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Fundraiser for Struggling Single Parent Families

Fundraiser for Struggling Single Parent Families Fundraising

Nov 122013

On Thursday, December 5th 2013, Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation will hold its annual Fundraiser for Struggling Single Parent Families.

The focus of many fundraisers is to flatter donors with plush surroundings and a gourmet dinner. The focus of EHHF’s 2013 fundraiser is to raise funds for disadvantaged single parent families and underprivileged children in desperate need. In the context of a genuine human suffering (the looming prospect of homelessness or hunger), plush surroundings and gourmet food seem like an inappropriate indulgence. That’s why it’s been decided that this year’s Fundraiser for Struggling Single Parent Families will take a more modest form.

There will be a pizza party in Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s Headquarters! The event will be small and inexpensive, but its focus will remain where it belongs: on generating funds for the most vulnerable among us.

Of course, there will be fun and a wonderful silent auction as well!
EHHF expresses its appreciation to the companies who generously support our fundraising efforts:

Knott’s Berry Farm
Sherwin Williams
Green Mountain Coffee® (Keurig)
The Cheesecake Factory
P.F. Changs
Ben and Jerry

Many of the situations Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation encounters are dramatic: there’re struggling single mothers whose babies have no diapers; unemployed single mothers who have no way of feeding their children; poor single parents who share one bed with 3 children. There are some cases that are even more heartbreaking. There are single mothers “sentenced” to a life of poverty because their disabled child requires 24/7 care. There are children who’re crime victims; single mothers dealing with a trauma; single parent families facing homelessness…
These are real people, real stories of struggling single parents in a desperate need. Let’s spare one evening this Christmas Season to elevate some of the suffering of disadvantaged single parent families and underprivileged children.

If you are a successful single parent; if you used to be a single parent; if you were raised by a single parent and finally, if you don’t have a personal experience with single parenthood but care enough to support the cause, you’re welcome to participate in Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s 2013 Fundraiser for Struggling Single Parent Families.

A poor, single Mother and Her Special Baby Boy are at the heart of Christmas, what better way to honor the Season than by raising funds for other poor single mothers and their innocent children?…

Come one and all: everyone is welcome! If you purchase admission here you’ll be automatically added to the guest list. If you prefer to pay at the door, RSVP please: space is limited.

Location: Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation’s Headquarters
Address: 12128 Vanowen Street; N. Hollywood, CA 91605.
Date: Thursday, December 5th 2013
Time: 7 pm
Admission: $50.00 per person
To RSVP by phone call: (818) 503-7775

Can’t come? Can you contribute an item to EHHF’s Silent Auction? Please contact us: the more money we raise, the more struggling single parent families will be helped! Prefer to donate money? Please do!

All donations are tax-deductible.

EHHF’s Fundraiser for Struggling Single Parent Families is booked above and beyond capacity! (We can’t accept any more RSVPs, sorry!) Thank you for all your RSVPs and generous support:

Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation; its Board members and staff

CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU TONIGHT!

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

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

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

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!)

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.

EHHF Provides Food And Joy To Underprivileged Single Parent Families

EHHF Provides Food And Joy To Underprivileged Single Parent Families EHHF Events

May 052013

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…

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

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 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

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!

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

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.

Resume Writing Workshop for Disadvantaged Single Parents

Resume Writing Workshop for Disadvantaged Single Parents EHHF Events

Feb 192013

On February 16th Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation launched its Seminars and Workshops program designed to empower disadvantaged single parents.

(The seminars and workshops will cover a spectrum of topics that teach computer literacy, resume writing, money management, and more. In other words, skills that enable unemployed and under-employed single parents improve their chances of getting well-paying jobs as well as increasing their earning power, and managing single parent family’s money successfully.)

The first of the workshops Resume Writing Workshop for Disadvantaged Single Parents was dedicated to resume writing, an important skill that can make a huge difference in landing a job.

Staff of EHHF Conducting Resume Writing Workshop

Staff of EHHF During Resume Writing Workshop

Several types of resumes (Combination Resume, Chronological Resume and Functional Resume) were discussed. The elements of a successful resume were explored:

The importance of valid contact information

The right way to present career objectives

Employment history

Education information

Using active verbs to illustrate applicant’s skills

Additional information that contributes to the applicant’s value as a prospective employee

How to write a résumé’s summary

Tips for résumé’s writing

Resume writing mistakes to avoid

Then, resume templates were introduced. Resume writing exercises were given. Each participant wrote her own test-resume. There was a Q & A session as well. In the end, the principles of successful resume writing were reviewed and each attendee had the opportunity to read her resume aloud. The best resumes were discussed and yes, applauded.

The first of EHHF’s workshops took place in a temporary location while the permanent place for upcoming seminars is being readied. Still, it was a successful event that provided much needed knowledge to struggling single parents and further affirmed the commitment of EHHF’s staff to the organization’s cause. The much needed computer equipment was state-of-the-art (courtesy of Best Buy).

To further inspire attendees, the President of Enlightened Helping Hand Foundation prepared and presented surprise gifts to the children present as well as to all participants (each “graduate” of the resume writing workshop received 5 new t-shirts!).

The Founder of EHHF Bearing Gifts

All participating single parents left feeling energized, more confident of their job hunting – and landing – skills. Suffice to say, each mom left with a smile on her face.

Disadvantaged Single Parents Leave EHHF’s Resume Writing Workshop With a New Self-Confidence (and gifts)

And that’s the ultimate goal of EHHF, to give single parents in need not only an immediate assistance in a crisis but the skills required in today’s competitive marketplace. Everyone, but a single parent even more so, needs a good job, the pride that comes from being self-sufficient and successful. After all, there’s nothing that can ensure the bright future of single parent’s children better than the success of the parent!

CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU TONIGHT!

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