Lending A Helping Hand To Families In Need

This Saturday, you can use your hands to help others while holding on to a tasty pulled pork sandwich.  Helping Hands of the Keweenaw will be holding a soup and pulled pork sandwich fundraiser at the Horizons School in Mohawk from 11am to 2pm.

Volunteer Toni Waara says the organization is part of an outreach ministry of Bethany Lutheran Church.  “It was actually started by a couple who lives downstate who have ties to the Keweenaw and Bethany and decided in 2000 they wanted this program to help families in need in north Houghton County and Keweenaw County,” said Waara.  So, we’ve been kind of under the radar until probably 2015 when we started doing fundraisers to help with the sustainability of the program.”

$10,000 has been made available for families in need every year since the program began.  Waara says the $8 cost for attending the fundraiser will help fill the coffers and your belly.  “We’ve got the cheesy broccoli soup, which the cost is covered because one of our community members applied for a Thrivent Financial Action Grant so they got money to cover the cost of the soup. The pulled pork for our sandwiches is donated by The Fitzgerald in Eagle River. Cole slaw is donated by Econo and Pats IGA in Calumet. We have dessert on the menu provided by community members and church members and we have drink,” Waara said.

There will also be a bake sale, a 50/50 Raffle, and a quilt raffle, with all the proceeds going to support the ministry.

Here is more information about the fund:
HELPING HANDS OF KEWEENAW
REQUESTS YOUR SUPPORT

In the year 2000, a downstate family, who wishes to remain anonymous, set up a quarterly payment plan which was named Helping Hands of Keweenaw.

This fund was established to provide financial help to families in Keweenaw and northern Houghton counties. A team of 4 people receives written requests or is made aware of community needs and then determines how to fund those that are appropriate to the program’s given guidelines. Annually, approximately $10,000 is distributed to area individuals, families or organizations serving those families.

These funds are separate from the general fund of Bethany Lutheran Church. This outreach ministry is strongly supported by Bethany Lutheran Church.

Planning for Helping Hand’s future included establishing an endowment fund in 2015. This will help to strengthen longevity of the outreach mission even if the donor family’s funding ends. Our team of 4 will plan a fundraiser every other year to add to t
The endowment fund which is currently managed by Mission Investment Fund (MIF) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA)

If you wish to contact Helping Hands of Keweenaw for assistance, call Bethany Lutheran Church (906-337-2662). A request form will be mailed to you or a team member will call you to complete the form by phone. If you wish to make donations to our program, donations may be mailed to:
HELPING HANDS OF KEWEENAW
P.O. BOX 315 MOHAWK MICHIGAN 49950