The Handy Dandy Handyman Ministry was founded some 15 years ago, and is still going strong today.
I applaud founder Peter Brady of Brookfield who had the passion, conviction and determination to do good for others for making this non-profit organization what it is today: a gift to those who need a helping hand.
Beyond raking leaves for hundreds of seniors, this ministry is one of volunteers who are at the ready to do all kinds of jobs or people who simply cannot afford to pay for them, as well as help them navigate difficult bureaucratic systems to get the social service assistance they also might need, even just temporarily.
I’ve had a first-hand opportunity to see the good Brady and his band of helpers do every year, and I never ceased to be amazed that they treat every individual with dignity and tackle each task they take as if they were being paid professional wages. These are people compelled by far more than money, or even public acknowledgement. They know there is something one gets from being kind and good that nothing else will ever fill.
Of course, non-profits rely on donations to survive; that’s a reality. And so I hope that when people are thinking about where to invest their charitable dollars, they consider this one. They stretch their dollars, doing much with little. All you have to do to know what this ministry means is to see the faces of those who now have clean gutters, leave-free lawns, or even a full house makeover. Those smiles and tears are priceless.