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Recently we took our second BUS full fo volunteers out to CommunityFirst! in Austin.

CommunityFirst! is a permanent OR transitional housing that EMPOWERS the homeless community in Austin to be as self-sufficient and community minded as they can be to further better their lives.

As a group Helping Hands has worked closely with CommunityFirst! founder Alan Graham to build and formulate our own plans for growth as we move forward.
We consider ourselves blessed and quite lucky to have a purpose and model to guide us forward!

Here is more about the Village:
Community First! Village is a place that enables our homeless brothers and sisters to heal. It’s a place where they can rediscover hope, renew their purpose and restore their dignity. Most importantly, it’s a place they can call home.

Phase I of the Village covers 27 acres and, once at full capacity, will be home to more than 200 formerly homeless men and women.

Features of Community First! Village Phase I: 

• Organic gardens
• Art studio
• Blacksmith and woodworking shop
• Outdoor movie theater
• Medical facility
• Laundry/restroom/shower facilities
• Community kitchens
• Memorial garden and prayer labyrinth
• Capital Metro bus stop
• Walking trails
• Meeting spaces for worship, study and fellowship
• Community Market
• Community Inn bed & breakfast
• Outdoor WiFi

Check out these images from our tour!

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Please reach out and let us know if you would like to join us on our next trip to CommunityFirst! Village. We would love to fill another bus!

AND… if you think you might like to donate to our efforts in building a Community like this in Georgetown, please donate HERE!

We are a proud people… just in general we are raised to be strong and proud. This article in the Sun City Sun Rays is beautifully written and shows the dedication to family and heart of gold of our Founder, Bob Weimer.

Please take a moment to read and share! Thank you.

Our thanks to the Sun City Sun Rays for this beautiful article and to writer Maureen Griffin for capturing our words and mission so perfectly!

 We deliver meals: 3 days a week
Each day we serve about 50 food insecure families… that’s 150 per WEEK!

A lot of times people assume that what we do is only about the homeless population. IT’S NOT!

We are here to recognize those that are working hard to keep their heads above water. Working two jobs. Taking care of young kids. Trying to survive after losing a spouse. Retired and now adopting grand babies who’s parents were killed in a car wreck.

We have so much respect for the population we serve and our BIGGEST goal is not just a bag lunch… it is helping them find a plan. Getting the services they need and finally getting ahead. 

As 2018 begins, I reflect on the year we had in 2017…

We started serving 12 bag lunches… TWELVE! And it was really just a mission out of love. Food is the love language in our family. We saw the hard working, the struggling and the failing and we knew that this one bag lunch would help. But soon, we started to see these folks returning and they have become friends and NOW… just NOW are we starting to find out how we can really help them. 

We have helped find good steady jobs.
We have helped with school supplies
We have helped with a couch and coffee table
Beds, blankets, knit hats and jackets… 

We have seen scared people turn the most beautiful smile and helping someone find some positivity again is the most rewarding benefit.

Georgetown Texas is truly one of the most kind and giving communities I have ever encountered and if you travel over to our Partners page you’ll see some of our business donors BUT this does nothing for the 50…. FIFTY random people that have jumped in to help us each month. We are so grateful for our volunteers and we don’t even have the words.

As I write this post I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

I started this post as a way to inform everyone of some of the things we have seen accomplished in 2017 but it has become a way for me to say thank you instead.

Helping Hands of Georgetown was the brain child of my dad. The man with the heart that won’t quit and continues to grow. He finds joy with every hand he shakes and every turkey sandwich he hands out. These people have become his family and I have never felt more blessed then I do now, to be able to watch his organization work and share that work with my children.  Thank to our volunteers, friends, family, favorite restaurants and churches and to our community for your help and support. We are nothing without you and we know it!! 

We have so much more growing to do but reflecting on 2017 has given me so much joy and hope that 2018 will be a big turning point for us here at Helping Hands….

Next stop…. FUNDRAISERS! 

 

All my love,

Rebecca Huggins – daughter behind the scenes of the amazing man at work!

With Helping Hands Mobile Canteen we send Jesse out twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday afternoons) with bag lunches. Some of these lunches come from volunteers that help out of their own home and some come from community partners like
Hat Creek Burgers,
CJ’s Catering
or
Brix and Ale