Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation

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

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

Sep 252013

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

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!

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

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

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 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 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!)

World Harvest Food Bank The New Ally of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation

World Harvest Food Bank The New Ally of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation Uncategorized EHHF's Posts

Sep 092013

On 09/06/2013 representatives of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation met with the Founder, President and CEO of World Harvest Food Bank in Los Angeles, Mr. Glen Curado. This was EHHF’s first visit and quite frankly, we were overwhelmed: the large facility and warehouse of World Harvest Food Bank is located in one of the poorer neighborhoods in L.A., exactly where the need for food is the greatest.

The colorful storefront invites passersby; there’s an abundant stock of non-perishable and fresh foods; staffers and volunteers lovingly take care of the place and inventory. The working principle of the food bank is both generous and fair: pay $30.00 for up to 200 pounds(!) of food OR if you can’t afford to pay, you have the option of contributing four hours of volunteer work for the same benefits!

For the EHHF’s delegation, the visit to World Harvest Food Bank has been eye-opening: a great learning experience as well as an inspiration. WHFB is older than Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation and its successful development gave us further motivation to persist in our own efforts.

Mr. Glen Curado – the Founder, President and CEO of World Harvest Food Bank – is a dynamic presence, a generous mentor and an altogether, first class act. He was full of ideas and helpful suggestions most of which we’ll definitely use in our own work. His passion for the cause of helping the poor is nothing short of contagious!

The first meeting led to the creation of an alliance and EHHF partnering with World Harvest Food Bank. Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation received a large amount of food and beverages that we cannot wait to distribute to the single mother families who count on us to supplement their grocery budgets every month.

What a momentous event in the history of our organization!
Better yet, it wasn’t a one time event. As a partner of WHFB, EHHF will be receiving food from World Harvest Food Bank monthly which will enable us to help even more single parent families in San Fernando Valley than we’re helping already. What a welcome development!

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation is honored to be the newest partner of World Harvest Food Bank and looks forward to building a powerful alliance with WHFB.

World Harvest Food Bank
1014 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: 213-746-2227
Website: http://WorldHarvestFoodBank.org/

A Bounty of Healthy Foods for Impoverished Single Mother Families

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

Aug 102013

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!

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

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!

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

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.

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.

More Food For Poor Single Mother Families Thanks To Kimo’s Appliances

More Food For Poor Single Mother Families Thanks To Kimo’s Appliances Uncategorized EHHF's Posts

Jul 292013

As those of you who follow Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s blog surely know, EHHF – and its members / beneficiaries! – have been desperate for a refrigerator for quite a while now.
Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation has approached many major companies and retailers with requests for a donation of a refrigerator within the last 4 months. Our requests have been ignored by many.

Meanwhile, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s Shop EHHF Pantry program, which helps stretch struggling single parents’ grocery budgets, is expanding and attracts more and more recipients each month. EHHF is very thankful for the support of donors who contribute food to our pantry. However a large portion of the food donations we’re receiving consists of fresh, perishable foods. It is great because they’re healthy for young families and growing children. Unfortunately, in California, without the ability to refrigerate food, a lot of well-meaning fresh food donations were going to waste; that’s why obtaining a refrigerator donation was of utmost importance to us.

Kimo’s Appliances donated desperately needed refrigerator to help EHHF feed poor single mother families in San Fernando Valley, CA

Today, I’m delighted to announce that thanks to the generosity and compassion of Kimo’s Appliances, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation has a refrigerator, at last!!!
There won’t be any more wasted food! There’ll be MORE nutritious food available to disadvantaged single parent families and children!

Thanks to the support of Kimo’s Appliances, EHHF will be able to reach more single mother families in need and help put more food on more tables!
It’s a rerigerator, but it’s also a milestone in our growth: Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation extends its sincere thanks to Kimo’s Appliances. You didn’t help some faceless organization but poor single mothers and hungry children to fill their need for nutritious food.

If you – the reader – are not in need but a visitor / prospective donor reading this page, please lend your patronage to Kimo’s Appliances. Kimo’s offers a wide variety of new and used appliances for every budget. Their prices are very competitive and their services include delivery and installation. (They’ll even haul away your old appliances!) Kimo’s Appliances is a solid, local company known for its integrity. With that said, Kimo’s is not only a profit-generating enterprise but an investor into the future of our community.

Another Day at Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation

Another Day at Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation Single Parent Families Helped

Jul 262013

July 25th was just another day. The staff of EHHF:

delivered a desperately needed mattress to a needy single mother’s family
helped a different (unemployed) single mother look for and apply for a job
provided a single mother (an office clerk) with medical supplies to help her manage carpal syndrome symptoms
clothing, shoes and a cool toy were provided to an 8 year old
business separates were given to a single mother on a job search

EHHF Delivered A Mattress To A Single Mother Of Three

EHHF Helping An Individual Single Parent Family

EHHF Helps A Single Parent With Medical Supplies

EHHF works

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s efforts to raise funds for a Safe Family Haven for Poor Single Parent Families facing homelessness are on-going.

We’re fighting the good fight, one day at a time, with YOUR help EHHF will succeed!

Sherwin Williams’ Commitment To Struggling Single Parents

Sherwin Williams’ Commitment To Struggling Single Parents Uncategorized EHHF's Posts

Jul 172013

At Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation every day is dedicated to helping single mother families in crisis; to finding solutions for individual families; to the endless pursuit of charitable contributions which – as you can easily imagine – is quite discouraging in today’s economic climate. (Case in point, a whole group of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s beneficiaries is desperate for mattresses. We contacted many mattress manufacturers, distributors and stores to no avail…)

Sherwin Williams Paint Stores Group (thanks to the generosity and common sense of one of its store managers, Mr. Yashar Basmenji) has come to the rescue of struggling single mother families with a generous donation of a large amount of paint. The donation brings relief to the EHHF’s members / beneficiaries who are in need of home renovations. The remaining paint – as well as anticipated future donations of paint from Sherwin Williams – will be used for fundraising.

Not every donor realizes that a donation of goods – even if they’re not listed on EHHF’s urgently needed list – can be used for fundraising and – in form of funds – used to purchase urgently needed goods.

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation and quite a few of its members are in a jubilant mood, hoping to eventually turn Sherwin Williams’ donations of paint into at least one desperately needed mattress and – God willing! – baby diapers.

From the bottom of our collective heart: thank you Sherwin Williams Paint Stores Group AND Yashar!

If you’re not a single parent in need and reading this page, please buy your paint at your local Sherwin Williams Paint Store. Sherwin Williams sells superb quality paint, wall coverings and paint supplies. Sherwin Williams is known for the excellent quality of the products it sells; it should be known also for its commitment to the community it serves. Sherwin Williams didn’t say “no” like so many others today do; it defied the trend and extended helping hand to the most vulnerable among us: disadvantaged single mothers and underprivileged children. Kudos to Sherwin Williams and God Bless Yashar!

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

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

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

Help Single Mothers Los Angeles

Help Single Mothers Los Angeles How YOU Can Help

Jun 232013

Here’s the BIG announcement: yes, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation finally has its own meeting room!!!
After a long time of putting up with inconveniences (Shop EHHF Pantry events in tight quarters and EHHF’s Seminars and Workshops to which participants had to be bused back and forth), we finally have a permanent place to gather! (Right next door to the Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s Donation Center)

The Founder and staff of EHHF are elated by the new development! The space is being renovated as we speak and we hope to have it ready soon.
In the meantime, your help is badly needed. There’s an urgent need for donations of the following items:

a large refrigerator to store fresh food donations
donations of non-perishable foods
office furniture
meeting room furniture, most notably a HUGE table
seating for 20-30 people (long benches would help as well)
items for a children nook
security system
office supplies
folding security gate for a storefront (to keep computer equipment and other life-saving valuables protected)

Whether you’re in N. Hollywood, Studio City, Burbank, Sun Valley or anywhere else in Greater Los Angeles area and have any of the items listed above available for a tax-deductible donation, please help! Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation is fighting the good fight. EHHF is feeding disadvantaged single parent families (many children!!!) and holding workshops to prepare single parents for good jobs and self-sufficiency. The brand new meeting room will help us expand and assist more applicants.

Los Angeles area business and residents, please:

donate refrigerator to store fresh food donations
donate non-perishable foods
donate office furniture
donate a table
donate chairs for 20-30 people
donate children nook
donate security system
donate office supplies
donate folding security gate for a storefront (to keep computer equipment and other life-saving valuables protected)

If you can donate any of the goods listed above: please donate! (Every donation is tax-deductible!) If you prefer to donate money, we’ll get the items needed most quickly! If neither is an option under your conditions but you have stuff you no longer need or use, please donate to our Charity Store. Anything you can contribute to help EHHF make the meeting ready ASAP is priceless to the many members-beneficiaries we serve!

Single mothers are the unsung heroes of our times. They have to work for two, care for two and have an indomitable spirit. They deserve YOUR support!

ATTENTION EHHF MEMBERS: even though our new meeting room isn’t quite ready yet, all EHHF programs continue without interruption.

San Fernando Valley’s single parents in need of assistance can pick up enrollment forms in Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s Thrift Store. Prospective members are welcomed to come back for an initial interview with the completed enrollment application and required documentation to EHHF office on Thursdays between 4 and 6 pm.

Another Single Mother’s Family Helped by EHHF

Another Single Mother’s Family Helped by EHHF Single Parent Families Helped

May 192013

May the 18th, Saturday afternoon, the weather is beautiful. Most people are enjoying a relaxing weekend. Most, but not all.

The Founder and staff of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation have chosen to spend their Saturday afternoon delivering furniture, a TV set, clothing, toys and good news to a struggling single mother and her three children. (The mother is separated, alone with three young children, unemployed and starting over with nearly nothing.)

EHHF Delivers Furniture To The Disadavantaged Single Mother's Family

EHHF Delivers Furniture To The Disadvantaged Single Mother’s Family on a Saturday afternoon

EHHF Delivers Furniture To A Disadvantaged Single Mother’s Family

The photographer arrived late so you can’t see the struggle with the sofa set and the rug being unloaded from the truck and carried upstairs through the narrow passage way. The photos show the staff of EHHF already exhausted after contending with the sofa set and rug and lugging upstairs the last of the heavy items: the TV and its stand. (The stand was too heavy but provides much needed storage for toys and children’s clothing.)

EHHF Delivers Clothing To The Disadavantaged Single Mother's Family

EHHF Delivers Clothing To The Disadvantaged Single Mother’s Family on a Saturday Afternoon

The pictures, tell the story: one disadvantaged single mom’s family celebrated a little Christmas in May.

EHHF’s Founder (seated on the right) With the Single Mother’s Family whose needs were met thanks to the assistance of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation.

The furniture made the family’s apartment a home. The TV – not connected properly yet at the time the pictures were taken – will help keep the children entertained. Groceries have surely relieved some of the mother’s stress.
Children‘s clothing and toys were of course a different story altogether. The mother’s face lit up when she’s seen them. The little girl wondered how she’ll look in a new dress… The youngest of the three children was interested in toys only…

EHHF Delivers Clothing To The Disadvantaged Single Mother’s Family on a Saturday

EHHF Helped This Single Mother Find Employment And Chldcare

The much less photogenic highpoint of the afternoon must have been the moment when the Founder of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation told the mother that she’s been hired and her children will be well taken care of while she works…

If helping one single mother get back to self-sufficiency involves furniture – and other goods’ – delivery on a Saturday afternoon that’s a small price to pay for a brighter, safer future of FOUR!

Single parenthood is often a Catch 22 situation. As a sole provider, the single parent absolutely has to work; a single parent of small children can’t leave them unattended while she (or he) earns a living. As much as earning a living is a must; forcing a single parent to endanger his or her children is simply unconscionable. Empowering single parents of young children has to consist of both: employment and child care. It takes sensitivity, compassion, material and moral support – a Saturday afternoon and sometimes, a lingering backache – to create actual solutions, one individual case at a time.

Help is needed badly.

If you can help, a donation of goods will be appreciated.

The TV Set And A TV Stand Provided By EHHF (in addition to the sofa set, rug, clothing, toys, groceries and more)

The greatest need right now: cash donations for rent payments (EHHF receives requests for help paying single parent families’ rent all the time!) and jobs. (If you are hiring in San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles area, please contact us. We have many job requests from allover the country but not enough of them to organize a nationwide referral system just yet. Locally, in Los Angeles County, EHHF has a list of single mothers ready to start working immediately.)

Help Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation distribute the help where is needed most and then you too will experience the satisfaction of knowing that you ensured a family’s future, and sometimes even saved lives…. (Depression, desperation and in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts are not uncommon among disadvantaged single parents.)

EHHF didn’t start its activities with a photographer at hand and cared more about providing relief than creating photographic records of its charitable deeds. We’re catching up. There’ll be more recipient stories and pictures on our Website, soon…

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From the bottom of our collective heart: thank you Sherwin Williams Paint Stores Group AND Yashar!

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