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Helping Hand awarded

MAKING A DIFFERENCE – Helping Hand of Humboldt has been serving the community for decades. Last week Second Harvest Food Bank recognized the Humboldt charity with the Meals Matter Award. Displaying the certificate are (from left) are thrift store manager Jennifer Childress, Helping Hand director Emma Lindsey and volunteer Teresa Walker.

by Kim Forbes

A Humboldt humanitarian has been honored for her commitment to helping those in need. Emma Lindsey, director of Helping Hand in Humboldt, received a prestigious award last week.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tenn. presented Lindsey and Helping Hand of Humboldt with a Meals Matter Award.

Second Harvest representatives were at Helping Hand recently on a rainy day. They witnessed Lindsey helping a food recipient who had traveled to Helping Hand on a bicycle. While speaking with the person, Lindsey discovered the bike was their only transportation. Lindsey immediately offered to take their food for them in her car.

“I did it just like I do 12 boxes per month. I didn’t think anything of it,” remarked Lindsey.

Helping Hand used to be able to make some deliveries when Harold Pinkley was a volunteer at the facility. His health does not allow him to volunteer anymore. Lyndsey found that some of the elderly that Helping Hand serves could not remember the dates to pick up food. Being without transportation, they would pay someone to bring them to the site multiple times per month. Often, says Lindsey, using money they could not afford to spend. Lindsey then decided it was time to offer delivery to these clients and now does so with her own vehicle and at her own expense.

Helping Hand distributes 450 food boxes per month to families in need, serving 800 to 900 individuals.

The site is always in need of volunteers and donations. Individuals, corporations and churches donate to keep their work moving forward. In addition, they are beneficiaries of the funds generated through Humboldt Utilities’ Round-Up program. Helping Hand has been in Humboldt for over 40 years.

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