Renita Marshall knows what it’s like to grow up in a home with lots of love, but less than adequate financial resources. That experience led her to establish the Renita Marshall Helping Hands Foundation, Inc., a new Independent Sector Member working to lessen that worry for others, responding to crisis with care. Find out how Renita’s foundation is making life better for families and children in Barre, Vermont.

Tell us about your mission and the community need(s) it addresses.   

The Renita Marshall Helping Hands Foundation (RMHHF) is rooted in compassion, dignity, and practical support. We provide financial assistance to families experiencing temporary or unexpected financial hardship — whether due to illness, job loss, divorce, natural disaster, or other unforeseen life events, responding to crisis with care.

Our goal is to ease the overwhelming stress that parents often feel when they are unable to meet their family’s basic needs during challenging times. By stepping in with timely support, RMHHF helps restore a sense of stability and hope. When parents are no longer forced to choose between paying bills and providing for their children, they can focus on healing, rebuilding, and maintaining a nurturing home environment.

Every act of assistance lightens the emotional load that families carry. It allows parents to breathe a little easier, knowing they are not alone. We believe that by strengthening families in crisis, we strengthen entire communities.

How does your work address those concerns?

Our work is specifically designed to meet the real, everyday needs of families facing temporary or unexpected financial hardship. We understand that crisis doesn’t always come with warning — and when it does, it rarely arrives alone. It brings stress, fear, and impossible choices for parents who simply want to take care of their children. That’s where we step in.

Our assistance is flexible and responsive to each family’s unique situation. We help cover those “extra costs” such as sports fees, equipment, summer camps, back to school clothing and supplies. We also help cover Christmas wish lists so families can focus on their urgent needs such as rent or mortgage payments to prevent eviction, utility bills to keep the lights and heat on, and grocery costs to ensure children are fed. For families affected by illness, divorce, job loss, or natural disasters, we fill in the gaps where traditional aid may fall short or be unavailable, responding to crisis with care.

Read the full article about supporting families in financial need by Debra Rainey at Independent Sector.