EHHF Makes Holidays Happier for Single Parent Families in Need

 EHHF Makes Holidays Happier for Single Parent Families in Need  EHHF Events
Dec 242013
 
EHHF Xmas For Single Parent Families In Need

A Holiday celebration has taken place at Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s headquarters on Saturday, December 21st 2013.
There was plenty of food for worried single parents who’re having hard time making ends meet. (They’ll be a lot of nutritious food on their tables over the Holidays!) There were toys for good children of disadvantaged single parents. Needless to mention, the anticipation and mood of Christmas were palpable…
EHHF Xmas For Single Parent Families In Need

EHHF Xmas For Single Parent Families In Need

EHHF Xmas For Single Parent Families In Need

EHHF Xmas For Single Parent Families In Need

Most importantly however, EHHF’s Christmas celebration made the struggling single parent families who often feel disenfranchised, included and cared about. And – to quote John Lennon – “so this is Christmas”: caring, sharing and spreading Christmas Spirit.

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation extends warm Christmas and New Year wishes to all its members / beneficiaries!

(EHHF can only hope the community remembers that the needs of impoverished single parents with children don’t end at the Holidays…)

EHHF’s 2013 Fundraiser for Poor Single Parents With Children

 EHHF’s 2013 Fundraiser for Poor Single Parents With Children  EHHF Events
Dec 062013
 

Yesterday, Thursday, December 5th 2013, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation held its annual Fundraiser for Struggling Single Parent Families.
It may not have been one of the grand and glitzy social events, but it was a GREAT evening! It was warm, festive, genuine and best of all: the company was first class! (The number of RSVPs exceeded the available space so at the last moment the gathering was moved to an alternate location!)
There was plenty of Christmas Spirit, music and snacks but the conversation centered – no, not on the ladies’ outfits but – on the mission and beneficiaries of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation.

EHHF delivers food to a sick and poor single mother of twoJust hours before the fundraiser, the staff of EHHF successfully handled an emergency situation. A single mother of two who’s receiving Cal Fresh and Cal Works benefits was left without any means of support for the month of December! (She missed a scheduled appointment with her caseworker not because she’s careless but because she suffers from epilepsy and was hospitalized at the time the appointment was to take place.) The fundraiser not withstanding, EHHF stepped up delivering large amount of non-perishable foods directly to the family’s home. (Next week, the family will receive also warm clothing and bus tokens.) Rest assured, the struggling single mother with her two children won’t be hungry or cold this Holiday Season.

And this was basically also the main theme of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s 2013 Fundraiser: getting together as a community to make sure that no disadvantaged single parent and her children go without essentials. Among other topics of conversation were EHHF’s plans for 2014 which include tutoring and / or after school program which would ensure scholastic success of impoverished single parents’ children as well as afford the parents more time to earn a living – or learn – so they’ll be able to build secure future for their families.

No, it wasn’t all work and no fun! The Silent Auction provided plenty of excitement with valuable items ranging from Fair Trade Organic Coffee (courtesy of Green Mountain Coffee, better known as Keurig), to amusement park (Knott’s Berry Farm!) and entertainment VIP tickets (thanks of Wheel of Fortune, no less!) and even a certificate for four general admission tickets plus four wristbands to see the 4th of July fireworks show in Studio City from the roof! (The latter, thanks to the generosity of Studio City Chamber of Commerce.)
Dinners for two (thanks to the generosity of The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s and Benihana) were up for auction as well.
There were signed celebrity items and signed photos of Vanna White and Pat Sajak!
Sherwin Williams provided high quality paint and yes, the sweet ice cream cake courtesy of Sherman Oaks Galleria’s Ben & Jerry was “fought over”, too!

Even though the raised funds are not sufficient to make all of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s dreams come true, they will make a HUGE difference in lives of about a 1,000 struggling single parent families providing food, clothing, empowerment workshops, ESL classes and other essentials. (Several of the fundraiser’s guests offered to volunteer. Needless to say EHHF can always use hands-on help!)

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s 2013 Fundraiser for Struggling Single Parent Families was an intimate affair and yet, a roaring success and for that EHHF expresses heartfelt thanks to all our esteemed guests and the organizations that have so generously contributed to the Silent Auction.
With support like this, EHHF looks to 2014 with optimism: please continue supporting our efforts! Together (the community, the donors, supporters, volunteers and Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation) we are a power for good; if we continue at the same speed there will be less desperate single parents and less hungry / deprived children in our neighborhood in 2014! The need doesn’t take time off it continues, but for now at least: Happy Holiday Season and Joy to the World! 

Burbank’s Olive Garden Co-Sponsors EHHF’s Open Pantry

 Burbank’s Olive Garden Co-Sponsors EHHF’s Open Pantry  EHHF Events
Oct 082013
 

Saturday, October 5th 2013 was a very special day for hundreds struggling single parent families. While the unemployed and underemployed single mothers came to Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation to stock up their own pantries and extend their grocery budgets, the children dived right into Olive Garden’s steamy pasta with marinara sauce. The SIXTY savory breadsticks were gone in no time!

Once the mothers collected groceries to go, families sat down together to eat. True, few children were excited by the salads, but the single mothers whose lives are fraught with hardship had a nice restaurant-quality meal and a welcome moment of joy watching their little rascals devour the breadsticks and eating (playing!) with pasta. The food was great and a good time was had by all!

Special thanks to Burbank’s Olive Garden and its manager, Mr. Jay Olmos: food is sustenance, but good food brings comfort. The meals you so generously donated to impoverished single parents and children brought comfort to those who need it most.
It’s great to know that the restaurant we all like, cares about all members of our community.

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
1741 N. Victory Pl.
Burbank, CA 91504
Website: www.OliveGarden.com

EHHF and California Outreach Organization Feed Hungry Single Parent Families

 EHHF and California Outreach Organization Feed Hungry Single Parent Families  EHHF Events
Sep 302013
 
EHHF In Partnership With California Outreach Helps Disadvanatged Single Parent Families

 

In the last week of September 2013, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation entered into a partnership with California Outreach Organization, one of SoCal leading food banks!

California Outreach Organization's Food Delivery To EHHF

California Outreach Organization’s Massive Food Delivery To EHHF

EHHF In Partnership With California Outreach Helps Disadvanatged Single Parent Families

 

 

 

EHHF, its board of directors and staff were overjoyed by the first generous delivery from California Outreach Organization. The amount of bread alone was impressive! There was also an abundance of other food items and snacks….

 

 

Children Benefit From California Outreach Organization's Support

Children Benefit From California Outreach Organization’s Support

 

 

 

Since the day of the welcome delivery coincided with Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s individual beneficiaries’ case management appointments, all struggling single parents and underprivileged children that came to work on their individual cases left with bags full of groceries.

 

 

 

California Outreach Organization was founded by Mr. Harald Niehenke to “Fight to eliminate hunger in Orange County and Greater Los Angeles. Provide basic food and proper nutrition to low income families with children and to senior citizens. No child should go hungry – even for a single day – on our watch in our community.”

To quote from California Outreach Organization’s Website:
“We solicit and coordinate donations and purchased food in our warehouse in Paramount, which is conveniently located between Los Angeles and Orange County and close to major freeways. The sorted food is delivered daily to hungry citizens by our volunteers who are using their own vehicles. Food insecure families are often not mobile and able to pick up food from our warehouse.”

There is more, California Outreach Organization holds weekly food distribution
in Paramount every Monday
and
in Anaheim every Saturday

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation and the community of unemployed and underemployed single parents and their children we serve are elated about the new influx of food! Our heartfelt thanks go to California Outreach Organization and its Founder, Mr. Harald Niehenke: EHHF is all fired up by the prospect of helping even more disadvantaged single parent families!

Members of EHHF's Board of Directors Are All Smiles About Working With California Outreach

Members of EHHF’s Board of Directors Are All Smiles About Working With California Outreach

The economy didn’t recover, yet. The rich continue getting richer while the poor are going hungry. Knowing that there are individuals and organizations that care about the most vulnerable in our community (including struggling single mothers and innocent children) is HOPE!

California Outreach Organization
15929 Garfield Avenue
Paramount, CA 90723
Website: http://www.CaliforniaOutreach.org

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation Partners With L.A. Diaper Drive

 Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation Partners With L.A. Diaper Drive  EHHF Events
Sep 252013
 
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

On the 24th of September 2013 Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation entered into a partnership with L.A. Diaper Drive!

In spite of EHHF’s best efforts, the one item we were unable to provide to our members / beneficiaries until now were diapers. With the population we serve – exceeding 250 poor single mother families – the need for diapers for babies and toddlers is absolutely dire.

 

EHHF at the L.A. Diaper Drive's Warehouse

Thanks to our new partnership with L.A. Diaper Drive, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation will now be able to provide diapers as an incentive for attending EHHF’s workshops.

The new workshop schedule (this time designed to accommodate both English AND Spanish-speaking disadvantaged single parents) will be announced on Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s Website within the next few days.
The workshops (which will be held weekly) will be divided into three categories:

  • life skills (will continue to include such topics as: money management, resource utilization, and other)
  • job search skills (will continue to include: resume writing, cover letter writing, thank you letter writing, job interview training, and more)
  • English as a second language (these workshops are the latest addition to EHHF’s workshops and will help struggling, Spanish-speaking single mothers improve their communication skills and eventually, increase their earning power.)

Participants of each type of workshop will be eligible to receive free diapers. The diapers will be distributed at the conclusion of each workshop, weekly.

EHHF leaves L.A. Diaper Drive's warehouse with a truckful of diapers

On behalf of the many single mothers we serve, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation expresses deeply felt gratitude to L.A. Diaper Drive: we look forward to working in alliance with you at relieving human suffering and empowering single mothers so they in turn can ensure safe and successful future for their children.

EHHF And L.A. Diaper Drive

 

 

 

 

Learn more about:
Los Angeles Diaper Drive
Capshaw-Spielberg Center for Arts and Educational Justice
3131 Olympic Blvd., Suite 201
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Website: http://www.diaperdrive.org

EHHF’s First Food Distribution As A Partner Of World Harvest Food Bank

 EHHF’s First Food Distribution As A Partner Of World Harvest Food Bank  EHHF Events
Sep 152013
 
EHHF's Founder and Her Son During EHHF'S September 2013 Food Distribution

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation is helping unemployed and underemployed single parent families with its monthly food distribution for quite a while now. The first food distribution that followed EHHF’s partnering with World Harvest Food Bank was undeniably different!
On September 12th 2013 there was PLENTY of food. Everybody received more food than usual. Struggling single parents who needed a little more than others, got more. September’s food distribution was BETTER!

EHHF September 2013 Open Pantry

September 2013: Single parent families waiting for EHHF’s Open Pantry food distribution

Well-Stocked EHHF Pantry

EHHF’ Well-Stocked Pantry: full up to the ceiling!

September 2013 EHHF Pantry Food Distribution for Disadvantaged Single Mothers

September 2013 EHHF Pantry Food Distribution for Disadvantaged Single Mothers: the wait made ONE beneficiary cry….

 

 

 

 

True, there were two instances of participants bursting into tears. (One during the food distribution and one, after.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But there was also a lot of productive one-on-one case working done. (New members looking for help finding a job, information about GED help, and free legal help were provided with solutions.)

EHHF Case Working

EHHF provides individual solutions for each struggling single mother family

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s members were chatting; sharing helpful resources and yes, quite a few laughs. The children were loud and energetic and, no matter how hard their life gets, our single mothers – beneficiaries couldn’t hide their motherly pride. (Many were overjoyed by the anticipated availability of baby diapers. Thanks to L.A. Diaper Drive, baby and toddler diapers will be available as an incentive to EHHF members for attending Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s self-sufficiency workshops, starting in October 2013.)

EHHF Distributes Food To Struggling Single Parents

Once the actual Shop EHHF Pantry food distribution’s begun, our beneficiaries were blown away: there was plenty of breakfast foods, pasta, soups, chips, beverages, you name it! Some had trouble carrying all the goods out!

EHHF Distributes Food To Struggling Single Parents

EHHF’s staff worked cheerfully and diligently. Even Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s CEO and Founder pitched in with a smile.

EHHF's CEO and Staff Work To Help Single Parents In Need

EHHF’s CEO and Staff Work To Help Single Parents In Need

EHHF's Founder and Her Son During EHHF'S September 2013 Food Distribution

EHHF’s Founder and Her Son During EHHF’S September 2013 Food Distribution

In a room filled with struggling single parents (some unemployed, some single caregivers to autistic children) the relief of having even a temporary relief from the immediate worry that there’s nothing left to feed the children was palpable.

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s partnership with World Harvest Food Bank in L.A. commenced only one week ago. The partnership is already making a HUGE difference!

(Incidentally, the second participant of September 2013 EHHF’s Food Distribution for Struggling Single Parents who cried was the brave, young man who lifted hundreds of pounds of food during the distribution. His back was killing him but his heart continued smiling through the pain… After all, due in part to his hard work many poor single moms and their kids will have food on their tables for quite a while!)

A Bounty of Healthy Foods for Impoverished Single Mother Families

 A Bounty of Healthy Foods for Impoverished Single Mother Families  EHHF Events
Aug 102013
 
August2013EHHFFoodDistribution2

On August the 8th 2013 a group of single mothers with children gathered at the Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation for yet another Shop EHHF Pantry. This time, each family received as much food as they could carry!

The generous donation of healthy food consisted mostly of frozen foods. Were it not for the refrigerator which was recently donated to Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation by Kimo’s Appliances there would have been no way to preserve and store all the precious foods!

Among the items distributed to financially hurting single mother families were all-natural, high fiber frozen waffles and a whole variety of frozen organic fruit.

A Real Bounty of Healthy Foods!

A Real Bounty of Healthy Foods!

Many families have gathered, some participants – especially the youngest ones! – were somewhat impatient.

EHHF Healthy Food For Struggling Single Mother Families

EHHF Provides Healthy Food For Struggling Single Mother Families

The food has been divided and each family present received several boxes of food, so much in fact that some had to resort to using shopping carts to haul the bounty of healthy foods home!

EHHF Provides Healthy Food For Struggling Single Mother Families

  EHHF Provides Healthy Food For Struggling Single Mother Families

The staff and volunteers were busy zooming around: helping to divide food among the attendees, helping to load cars and shopping carts.

EHHF Volunteers In Action
Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation's Volunteers At Work

The mothers were elated; kids, not quite as much. Some were outright bored and becoming cranky. The cure? What else? TOYS!
Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation helped to raise tired children’s spirits by inviting them to choose and take some toys from its charity store.

EHHF Healthy Food Distribution: Joy and Relief

EHHF Supplied Toys To Disadvantaged Chidren of Single Parents
In the end, EVERYBODY was equally delighted: the struggling single moms, the kids, EHHF’s volunteers and Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s Founder. Last Thursday may not have radically changed lives, but it certainly lightened the burden of numerous disadvantaged single mothers.

EHHF Distributes Organic Fruit To Disadvantaged Single Parent Families

 EHHF Distributes Organic Fruit To Disadvantaged Single Parent Families  EHHF Events
Jul 152013
 
The Founder of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation greets arriving families

On Saturday July 13th 2013, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation held an unscheduled food distribution for single parent families.

With the epidemic of obesity raging countrywide, it’s essential that fruit and vegetables are provided in abundance, especially to children. As a non-profit organization EHHF rarely receives donations of fresh produce. (We don’t actively pursue donations of perishable food at this time because we’re still hoping and looking for a donation of a large refrigerator…)

EHHF received a generous donation of frozen, organic fruit quite unexpectedly and rushed to distribute it to the struggling single parents and children we serve. Each family in attendance received a substantial amount (from 10 pounds and up) of delicious frozen, organic pineapple, peach, and more.

EHHF Fruit Distribution To Disadvantaged Single Parent Families

EHHF Fruit Distribution To Disadvantaged Single Parent Families

It was an unexpected blessing and a feast. The pictures tell the story, just take a look…

EHHF Fruit Distribution To Disadvantaged Single Parent Families

  EHHF Distributes Organic Fruit To Single Parent Families

After EHHF Fruit Distribution: the Founder's work is never done....

After EHHF Fruit Distribution: the Founder’s work is never done….

If YOU’re wondering how to help Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s members, here’s the answer: anything you can contribute makes a difference!

  • money or used goods that can be sold to generate funds
  • mattresses
  • diapers
  • food…

the need has no end and neither does this list. Questions? Please e-mail EHHF or call 818-503-7775

EHHF Provides Food And Joy To Underprivileged Single Parent Families

 EHHF Provides Food And Joy To Underprivileged Single Parent Families  EHHF Events
May 052013
 
Before EHHF Event

Anticipation before Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event

On the afternoon of May 4th (Saturday) 2013 as neighboring stores begun to close, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s Thrift Store and Donation Center on Vanowen Street in N. Hollywood filled up with single mothers, a few single fathers and a whole bunch of kids. The single parents – either unemployed or under-employed – came to receive food. The children – like ALL children regardless of circumstances – came hungry for gifts and treats…

EHHF May Give Away

Single Mothers Lined Up For EHHF’s Help And RECEIVED IT

EHHF Supporting Single Parent Families

 

NOBODY walked away disappointed even though this Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event wasn’t exactly as planned. Instead of the imperishable food items, participants received Food 4 Less gift cards with which they’ll be able to buy the exact food items they need. (The Whole Foods gift card we received will be used to purchase fresh foods for June’s Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event.) In addition, each single parent family present (pre-qualified Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s members / recipients) received delicious low-calorie drinks made especially for children (thanks to Trader Joe’s) and sweet treats from Porto’s Bakery and Café.

EHHF's beneficiaries

EHHF’s beneficiaries enjoyed the event

Everybody was delighted also by Build A Bear’s generosity! The unexpected gift of beautiful and fuzzy teddy bears made children laugh and caused many an adult wipe off a tear… The bears – as well as Build A Bear’s gift cards – were a hit with all: the young and the grown up!

EHHF's Free Furniture Drawing

EHHF’s Free Furniture Drawing

Just as Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event was winding down, there was one more very welcome surprise. A drawing for free (donated to Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation by various private donors) furniture! Since many of the single parent families – due to such circumstances as a divorce, for instance – are starting over with nothing – or next to nothing – and don’t have such basic items as a dining table, chairs, a dresser or a sofa, a gift of free furniture restores a sense of normalcy in their daily lives. All participants were excited by the prospect of winning. The youngest of the attendees drew the names of the lucky recipients. The delivery schedule is being worked out as we speak and yes, EHHF will deliver the furniture directly to the recipients!

EHHF's Event Comes To A Close

Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event Comes To A Close

Needless to say, this non-typical Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event was a relief and joy to Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s members / recipients and brought them one step closer to recovery…

Struggling Single Mother's Family Helped By EHHF

Struggling Single Mother’s Family Helped By EHHF

EHHF Provided Food And Joy To Underprivileged Single Parent Families in May 2013, again. As with all charitable events, plenty of work and considerable good will of the business community went into the preparation of the monthly Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event. Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation thanks the donors whose commitment to the welfare of single parent families (and underprivileged children!) made this event possible. EHHF thanks: Trader Joe’s, Costco, Food 4 Less, Whole Foods Market and Build A Bear for their big-hearted support! Not to be amiss, thank you to all private persons who donated – and donate! – goods to Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s Donation Center. Your gifts make tangible difference in daily lives of the many single parent families EHHF serves.

EHHF Helps Unemployed Single Parents Make Ends Meet

 EHHF Helps Unemployed Single Parents Make Ends Meet  EHHF Events
Apr 162013
 
Build A Bear

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation is preparing for May 4th (Saturday) Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event. The program is designed to help stretch local, struggling, single parent families’ grocery budgets. (The unemployment rate is still high, unemployed – and underemployed – single parent families have even harder time making ends meet than two-parent families. Many are short on food.)

Each attending single parent will receive up to 10 free, imperishable food items. There will be something to warm the attending single mothers’ hearts as well: Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation will be raffling off Build a Bear’s donations (12 bears) and 10 Gift Cards! There will also be… a furniture give away! (EHHF will match impoverished single parents’ requests for furniture with received furniture donations to improve our beneficiaries’ and their children’s living conditions.)

May’s Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event is made possible thanks to the generous donations of EHHF’s Sponsors. On behalf of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation and the many unemployed – and underemployed – single parent families it helps, thank you Trader Joe’s, Costco, Food 4 Less, Whole Foods Market and Make A Bear! Each of these respectable companies expressed its care for disadvantaged single parent families by donating to May’s Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry event.

EHHF's Sponsors

Shop EHHF’s Food Pantry is open to EHHF’s registered members-recipients.

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