The Centralia Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for Helping Hands’s new location at 1600 S. Hickory.

Held at noon and attended by several Helping Hands volunteers, as well as members of the City of Centralia, the ribbon cutting marked a permanent location for the prolific non-profit organization.

Rob Schnicker of Helping Hands said the group acquired the space last November, and that it possesses all of the amenities needed for its handicap-accessible ramp-building operation.

“We needed a place where we could store our lumber and build out of the weather and keep our pieces until we are ready to install,” said Schnicker, who listed the Kaskaskia Special Education building at 200 S. Pine and City Hope Church as the organization’s previous locations.

“This building is set up perfect with the floor space and storage space that we have,” Schnicker continued. “It’s equipped with a restroom, with heat, and its in a good location with easy access. This is a very good situation for us.”

Chamber director Marcus Holland commended Helping Hands ahead of the ceremony, stating the group was a shining example of what volunteer-based non-profit should be.

“This is the example of what we give for small non-profit organizations in our community that are volunteer based,” Holland said. “All the money goes into the ramps, and you can clearly see the impact you have with helping people. It’s a very clear mission with really clear fundraising goals, and we appreciate everything you do.”

Helping Hands has built and installed 93 ramps to date for people in need in just over a three-year period. The organization also secures small grants to help assist those suffering from financial strain.

The organization is completely donor-funded and consists entirely of volunteers. All donated funds are utilized to assist people within the community.

Helping Hands

1600 S. Hickory Street, Centralia IL

missioncentralia@gmail.com