hand office, any day Monday through Friday between 9am and 4pm.
New & Gently Used Toy Drive
We are accepting new and gently used toy donations all year long so that they can be distributed to families the first week of December. No clothes please. Toys can be for any ages infants to teens. They can also include books, DVDs, CDs, computers, tablets, or laptops and electronic gadgets.
Traditionally, Hand In Hand donates all the toys collected through the year to the “Everybody Wins Used Toy Sale and Giveaway” held at Galloway Church. Other ways to distribute the toys are through connections with local service providers and churches to find families with specific needs, and then providing for those families.
Delivery of Toys to Families: First Week in December
Canned Goods & Non-Perishable Foods
Hand In Hand collects canned goods and non-perishable foods for “The 12 Families of Christmas”. These 12 families get nominated by people who know them and their needs. These are people who might not qualify for the traditional food giveaways to needy families. Instead, these families might have had a major life event happen this year and they are just struggling to make ends meet. Some of these major life events might be a house fire, loss of job by a major income earner, serious health diagnosis, the loss of a caregiver to death or divorce. Hand In Hand collects a large amount of non-perishable foods for these families and supplements the donation with frozen meat purchased for the family.
Delivery of food to the Families: Second Week in December or the Week before Christmas
Apartment Starters
Hand In Hand collects Apartment Starter items all year long and displays them in the Apartment Starters “Store”. The store is for people who are moving into their own house or apartment from any of the following programs: Community Living, Residential Rehabilitation, Renewed Life Haven and the Challenge Center. These items also may be used for families who experienced loss in a house fire. The items in the store are free. Due to limited supplies, each “shopper” may take multiple items, but not everything they need. There is not a specific limit, just a chance to get started with some needed items, but also a chance to come back later and “shop” some more.
New and Gently used donations can include:
Plates, cups, glasses, bowls, silverware, utensils, can openers, mixing bowls, pots, pans, bake-ware, lamps, book cases, tables, chairs, stands, jig saw puzzles, other leisure activities.
Furniture:
We have some limited storage space where we can store couches, love seats, recliners, but we will accept these donations if we have space and if they are in good condition.
New Items Needed:
Small appliances, microwaves, sheets and bedding, towels and washcloths, kitchen towels and washcloths, toilet paper, dish soap, laundry soap, leisure activity items, and anything else someone might need/use in an apartment or house.
Getting Apartment Starters to Individuals: Ongoing as needed. They may “shop” in the store and get the needed items throughout the year.
Yard Sale Donations
Every year, Hand In Hand sponsors a Community Yard Sale to benefit the families of the Franklin 3rd Ward Community, and the proceeds from the sale of yard sale items by Hand In Hand goes to a local charity or mission group. Hand In Hand does the promotion and all the advertising for the Community Yard Sales and makes up yard sale maps so that people shop at the yard sales of its neighbors. In addition, in the parking lot of Hand In Hand, various employees, mission groups, and people who receive services at Hand In Hand, set up in the parking lot to sell their goods. Finally, Hand In Hand sets up its sale of yard sale items in the parking lot and all of the proceeds from that sale go to local charities or mission groups.
Hauling of Yard Sale Donations: Between June 1st and August 1st Hand In Hand will come and pick up yard sale donations with some planning and coordination of schedules.
Dropping off Yard Sale Donations: Between June 1st and August 1st you may drop off any yard sale donations at the Hand In Hand Office, 118 Grant St. Franklin any day Monday through Friday between 9am and 4pm.
Yard Sale Dates: The 3rd Ward Community Yard Sale is held every year, the first weekend in August.