We are so happy that you’ve found Helping Hands!
We are here to serve your family Monday through Friday from 9-11:15AM and Thursday evenings from 4:30-6:30PM. We also offer Saturday hours on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 9-11:15AM.
Helping Hands is a crisis food pantry providing grocery assistance and resource connections to Tri-County families facing food insecurity. We are serving over 600 families each month and hope to meet you with grace and serve you with respect. We ask the same in return. Helping Hands is powered by the passion of our volunteer team and filled with the donations from community partners and Feeding America Retail Rescue Partners. We cannot serve YOU without these 2 incredible teams!
If this will be your first time receiving assistance, here is some helpful information:
Parking–We have 6 parking spaces. If you need additional parking outside of the HH lot, please park in our overflow parking at Metro North Church and walk over to the pantry.
You cannot park in the culdesac.
Registration–Families should enter our facility on the Right side of the building under the awning marked Family Registration.
A volunteer will greet you there. Please have your ID ready.
Pre-Registration– Find the link below our program descriptions to cut down your intake registration.
There will be additional paperwork to do when you arrive at HH.
Do I qualify? YES! ALL families qualify for our Choice Pantry Program.
This program provides a family with fresh produce, frozen meat, bakery products, toiletries, and a predetermined weight of non-perishable items to shop for at our mini grocery store. Families can shop for their own food with a personal shopper volunteer, or our volunteer shopper will shop with a family’s chosen needs list if the family is unable to self-shop.
Most families will qualify for an additional Subsidy program at Helping Hands:
1. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
If a family’s income meets the TEFAP income guidelines (TEFAP LINK), they would qualify and receive the USDA food subsidy in addition to their Choice Pantry Shop.
2. ALIFT for ALICE families
ALICE is an acrostic meaning Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, in essence a working poor family. If the family is considered an ALICE family income standards (LEARN ABOUT ALICE HERE), the family would qualify for our ALIFT subsidy, which removes the USDA subsidy and provides a $50 community-funded grocery gift card in addition to their Choice Pantry Shop.
3. CSFP–Senior Box program
If a family includes a senior that falls in line with the CSFP income guidelines (CSFP GUIDELINES), they would qualify for a Senior Box, which equals about 35 additional pounds of food each month in addition to their USDA supplement AND their Choice Pantry Shop.
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If today will be your first time receiving assistance from Helping Hands, you can start your paperwork before you arrive by clicking the pre-register button below.
Please share names of ALL people in your household with Dates of Birth and income.
Please note if your household members receive Medicaid or SNAP benefits.
This is the ONLY information we need to collect for each household member.
________________________________________________________ In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights,
1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.