Volunteers from the Norwich Middle School Junior Honor Society lent a hand by packing items for the June Helping Hands giveaway night. The next giveaway night will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 18 in front of the Norwich Family YMCA, located at 68-70 North Broad Street in Norwich. (Photo from the Helping Hands Facebook page)

NORWICH — Helping Hands will be hosting their monthly giveaway night on Thursday, July 18 at 6 p.m. in front of the Norwich Family YMCA, located at 68-70 North Broad Street in Norwich.

Individuals can walk or drive through to pick up food, cleaning supplies, hygiene items, pet food, and more, free of charge and no questions asked. Common food items at the giveaways include bread, pasta, milk, eggs, and yogurt; common hygiene items include deodorant, chapstick, shampoo, and conditioner; and cleaning supplies can include things like hand sanitizer, dish soap, bar soap, and laundry pods.

"[We're] providing for the community as a whole, anyone that’s in need," said Helping Hands Founder Lorri Race. "There’s no criteria, you don’t have to fill out a form, you don’t need to fall in a certain bracket. It’s anybody that’s in need."

Dedicated volunteers take time each month to shop for items to be handed out, pre-bag everything to make the giveaway nights run smoothly, and hand out the items at the monthly giveaways.

Helping Hands is often joined by volunteers from local businesses and organizations as well. Groups who have helped in the past include NYCM Insurance, cvFree Church, Chobani, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, the Broad Street United Methodist Church, Valley Ridge Center for Intensive Treatment, Kerry Bio Science, Perkins School of the Arts, Achieve, and many more.