Did you know...

  • 1 out of 5 children in Ingham County are food insecure
  • These same children fall 1-2 grade levels behind their peers
  • These children are also 2x as likely to need special education or be required to repeat a grade

Who we are...

MISSION:  We are Many Hands, a 501c3 nonprofit organization established in 2012.  It's mission is to be the resource for communities in Michigan that wish to respond to systemic problems such as youth hunger or individual families experiencing a health or financial crisis.  The goal is to create competency as a volunteer-driven organization and harness the resourcefulness of informal charitable efforts with the aim of creating effective, trustworthy standards in all of the chosen projects to deliver maximum value for recipients, volunteers, and sponsors.

 

PHILOSOPHY:  Our basic philosophy is simple: many hands make light work and each of us can make a difference, and together we can create a community of caring for families in greatest need. 

Many Hands began in 2012, after many years of thought and planning by some like-minded individuals who recognized the impact of working together. We saw the power of helping others and the need to lead by example.

An organization cannot grow based on a vision. It grows when individuals, churches, schools, businesses, and civic organizations join up and volunteer, contribute their time, talent and investment in helping those who need a hand…to make a fresh start….to reclaim their humanity following calamity…and to lift up youth eager to make a difference in their community.

Recognizing that churches and schools cannot possibly provide a hand whenever the opportunity to help arises, we count on recommendations from these two centers of leadership to help Many Hands serve those most in need.  We rely on local service organizations such as Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, Masonic Lodges, Optimist Clubs and other private organizations for references and resources. 

Thank you to Okemos Community Church and First Baptist Church of Okemos for providing us with a space to pack and store, respectively, the Weekend Survival Kits. 

The foundation of Many Hands is FIGHTING HUNGER among Elementary-aged children in Ingham County.  The Weekend Survival Kits program is strongly supported by Allegra Marketing · Print · Mail, Rotary Clubs in East Lansing, Haslett-Okemos, Delta-Waverly and Williamston, Kiwanis Clubs in East Lansing, Okemos, Haslett and Williamston as well as many other service organizations, in the 39 schools in the following 11 school districts:

  • Dewitt

  • Dansville

  • East Lansing

  • Haslett

  • Lansing

  • Mason

  • Okemos

  • Waverly

  • Williamston

  • Holt

  • Ingham ISD

These programs are intended to meet the nutritional needs of children during non-school hours, specifically on weekends. 

Teachers and school nurses have found that in some instances, Monday morning comes, and they are forced to compete against hunger for the attention of their students.  By targeting children who receive reduced price breakfast or lunch at school, Many Hands aims to provide nutritional nourishment, so young minds are ready to learn.