VIDEO: HHH Volunteer Profile -The Brickman Group
Volunteer profile for one of the many businesses who give of their time and resources to keep Helping Hand House units in great shape for homeless families to move into and call home. More info on how your business can make a difference at http://www.helpinghandhouse.org/get-involved/volunteergroup-opportunities/.
ARTICLE: “Rotary Honors Residents: HHH Volunteer Services Director recognized with Vocational Services Award”, Tacoma News Tribune
Congratulations to our very own Lisa Heintz, Volunteer Services Director, for being recognized with the SH Rotary’s Vocational Excellence Award for Non-Profit/Non-Governmental service. Others recognized include Puyallup City Manager Ralph Dannenberg, teacher Amanda Kraft, and business owners Ken and JoAnn Scholz. You deserve it!
Rotary honors residents
By Andrew Fickes
Five exceptional people doing good things in the Puyallup, South Hill and East Pierce community were recognized for their contributions at the 2011 Puyallup South Hill Rotary Community Vocational Awards luncheon.
On Thursday, May 12, the South Hill Rotary presented awards in the areas of business, education, government and non-profit to Ken and JoAnn Scholz, Amanda Kraft, Ralph Dannenberg and Lisa Heintz, respectively.
“I was extremely impressed with the recipients,” said Karen Hansen, chairwoman of the South Hill Rotary awards selection committee. “They truly exhibited the qualities we were looking for in these awards.”
The Scholzes were recognized for their Snowshoe Evergreen choose and cut Christmas tree farm business based in McMillin, between Orting and Sumner. The farm is on Ken Scholz’s parents property, which he and his wife purchased in the mid-1970s.
“Ken and JoAnn are steadfast, community supporters with a commitment to supporting youth and truly believing in giving back and doing so on an annual basis,” said Jerome O’Leary, the Scholz’s son-in-law. “You could not ask for a better success story for two people who have worked hard and been successful and remained humble.”
Ken Scholz said he and his wife farm about 350 acres for Christmas trees, which includes land they lease to others. The wholesale cut tree business sells about 35,000 to 50,000 trees each season. The Scholzes are strong believers in education and contribute regularly to the Western Washington Fair Scholarship Foundation.
“We appreciate (this award) very much,” Ken Scholz said. “We will continue to uphold exactly what this award means.”
Kraft, who received the education award, was introduced by one of her longtime mentors, Guy Kovacs, principal at Edgerton Elementary School. Kraft is a fourth grade teacher at Edgerton.
“I have worked in the district for over 20 years and I can safely say that Amanda is one of the best educators I have had the privilege to work with,” Kovacs said. “She is the type of teacher that students remember for their entire lives for all the right reasons.”
While at the same time teaching, Kraft is also the Edgerton elementary assessment coordinator, student council coordinator, track coach and math relay coach. During the past five years, she has also helped bring Edgerton curriculum to state standards in the area of math.
Kovacs also touted Kraft for her extraordinary ability to organize school events targeted at raising money for the fight against lymphoma. Her hard work, he said, has made Edgerton the top fundraising school for lymphoma in the Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska region.
“I don’t teach to be recognized,” Kraft said. “I became a teacher to impact lives. I appreciate Guy for always pushing me and inspiring me. I appreciate my husband and my mother is my biggest cheerleader.”
Dannenberg was introduced by Councilmember Rick Hansen.
“He filled a breach (at the city) when we really needed help,” Hansen said. “(The city) has moved light years ahead and that is owed to Ralph.”
Dannenberg, an employee of the city of Puyallup since 1998, was hired as city manager in October 2010.
“I feel blessed to be in Puyallup,” Dannenberg said. “I thank the council for selecting me as city manager. I look forward to coming to work every day.”
Heintz, a highly organized and take-charge leader, received the non-profit award for her active role as the director of volunteer services at Helping Hand House. Heintz said she helps connect individuals to different projects that they may want to work on.
Heintz has been in non-profit work for 11 years following eight years in the dental profession. Despite no four-year degree, Heintz said she has relied on hard work and talent to succeed in the non-profit field.
“I’m truly humbled to win this award and to know that hard work truly pays off and sometimes you don’t always need a college degree to succeed,” she said.
Reach Puyallup reporter Andrew Fickes at 253-841-2481 Ext. 313 or e-mail at andrew.fickes@puyallupherald.com.
Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/05/18/v-lite/1669081/rotary-honors-residents.html#ixzz1MjCbTc5r
Recent comments from student volunteers
A tremendous “Thank You!” to the many students who volunteer with us every year – we wanted to share a few of the notes they give us…
“Thank you so much for every single thing you have done for HHH and for the people in our community. I absolutely love all the projects you put on and you always do things to benefit others, and not just for recognition of doing things… Thank you so much!” – Megan
“Thanks for the opportunity to volunteer! Your organization is so awesome!” – Kayla
“Your organization is incredible! I would love to be more involved in it and I had fun organizing the shop room! Thanks for letting us help out.” – Hannah
“I really enjoyed learning more about HHH and have followed you guys on Facebook and Twitter!” – Peter
“Thanks so much for letting us organize the shop room. I had a wonderful experience.” – Melanie
“You have such a wonderful organization and I thoroughly enjoyed helping HHH. Thank you so much and you are a wonderful group of people!” – Allyssa
2009 Annual Report available!
Take a look at the Helping Hand House 2009 Annual Report, with design done pro-bono by Chris Bivins of Spilled Ink Studios. Thanks to all the individuals, churches, groups of all kinds, companies, foundations, and government entities that made it possible to end homelessness for over 250 Pierce County families in 2009. We’d also particularly like to recognize the volunteers who contributed over 1,800 hours of service to the mission, creating quilts, baking cakes, mowing lawns, and so much more.
Enjoy!
Click here to download the report (PDF)
Friends make all the difference
When we were growing up, we had friends that cared about the same things that we did and happened to live near enough for it to matter. Sometimes they were smarter and more athletic, sometimes they weren’t – but if they didn’t play nice, they couldn’t come over anymore. Some of those friends were lifelong relationships, and others were those that we stopped talking to after they moved out of the neighborhood and felt awkward seeing in the grocery store. New friends, old friends – it just mattered that we had friends…and it was our friends that made adventures possible and dreams come alive.
Helping Hand House turned 26 this year – 26 years of growing up in east Pierce County. Life is a lot bigger and more complicated than it was in the early days. But we have amazing friends, so many of whom have been with us through thick and thin over the last decades of economic ups and downs in Pierce County.
Some of our friends
We have friends like the Puyallup Valley Quilters (PVQ) – one of several quilting groups who provide a beautiful handmade quilt to every member of every family who comes into one of our housing programs. Whether a person is 4 or 54, there’s nothing like a warm quilt made with care and a little message attached to the corner: “Made with love just for you by the Puyallup Valley Quilters.” It’s one of the touches that help our families understand how much we honor them and want to see them succeed – and it wouldn’t be possible without friends like the Puyallup Valley Quilters. “I think Helping Hand House does wonderful work in our community,” says Patty deCamp, a longtime friend of HHH and PVQ member. “Our members enjoy gathering to make these quilts that they know will be on each family member’s bed when they first move in after being homeless. Those of us who have attended the breakfasts and open houses have been very touched by the stories of homelessness to hope and want to continue to help in additional ways.”
Then there’s the South Hill Rotary, who purchased a duplex over 13 years ago to house homeless families with children. Their investment so many years ago has provided a home to nearly 115 families who would otherwise be living in a car or tent, their children cold at night and hungry on the way to school. They’ve heard the stories and seen the difference that they have made – so much so that they are in the midst of purchasing a second duplex, providing the means and opportunity to help even more families.
Then there are the countless groups of friends from businesses, churches, and community groups who do yard projects, provide extravagantly for families over the holidays, bake birthday cakes, paint homes, wrap gifts, host food and supply drives (and so much more…). It is the Key Bank‘s and Milgard’s of the world – employees giving selflessly with fantastic attitudes in project after project. Milgard even ‘adopted’ all the kids who have birthdays in July.
Insert your name here – for the times you stepped up when the need was great and you had a hand to give. It is people like you that make hope and safety possible when every option looks bleak and it is raining again.
None of what we do could be done without our friends – the volunteers and partners that give themselves away day after day or a weekend a year. It’s a labor of love to serve families in crisis, and a joy to do it together with you.
From all your friends at Helping Hand House, thank you.
2009 Volunteer and In-Kind Donation stats…WOW.
$113,616.00 – The total amount of gifts in kind/donations received – everything that comes through our front door. The categories listed below that have a dollar value are reflected in this grand total.
- 115 birthday cakes were donated ($1,150 at $10.00 per cake)
- 1,102 total volunteer hours
- 150 volunteers throughout the year
- 13 group yard projects were completed
- 38 volunteers volunteered on an ongoing basis (birthday cakes, birthday gifts, roberts cleaning, etc.)
- 151 quilts received ($13,090)
- Supply drive donations (toilet paper, paper towels, toys, books, etc) ($4,118)
- 2 cars donated ($2,575)
- Holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Back to School) ($56,839)
- Household furnishings (includes furniture and other household items) ($8,943)
And this total doesn’t even include the use of a duplex, donated every year by the South Hill Rotary, and other donated units across Pierce County.
Isn’t that amazing?? Thank you to each and every one of you that contributed to our families this year – this is $113,616 worth of assistance that went directly to serving some of the neediest families in our community. Kudos! You do it well, Pierce County!
Thank You from the staff of Helping Hand House…
Milgard Lends Hand to Helping Hand House
Tacoma, WA, November 12, 2009 –When Milgard Windows & Doors presented an $8,334 grant to Helping Hand House, the Tacoma-based building products manufacturer brought to life the phrase “lending a hand to a neighbor in need.” Helping Hand house is one of three non-profit agencies sharing a $25,000 grant directed by Milgard from the Masco Corporation Foundation, the charitable arm of Milgard’s parent company, Masco. Other beneficiaries include Simi Valley Samaritan Center, Simi Valley, California, and A New Leaf, Mesa, Arizona.http://www.pr.com/press-release/192305
“Helping Hand House is dedicated to preventing and ending family homelessness right here in Pierce County, a cause particularly relevant in today’s economic environment,” said Milgard President, Gary Gessel. “The organization is the embodiment of the kind of community-based organization Milgard and its parent company, Masco, support through the Masco Corporation Foundation and our own community action team activities.”“We’re very grateful for this grant from Milgard,” said Nola Renz, executive director of Helping Hand House. “We’ve seen the need for our utility assistance, and transitional, emergency and permanent supportive housing assistance programs quadruple in the last 18 months. Milgard’s gift is a tremendous help as foreclosures on homes and even multi-family apartment buildings in Pierce County have risen to record levels.”
Recipients of the grants were identified in a survey of company employees to determine which non-profit organizations were most responsive to the hunger and homelessness needs in their own communities. The gift continues a long tradition of community support by Milgard family members, Milgard Windows & Doors and the Masco Foundation.
In addition to such corporate gifts, Milgard Matching Gift Community Action Team volunteers participate in community events, fundraising and community improvement activities through volunteerism and monetary donations. More than 80% of Milgard’s Tacoma area employees live in Pierce County, Washington. In 2008, Milgard employees gave more than $86,000 in donations and over 8,000 hours in community service to organizations in the county.
Milgard matches employee donations and provides additional incentive for employee volunteerism by doubling the size of the matching donation when the employee has donated 50 or more hours of time to the same organization in the past 12 months.
