eBay and ChangeMakers.com have teamed up to offer (3) $50k awards to grass root organizations formed to make a difference in challenged markets by creating new jobs. Here is the Helping Hands QnA for the app.
WHAT CHANGE DO YOU BRING TO THE WORLD?
Efficient positive change goals are reached first by those nearest making an effort for impact. Our change goals for the world are based on this local model. We help provide consulting, education, training, volunteers and resources to the causes in need and those who live there.
There are LARGE organizations with infinite funding that improve many problems in the world. What makes the Helping Hands Network unique is that we actively search for the causes that are left behind and we try to help them.
EXAMPLE:
When the USA government (FIMA) provided food, water and trailers to Gulf victims, many calls for help had to be ignored because lack of resources. Tim helped clean up. With more funding, HHN could have helped children get out of the Formaldehyde infested trailers quicker.
What are the primary activities of your project?:
(How does the combination of your project’s activities lead to that change?)
Finding causes in need
Promoting causes in need on the internet
Raising resources for the causes
Designating resources to the causes
Training local team leaders to manage the continuation of causes assistance
Publishing the cause stories in books to keep awareness active for eternity
The combination of these activities improve the quality of life surrounding the cause!
What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?:
(Please include the social issue that your project/solution addresses and how you are applying a different approach to this issue. Who else is working to address the problems you are? What advantages does your project have in comparison? This is an important criterion for our judges, so we encourage you to describe how your innovative solution applies a different approach to a particular social issue. You can help tell your story by comparing your organization against others in your sector and/or region.)
The social issues that the Helping Hands Network address are those that are left out from assistance by large organizations. For every cause that is receiving efficient support, there are 2 being left to suffer.
Our approach is unique because we search for these causes being left behind. We provide video/film coverage of the cause improvement efforts. We include cause stories in paintings, drawings and writing. Our media coverage and use of technology provides our sponsors with the inclination of being personally involved even if they are unable to physically attend.
We have met a few great partners that focus on the technology solutions we use but none include the act of actually searching out for causes in need. Our advantage lies within our network of supporters who assist in our search. Anyone can build support websites and draw traffic with social network but our Helping Hands Network is the only group we have found that will allocate resources to causes in need without red tape such as applications and such.
We do not receive funding from formal grant programs or such that require extraneous amounts of paperwork and IRS filings so in return our cause recipients are spared the head aches.
Our current core program is focused on helping the Gulf region recover from Oil Spill damages. Many families are not receiving enough help so we are searching for them and using our network to get what they need. Founder, Tim Frentz, is currently raising cash and fuel card donations to travel the Gulf to interview these families from New Orleans to Padre Island.
Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.:
(How does your familiarity with your community contribute to your success?)
The traditional European community that immigrated to North America through the 1700s thrived into the turn of the 1900s; then the impact of the industrial revolution turned the balance of the new world. Over the past 100+ years, the United States has urbanized some of its best treasures. Over population mixed with capitalist politicians have combined to vanish the rural America that was once idolized by the rest of the world.
Most of the United States rural lands which are not protected by National or State Park regulation, have been financed under banking loans or completely sold to Corporation affiliates.
This fact is a major part of our goals and missions. We look for communities that have survived the pressures of the corporations so far and we look for causes surrounding their way of life.
Their economic conditions vary but the key point is that Capitalism is replacing sustainability. Economy is equally judged by CASH as it is COMMODITY. Most USA community conditions are struggling but staying above water from Corporate contributions. The communities that are best off are the sustainable ones practicing food freedom, renewable energy, wellness, reuse and minimalization.
Political Structures – We help capitalist communities vote in GREEN politicians to allow them the global switch to Green community and EcoVillage politics.
Our networks reach allows us to make these differences but our experiences with engagement in PETRO-OIL/Tobacco/BIOMED centers always forces us to operate in the shadows.
Our familiarity with the eco friendly way of change gains us respect and support during our cause outreach and thus contributes to increasing our results where politics allow.
WHAT IS THE FOUNDERS STORY: (200 words condensed online) Here is the long answer!
https://freehelpinghands.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/about-tim-frentz-and-the-founding-of-the-helping-hands-charity/
Over time I became more aware of the damage that every human’s actions were causing on all other forms of life. My grandparents taught me the ways of the elders and how they created their own power, food and resources. They pointed out how the USA was changing with a power shift towards unhealthy practices. I began growing my own food in high school, conserved my energy use and composted my family’s trash rather then let it go to a landfill.
In 1989, I experienced my first real close death with the loss of my father’s father. My grandmother, Norva Frentz, was heartbroken. I sensed her depression and began spending most every weekend with her for the next 7 years. Together we would look for things we could do to help others in need. Our random acts of kindness restored life to all those in our presence and inspired me to go to college to discover ways to increase my efforts.
My father is responsible for giving me some insight into a broad range of cultures. He took me on motorcycle rides across the entire USA. These trips gave me the confidence to take future explorations on my own. My mother’s parents passed away these years which freed me up to travel even more.
From 1995-2002, I studied every major subject that I felt could help me return my country to a sustainable life. The challenges were great as I battled several forces of temptation. My body needed to be strong so I maintained my soccer career by playing in two leagues, coaching youth, dating soccer players and training with the women’s Division 1 team and the local semi-pro team all while studying and working.
In 1997, the creator saw me wandering from my path and woke me up with a near death experience. As of the moment I am writing this, I still have not recovered from the damage these two years would cause to my purpose.
I allowed myself to get sucked in to the capitalist society of the USA. I ran up credit debts to build a computer company. I purchased items I could not afford because advertising convinced me I needed them. I trusted my family’s savings to an irresponsible friend with poor morals costing me nearly $30,000 that was intended to build my Helping Hands Charity. I quit growing food and started contributing to the pollution of mother earth.
After I recovered enough from my motorcycle accident, I went on a soul searching quest. I took my bike through Canada around the great lakes for several weeks. When I returned, I began fixing the damage in my life. The time I was spending with the computer company was redirected towards helping with my father’s construction company and school. I then went and studied Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
I began putting my education to use to make progress on my mission by starting a service called TechCare. I listened to stories from my disabled cousin about how there was a lack of services to her community in Lincoln, NE and began providing them.
In 2000, my father’s mother passed away and I made a commitment to a girl. These events delayed my goals to expand my services nation wide.
Just before Halloween 2003, my father suffered a series of heart attacks leading to a quadruple bypass surgery. He would soon be diagnosed with terminal lung, brain and bone cancer so I limited my commitments to spend all my time with him before he would leave us.
It took me the next 3 years to finish his construction projects and get all our large items liquidated. From 2004-2006 I was overwhelmed with all the tasks my family left and I would advertise everywhere I could think of to find some affordfable help. After little help came from my friend circle, churches and such I became frustrated. Surely there were people out there who cared to help who could take some time away from their materialistic lives? I raised around $90,000 while building the Helping Hands foundation during this time and vowed to dedicate my life to providing the help others like me needed.
In 2007, I made another big mistake and trusted a friends company to sign over accounts receivables to me in exchange for fronting their $23,000 payroll so their employees lives would not be affected by their bankruptcy. When the money came in, my loan was dishonored and my startup capital was nearly wiped out!!!
I took what money I had left, put my most important items into a travel trailer for storage and began reaching out to people across the country that were having troubles causing them severe depression. I also use the out reach to inform the public on facts regarding all the important topics surrounding them. I teach people how to truly be independent by making their own energy, collecting water, growing food, recycling, strengthening their bodies and working together as a community to avoid monetary dependency.
All of the Helping Hands Charity efforts can be followed on http://NetVibes.com/HelpingHandsNet . I am now working on liquidating the last of items in storage and publishing a book about these efforts to raise more money for expansion. This book will share all the details about these experiences and cite sources relating to all the topics. The events that happen after this is printed can be followed at http://FreeHelpingHands.wordpress.com and then they will be printed in the next volume.
Please describe how your project has been successful and how success is measured?
Here are some past/present examples of what we are doing:
~Domestic Abuse Benefit (East Texas) Raising awareness and recovery medical funds.
~ Fund raising to help starving artists.
~ Volunteer work and Growth Consulting to East Texas Arts and Humanities Counsel – http://www.iclick2help.com/cause.asp?a=view&id=127
~ Cancer Benefits http://www.iclick2help.com/cause.asp?a=donation&id=146
~ Renewable Energy and Green Cause Promoting in Northeastern, NE
~ Small town improvements in Lyons, NE
~ Mediating a domestic dispute and death threats in eastern PA
~ Providing counsel and farm assistance during death near Fargo, ND
~ Home fire cleanup near Fargo, ND
~ Property remodeling for a single mom near Joliet, IL
~ Roof and home repairs for Elderly in Minneapolis, MN
~ Gulf Coast Wetlands Restoration in New Orleans, LA
~ Central Park restoration in New Orleans, LA
~ Property and scrap metal Cleanup near Dallas, TX
~ Property improvement and sale prep in Los Angeles, CA
~ Indigenous Rights networking in Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii
~ Home repairs and sale prep in GI, NE
~ Gulf Oil Spill recovery and documenting progress
How will your project evolve over the next three years?:
Evolution depends on funding, cause need, network support, contributions and media outreach.
With EVERY large sponsor of $50,000us+ per year, our network could place 1 full-time team at locations year round. We have the team to make the big changes, but not the financing.
We are selling a 1963 Plymouth Fury to raise $9000 for 2011-12. This will fund our Oil Spill recovery documentary IF/when we find a buyer.
Inventory for sale at http://myworld.ebay.com/Frentzs – keeps us floating monthly admin expenses.
We will publish a book about our accomplishments in 2011 which will HOPEFULLY aid in funding a 50% growth rate goal over each of the next 3 years.
We expect to find causes that will result in full time job creation.
We expect to gain support of at least 1 LARGE sponsor.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?:
Funding is the largest barrier. There are always causes in need of worthy help but if we can not get a team leader on site to manage the projects, then we are limited on what we can do to help.
Without funding we will remain as we are today; living in shared housing as minimalists, sacrificing wants, spending sparingly, applying sustainable practices, forcing our way through poverty, trading services for sponsors cash, working side jobs to build excess funds for causes the best we can.
We will continue submitting applications like this one in hopes someone will make a large enough contribution to increase our reach in addition to our book and art sales efforts and calls for help from churches and such.
Tell us about your partnerships:
Winnebago and Omaha native reservation counsels – find us housing to repair and increase area standard of living. We lead recycling cleanups here.
Church of Later Day Saints – informs us of causes in Northeastern Nebraska.
iClick2Help.com – raises funds.
VooDooVentures.com – Labor exchange for TribeCon / VooDooFest promotions
JL-Energy.com – Green Solutions Provider
Omaha CoHo Group – Midwest EcoVillage incubator
Shhmokewear.com – Provides free hand made hemp products for HHN promotions and fund raising.
NebraskaGreenFuels.com – Provides Green Consulting & Education
Team Leaders in each region of the USA inform admin of causes.
EXPIRED Sponsorships
NOLAlicious.com – sponsored us for our 2010 SxSW awareness campaign
HOW are you supported?
Members of the network put up items they do not need on our eBay store and then designate a % of the sales towards a cause.
Business’ contribute items for sale of give away promotions.
The network provides landscaping, gardening, construction, home handy work, technology consulting, business consulting and other services. 80% of the Customer revenue is directed to causes.
HOW will you strengthen your project over the next 3 years?
The biggest growth tool we have for our 3 year projections is the book we are publishing and documentary film rights we are negotiating.
We will be doing media interviews in conjunction with these.
The revenue will allow us a larger transportation budget to reach out to those who need help. Sometimes we have causes in need but we fail to get a team leader in the area and we do not have the funds to fly in the closest member available
We will also add new partners. We average 6 new business partners per year.
WHAT BARRIERS of employment does your project address?
1. Lack of Skills/Training
2. Restrictive Cultural Norms
3. Lack of access to information and Networks
We use our network to provide education and skills training.
Our foundations methods of operation are often rejected by American political organizations because we do not operate as a formed organization. 90% of charitable funding in the uSA is only available to 501c3 structured groups because the USA government insists on tracking its citizens every move. We break that RESTRICTIVE CULTURAL NORM by serving as a living organism and redirecting funding direct to causes. Should we be chosen as a recipient of $50k, we cry at the fact our government will take $3,000 of it but that’s how it is the USA with illegal seizure of income tax.
Our organization serves to provide knowledge and information where it is lacking!
What are your current or planned growth activities?
We are always looking for complementary services to enhance our impact. With each new CURRENT cause we take on, comes new partnership opportunities.
We have cause projects planned for Buenes Aires for 2012 so growing our reach globally is planned for the immediate future.
Our model and best practices are promoted with the intent of being followed by others. We encourage and cooperate fully with those who make an effort to improve.
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