1 John 3:17.
In the Holy Bible, it states “But if someone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help- how can the love of God dwell in a person like that?”
In the heart of a small town, two brothers have a mission to make a difference to those who aren’t as fortunate. They created a stand stocked with necessities and granted anyone the opportunity to donate or take whatever was needed.
Being open from 7 am to 7 p.m. all week, the Helping Hand Stand provides a place for anyone to go if they are facing hardships in their life.
“There is no goal for the Helping Hand Stand other than to provide a place where people can donate their unwanted items,” CEO of the Helping Hand Stand Dylan Kyle said. “And for people who need those items to come and get them to ease their burden without having to pay anything.”
Starting this week, the stand is hosting a toy and blanket drive.
“I’m pleased to inform everyone we’re starting to accept donations for our 2nd Annual Toy Drive, as well as our Winter Blanket drive,” Kyle said. “Our goal this year for our Toy Drive is to help 400 underprivileged kids this Christmas. Our Blanket Drive is hoping to provide to as many people as we can who are in need. They can be lightly used and working or new toys. The blankets can be lightly used or new as well. We have two current locations to drop off at. One is here at the Helping Hand Stand. The second is at Carpenter Feed and Hay in downtown Willis.”
Businesses and even charities today, focus on profits rather than having good deeds established. The idea behind Helping Hands is to help without profiting.
“The purpose behind creating the helping handstand is to give our community an alternative to institutions like Good Will or Purple Heart,” Kyle said. “Both of these charities charge for items they receive that are freely donated to them. We never charge anyone for anything that they take from the Helping Hand Stand. We believe it is wrong to ask people to pay for something that they need if it was freely given, to begin with.”
Throughout Willis, there is a diverse array of people who each deal with their own unique needs and challenges, and this stand might have an item to help through hard times.
“Some of the things you can find at the stand are non-perishable food items, hygiene products, baby food, baby clothes, diapers, adult clothing, furniture, household items, etc,” Kyle said.
The Helping Hand Stand is a two-in-one situation. By parenting with Rylan’s Farm, they not only provide basic living items but can also provide fresh produce.
“Recently my brother and I started donating unused chicken eggs produced by Rylan’s farm to the helping stand so people could access fresh eggs when they are available instead of selling them,” Kyle said.
There is no paperwork to fill out or qualifications to meet to benefit from the stand. Anyone is welcome to stop by and donate items or take items. There is an open-door policy. If you need it, take it. If you don’t need it, donate it.
“The Bible tells us that we need to help our brothers and sisters when we can because it is God’s will,” Kyle said. “Rylan’s Farm doesn’t make enough money for us to donate a lot financially, so we encourage people to drop off their unwanted items at the Helping Hand stand so they can be a blessing to others in our community.”
