Helping Hands free barbecue
Sault Ste. Marie’s Helping Hands, which is a grass roots organization dedicated to helping out anyone in need, was founded by Wendy Gutcher. And Helping Hands is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this Saturday, May 13 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a free BBQ party that is generously sponsored by M & M Food Market.
Of note, everyone is welcome! Wendy tells Sault Business Matters that she doesn’t do any of what she does for those needing a helping hand alone and she appreciates all who have lent a hand over the years.
She really wanted us to thank the community at large, dedicated volunteers like Amanda McGloin Covert and Audrey Grasley, as well as past Board of Directors and current Board members consisting of Elizabeth MacMillan, John Korab, Shannon Vit, Robert Peace, Jim Clemente and Sergio Cavaliere.
Wendy tells us that she started out helping those in need out of her basement by providing food, clothing and furnishings to those needing a helping hand but it was always a dream of hers to do so on a bigger scale — and that she has done so with the generosity of our community and community minded individuals.
Her storefront is filled with repurposed items donated by the community that are given out free of charge to those needing a hand. Helping Hands has provided meals, clothing, helped homeless people find a place to live and they continue to do so. It is a non profit organization and they rely on donations from the community to re-purpose furniture, clothing, blankets to those who could use a helping hand.
You can find the Helping Hands group on Facebook under the name Sault Ste. Marie Helping Hands if you would like to keep up on their events or help out with the many requests for assistance. There are over 16,000 members in the group which is heartwarming to Wendy and which shows how great the demand is. They have helped people from all walks of life and hope to continue to do so for many years to come.
