Vickie Love Takes Over As Putnam Helping Hands Director

Helping Hands of Putnam County has a new director.

Vickie Love has taken over the role after long-time director Debbie Handleson retired. Love said that after searching for ways to volunteer her time, the work of Helping Hands was the most gratifying.

“I have discovered that this is good for the soul, you know,” Love said. “It’s a really good feeling to go home at the end of the day and know that you’ve actually given food or given food or provided a means for people to stay in their apartments or keep their heat on directly.”

Helping Hands provides those in need with concrete help to fill basic needs.

Love said that at 76-years-old, she doesn’t know if she can serve long-term, but wants to make sure that she continues the mission of the organization as best as she can.

Love said that the organization has been a part of the Putnam County community for some 45 years. She said that founder David Cameron recognized that there was a need for churches and other organizations to have a place where they can help meet needs in the community.

“We provide food but we also provide financial assistance to people,” Love said. “If it’s an emergency situation that we try to cover. If somebody has been sick and off work for two weeks, that’s really tough. And it’s hard for them to pay utilities or pay their rent. So we can once in six months we can offer them some kind of financial assistance for things like that. We also provide money or gas vouchers for people who have to go out of the county for medical services.”

Love said that the organization will not exchange money, but make sure funds go to something that will help individuals directly.