Hand Up Foundation (HUF)
April 19, 2009
Doug & Christie Devin are the founders of “ (HUF)” whom we met today in Milton, Pennsylvania. HUF has a wonderful recycling company and thrift store to name just two of the endeavors launched in just 4 short years. The recycling facility is small in size but extensive in scope. They are capable of recycling plastics, paper, cardboard, computers, televisions, appliances, clothing, batteries, ink cartridges, and I may be leaving a few items out!
They resell the Freon and copper from air conditioning units. They have youth and community service where remanded teens and adults work on equipment or in the warehouse. HUF also employs 18 full and part-time personnel. They have a classroom and certified trainers teaching life skills development.
HUF’s thrift store only sells the best of the best clothing without any snags or blemishes. The items are hung neatly on hangers and they plan the sales schedule seasonally in conjunction with Wal-Mart’s schedule. HUF repairs donated automobiles to give them to people who need to use them specifically to obtain and commute to work. Milton, PA is a rural community and work is hard to find. Transportation is crucial to get around and jobs are often found in surrounding neighborhoods which may be in excess of 30 – 45 minute.
HUF helps elderly homeowners with needed upgrades on their homes. Doug and his board are planning to purchase a building to provide the community of Milton Pennsylvania with an emergency shelter so that runaway teens, battered women, and men who are homeless can have a temporary place to stay to get back on their feet. They do all this on a mere $650,000 budget. The exciting and remarkable thing about “Hand Up Foundation” is that 85% of their budget is from revenue from their businesses, or as we in the non-profit world would call them ‘social enterprises.’ Yes, revenue not just donations. So in this economically strapped time in which giving is down, HUF has found a way to profit and not just stay afloat but to prosper in their quest to serve the less fortunate and disenfranchised. Now this epitomizes the scripture, “blessed to be a blessing!” Genesis 12:1-3
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