ROCKWALL COUNTY HELPING HANDS

To strive to ensure that no one in Rockwall County goes to bed hungry, without a roof overhead or is deprived of needed medical care. Our goal is to provide life-changing programs empowering individuals and families in crisis. \n\nHelping Hands Program Goals: \n\n1) To alleviate the emotional and financial stress of individuals and families in crisis by providing \n basic needs services such as food and basic household items\n\n2) To alleviate the emotional and financial stress of individuals and families in crisis by providing \n financial assistance to assist with shelter and utilities\n\n3) To expand access to medical care and serve the medical needs of the under-insured or \n uninsured by providing basic medical services at an affordable price or on a sliding-fee scale \n through the Helping Hands Health Center\n\n4) To elevate the individuals and families we serve out of crisis by working one-on-one with them \n to provide information and referral services \n\n5) To provide free education and training services in order to increase awareness of financial \n management, job readiness and nutrition, to the individuals and families we serve\n\n\n6) To divert patients seeking medical services from unnecessary emergency room use; lessening \n the burden of our local hospitals and saving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in \n Rockwall County *In Rockwall County, an estimated 80% of emergency room visits are \n preventable or avoidable

Support from the community helps us stock our thrift store, boutique and food pantry. Store sales and other proceeds from our Special events and community donations go toward medical care and financial assistance. The majority of those we serve are the working poor; however, we also provide assistance to the transient population through a partnership with the Salvation Army and local law enforcement. To aid this population, Helping Hands uses donated funds to purchase bus tickets, provide nutritious meals and to pay for motel stays for people who are stranded in Rockwall without shelter. When an individual is in need of basic needs or medical assistance, they are referred to Rockwall \nCounty Helping Hands by one of over 50 referral partners, or informed by outreach efforts, word of mouth, or social media. Individuals generally call to make an appointment, but walk-ins are accepted. Depending upon the need, individuals are referred to one of our two core programs - the Health Center of Helping Hands or the Assistance \u0026 Referral Program. Both programs are located in the same facility and work in synergy; referring clients to each other when services are needed, to ensure a holistic approach to helping our residents in crisis. \n Our services support people experiencing poverty by helping them achieve stability and expand their skills to realize their dreams. We do this by 1) Meeting the immediate needs of our clients by providing emergency resources and support, 2) Preventing homelessness through short (financial assistance) and long-term (budgeting, financial education) solutions, 3) Increasing stability by linking people to resources they need in the community and 4) Building long-term success through supportive case management and life skills training. When an individual enters the A\u0026R office, they are registered at the front desk and assigned one of our 3 Client Service Specialists (CSS) who will act as their case manager and meet with them individually to assess and fulfill their needs. The CSS will determine their immediate and long-term needs, refer them to the Health Center if applicable, and help build a short and long-term strategic plan to achieve stability. Part of the short-term plan might include providing assistance with basic emergency needs such as money to pay utilities, shelter vouches, food, clothes, and household items, as well as referrals to outside services such as legal, medical or mental health services. Part of the long-term plan might include enrolling them in our other programs such as job training, budgeting classes and nutrition programs to help them build skills and support systems to move out of poverty, gain stability and thrive. The A\u0026R program has 4 core activities to serve those in need: 1) Hunger Relief, 2) Emergency Support, 3) Financial Assistance and, 4) Information and Referral.

At Helping Hands, we\u0027re lifting up our neighbors by providing greater access to the vital essentials of life, making Rockwall County a better place. We are a helping hand, providing assistance to those in need in Rockwall County. We\u0027re managed locally, funded locally and provide resources for local needs. We\u0027re neighbors helping neighbors and we\u0027re proud to serve our community. Through the Helping Hands food pantry, thrift store and healthcare center, we\u0027re lifting up our neighbors anytime they need help. We\u0027re just one part of a thriving community that takes care of its own. Our program costs including activities, supplies, and staffing, that will allow us to bring our transformative programs to an estimated 7,500 at-risk individuals and families each year. With over 40 years of experience serving those in crisis, Helping Hands provides emergency assistance and medical care to Rockwall County residents in critical need. We help empower our clients to avoid future crisis situations by helping them break the cycle of poverty. Helping Hands is the largest and most comprehensive social service agency in Rockwall County. We serve over 7,500 clients \u0026 families each year through our core programs which include our Assistance and Referral Program, Health Center of Helping Hands and the Helping Hands Thrift Store. As the \u201CSafety Net\u201D for our community, we believe it is our mission to provide support for any community member struggling to meet basic needs. We build up our neighbors by providing Rockwall County residents in need with greater access to the essentials of life. \nThe Assistance \u0026 Referral Program (A\u0026R) serves an estimated 3,500 Rockwall County residents in crisis each year. A\u0026R services support people living in poverty by helping them achieve stability, connecting them with the skills and support needed to obtain a job, and expanding their financial skills to realize their dreams. \n\nThe Health Center provides primary healthcare to an estimated 4,000 uninsured or underinsured individuals in Rockwall and beyond. 70% of those served reside in Rockwall and the rest reside in Dallas, Collin and surrounding counties. Comprehensive medical services provided include: acute, preventative, wellness, and chronic disease management. While not free, the Health Center\u2019s rates are set at Medicare reimbursement rates or lower. We also offer an income-based sliding scale program for Rockwall County residents that are at or below the Federal Poverty Level. Helping Hand\u2019s Family Nurse Practitioners partner with local physicians who volunteer their time at the Health Center and together they provide basic medical services and referrals to area specialists if necessary. There are 6 volunteer doctors: a gynecologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, a dentist and 2 family practice physicians. Referrals are made to volunteer healthcare providers, hospitals and social service organizations as needed. Open 56.5 hours per week and conduct 9,234 appts per year.

Rockwall County Helping Hands is currently undergoing a Capital Campaign to expand and renovate our existing, aging facilities that we have outgrown.\nMeasurable Outcomes 2020: \n\n\u2022 A minimum of 7,500 clients will receive services from Rockwall County Helping Hands \n\u2022 3,166 clients will receive food from the Food Pantry - representing 92% of our clients\n\u2022 231,000 pounds of food will be distributed to our clients\n\u2022 1,246 clients will receive shelter assistance - representing 37% of our clients \n\u2022 90% of clients that receive shelter assistance will still be in the location after 90 days \n\u2022 1,554 clients will receive utility assistance - representing 46% of our clients\n\u2022 88% of clients that receive utility assistance will still have the utility connected after 90 days\n\u2022 262 Households will receive furniture \u0026 household items from our Thrift Store\n\u2022 2,480 clients will receive Information \u0026 Referrals - representing 72% of our clients\n\u2022 We will provide at least 4 education and training programs a year in the areas of financial management, job readiness, and nutrition\n\u2022 An estimated 4,500 clients will receive medical services from the Health Center \n\u2022 A minimum of 120 Health Center patient visits per year will be diverted from unnecessary emergency room visits\n\nWhile our numbers show our success, even more impactful are the stories of the individuals and families we serve. \n\n\u201CI am a 36-year-old disabled mother of five. Each day is a struggle\nto clothe my children and keep food on the table. Basic necessities \nare a luxury. Helping Hands eased my struggle. They gave me \nkindness and hope for the future. \u201C \n ~ Maria, Rockwall County resident