Dancers from the Amber Perkins School of the Arts volunteering at the December Helping Hands giveaway night. The first giveaway night of the year will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 16 in front of the Norwich Family YMCA. (Photo from the Helping Hands Norwich Facebook page)

NORWICH — Helping Hands will be hosting their first giveaway of the year at 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 16 in front of the Norwich Family YMCA, located at 68-70 North Broad Street in Norwich.

Helping Hands is a Norwich-based nonprofit group that provides food, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, and pet food to individuals in need.

Volunteers shop for supplies and set up stations in front of the YMCA, where individuals can walk or drive through and pick up what they need. All are welcome to attend and take pre-bagged items for free, no questions asked.

"[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."


Helping Hands has been able to support the community for four years, thanks to the hard work and dedication of volunteers and supporters. Many community organizations, businesses, churches, and individuals donate time and resources to make giveaway nights run smoothly and ensure there are plenty of items to give out.

In the past, Helping Hands has received assistance from NYCM Insurance, cvFree Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, the Broad Street United Methodist Church, Valley Ridge Center for Intensive Treatment, Kerry Bio Science, Perkins School of the Arts, Achieve, Grand Union, the Northeast American Dairy Association, and many more.