Helping Hands drive starts with $1,000 donation

By Kimberly Cole, Enterprise special correspondent

BROCKTON - Helping Hands, the annual holiday drive sponsored by The Enterprise, has received its first donation of the season: $1,000 from the United Way of Greater Plymouth County.

Dennis Carman, president and CEO of the United Way chapter, said it is the organization's second year contributing to Helping Hands.

"The Enterprise has done good work over the years in establishing the Helping Hands fund, and the United Way wants to visibly support that through a donation," said Carman.

The United Way decides which community needs are most urgent by conducting annual surveys, he said. This year's results showed affordable housing, health care, youth violence and the need for child care to be urgent community needs.

Carman said a number of organizations supported by Helping Hands address these issues, making a donation to Helping Hands a fitting one for the United Way.

"It's another visible way for the community to be made aware," said Carman of the donation. "We're trying to be in the position of a community builder."

Carman said the United Way also plans to support the Helping Hands Jingle Bell Run event in December.

The Enterprise Helping Hands Fund is an annual holiday drive supported with donations from families, individuals, businesses, and civic and school groups. It is administered by The Enterprise Charitable Foundation. From now through Dec. 31, the foundation will raise money through direct donations and fundraising events, including the Jingle Bell Run.

Last year, the foundation awarded grants to more than 20 charitable agencies throughout the region. One hundred percent of the donations is distributed to area agencies.

Area nonprofit groups may apply to the foundation for grants from the Helping Hands Fund. Applications should be mailed as soon as possible to:

Allocation Committee
The Enterprise Helping Hands Fund

P.O. Box 1450

Brockton, MA 02303

Applications should include the amount the group is seeking, a brief plan for how the funds will be used to directly serve people in need, a copy of the group's 501(c)3 exemption, and the name and telephone number of a contact person.