Helping Hand - Kennett, MO

08/23/2026

Mark your calendars, Saturday Aug 29th 11am to 4pm! 🙏

Happy Saturday everyone: We pray you and your family, are safe and healthy and enjoyed this beautiful day!

FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION OUR HEALTH MATTERS!
PLEASE SHARE!
Our Boot Hill “Did You Know?” Health Series was created to inform and educate our community about health conditions affecting families throughout the Bootheel and Southeast Missouri.

But awareness is only the beginning.

That is why we are intentionally bringing health screenings, resources, food, family activities, and community support together at our Regional Health Fair.

We want our community to feel informed, supported, safe, and empowered to take better care of their health.

1) FREE Health Screenings & Services
2) Mammograms
3) Prostate screenings
4) Blood pressure screenings
5) Medicaid & Medicare enrollment assistance

PLUS:

Free frozen & dry food boxes
Snacks, power drinks & cleaning supplies
Food
Bouncy houses
Games & family fun

Saturday, August 29, 2026
11:00 AM–4:00 PM
324 W. Commercial St., Kennett, MO 63857

We educate. We equip. We connect. We serve.

STRONGER TOGETHER. HEALTHIER TOGETHER.

“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”Jeremiah 29:11



GOD KEEPS DOING AMAZING THINGS!🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

WE DON’T OWN RIGHTS TO THE MUSIC THAT’S PLAYING IN THIS POST!

08/14/2026

Heat Thumping Thursday:
Just have to give a shout out to the volunteers this week and especially today! Our air unit went down last week and because of the age & brand that no longer is in operation, parts have been extremely hard to replace. The replacement parts were located finally and on order. Great news!
Meanwhile this week temps in warehouse & storage trailer have been extreme, the volunteers hasn't missed a beat. They have cleaned, organize and kept a process flow moving. We have two large drum fans and cooler of ice cold water on hand all day. Unfortunately we had a issue in storage trailer that required it to be completely unloaded and everything completely re-stacked. It was a very hot day to tackle it but the guys jumped in and went to work. We had truck deliveries early, food box to distribute mid day and 20 plus senior boxes to deliver in the afternoon. These guys tough it out all day jumping from one task right to the next! We knew delaying or postponing these task would just make overall situations worse, so they just went all in to get it done.
There were breaks, lots of cold water and soaked clothes today.
The last delivery everyone was just empty on fuel, but no one complained and we had everything ready to hit the ground running for friday.
We appreciate everyone cooperation and understanding this past week, helping to control warehouse operations during these extreme hot days. Thank you to these volunteers who give their 100% efforts to serve others each hour of the day, everyday under these heat warnings.
So the good news is that everything for our August Senior food distribution is a go for next week!
Monday August 17th starts senior distribution from 10am to 2pm. It will go daily until 2pm Wednesday.
We hope to see all of you early each day, rain or shine! 🙏 👍 💪

08/13/2026

Thank you Greer Electric, its the daily little acts of generosity & community support that makes the difference in a small food pantry! Sometimes it feels sorta insignificant to the givers, but the impact is huge! Each group & individuals that donate is building something so much bigger, collectively it makes a month of shortages become obsolete and we are able to fill those boxes & get them out into the community in need!
Thanks John, and thanks to everyone who opens their hearts to ensure the most vulnerable isn't forgotten! Thanks for making a difference! 🙏

20 BAGS OF KINDNESS: A CHANCE MEETING AT HARPS HELPS FEED FAMILIES

KENNETT, Mo. — Sometimes helping a neighbor is as simple as buying a bag of groceries.

John Greer walked into Harps Food Stores and happened to run into an old friend, Timothy Cox.

By the time Greer left, that chance meeting had turned into 20 bags of groceries for distribution by Helping Hand Food Pantry of Kennett.

Cox, Executive Director of Helping Hand, was at Harps when Greer noticed the store's $15 bags of groceries designated to help food insecure folks in the community.

Greer asked what they were for.

"I knew that people had been having trouble keeping food there at the bank," Greer said. "We felt like we could do it and felt good to help."

So Greer bought 20 bags.

At $15 each, his quiet act of generosity amounted to $300 in groceries for Helping Hand to distribute and positively impact the people it serves.

Greer owns a small electrical contracting business in Piggott, Arkansas, but grew up in Kennett and still considers the community home, and many of its people close friends.

He said he has heard about older people struggling and knows families can face additional expenses as children head back to school.

His hope for the 20 bags was wonderfully simple.

"I just hope somebody that needed it ate," Greer said.

Harps Food Stores' $15 bag program gives shoppers an easy opportunity to help put food into the hands of neighbors who need it.

Greer said knowing the groceries would be distributed through Helping Hand made buying them an easy decision.

"Fifteen bucks to help somebody," Greer said. "And I know that they give them out to people that need them. So I know it's going to a good place."

Asked whether he would do it again, Greer's answer came without hesitation.

"Absolutely."

For Cox and Helping Hand Food Pantry, 20 bags mean more food available for Kennett families. For Harps, the program provides another way to bring its customers and community together.

And for Greer, it was simply an opportunity to help.

"Community is everything," he said.

Sometimes kindness begins with nothing more than seeing a bag of groceries and thinking about the neighbor who might need it.

Greer, Cox and Harps are proof.

More reading at bootheelbeacon.com

08/12/2026

Hello Hot August, Helping Hand wanted to share a few months of stats. Also acknowledge some appreciation to many who support our mission!

Senior Distribution:
Thank you to First Presbyterian Church for supporting May & June Senior Distribution volunteer meals!
Thank you First Baptist Church for supporting July Senior Distribution volunteer meals!
Thank you to Mistye Johnson, Thelma Brooks, Pastor KK, Janet Carter, Kaitlyn Davis, Bonnie Bracey for meal support to volunteers throughout the month!

Other:
Thank you to Federal Home Loan of Des Moines, Senath State Bank & Pastor Kirsten King for the impact grant for capital improvements to the Helping Hand!
Thank you to City of Kennett for the donation from the Senior Services Fund!
Thank you to FCCBH for the donation from the 12th Annual Golf Tournament & all the sponsors and volunteers who made a great event so successful!
Thank you Compassion Church Kennett for your generous donation to HH Food Pantry!
Thank you Kennett Post Office for the food donation with "Stamp out Hunger Campaign".
Thank you First Christian Church for the donation of peanut butter to the food pantry!
Thank you Steven Scherer for the cash donation to the food pantry!
Thank you First Baptist Church Vacation Bible School Class for the food donation to the food pantry! Thank you Darrel Jones for the safe & secure food delivery!
Thank you to Kennett Harps & the community for the School students Blessing Bags, each week Harps sold these $15 brown bags of summer snacks that were collected and pass out at the food pantry to families each week!
Thank you to Greer Electric for the purchase of 20 Blessing Bags through Kennett Harps!
Thank you to Mercy Hospital Building Blocks Program (Ms. Nicki Kraust) & the Slicer Street Church of Christ for the food donation to the HH food Pantry!
Thank you to First Christian Church Kennett for the donation of items to the Thrift Store!
Thank you to State of Missouri Community Supervision Center of Parole & Probation for daily & Senior Distribution volunteer support!
Thank you to Ms. Fonda Green with University of Missouri Extension Office with SNAP applications & education.

Appreciations:
Thank you to the volunteers who make the warehouse, thrift store & food pantry all operational on a daily basis!
Norma Mitchell
Janet Carter
Bill Moneyhun
Bonnie Bracey
Thelma Brooks
Blake Raspberry
Courtney Pickens
Kaitlyn Davis
Les Householder
Felicia Wiseman
Alicia Keller
Penny Scott
Christopher Ward
Many more who assist & support!

Thank you to Jerry Padgett for the lawn care maintenance & management of the grounds at Helping Hand! Looks Amazing!

Thank you Bill Moneyhun for the support of testing and appraisal of thrift store items!

Thank you to the Cotton Boll Workshop for the corrugated recycling and e waste! We appreciate your support!

Thank you to Freedom House Holcomb for the support each Month, we appreciate all you do!

Thank you to Semo Food Bank Sikeston Delivery Drivers & Staff support each day to keep logistics and inventory flowing!
Thank you Ms. Betty Roston of Sikeston Food Bank for SNAP support & education.

Thrift Store Donors:
Charolyn Combs
Tommy Allgood
Cheryl Brown
Everett Mobley
Standard White
Robert Parrish
Mamie Harris
Erma Carnell
Alice Morrin
Brenda Moore
Kevin Schoweiler
Lara Huskey
Nicholas Jain
Anthony Lee
Tim Deck
Erica Rebstock
Lisa Dry
Tom Rhoads
Janet Fasane
Chip McCuiston
Brittany Foster
James Knight
Casey Keating
Jeremy Crawford
Jessica Foster
Jennifer Montgomery
Anita Street
Connie Green
Terry Baker
Vonda Fowler
Cathy Bradford
Larry McDaniel
Kathy Palmer
Lee Reed
Judy Smith
Maria Tover
Brad Dorris
Jay Rhew
Pat Norman
Bonnie Bracey
Marilyn Atwill
Rinithia Williams
Johnny Bogle
Trish VonRuden
Battles Group Home
Kellie George
Marvin Anderson
Tina Babb
Josie Johnson
Patrick McHaney
Many more who donate trash bags, large & small. Hygiene items for all ages. Infant diapers, formula and adult pull ups.
We thank all who supports us in all areas and needs as requested.
Current needs:
Children summer clothing & shoes.
Men summer shoes.

Thank you to all who pray for us and to those who send cards of kind thoughts!
We are excited to make some future announcements very soon, keep following Helping Hand Kennett and please share our page.

Helping Hand Kennett- Facebook.
Don't be a stranger- come and visit us !!!
🙏 ❤️ ✝️

08/11/2026

Thank you to Mercy Building Blocks Program ( Nicki) & Slicer Street Church Of Christ for the donation of food to the Helping Hand Kennett Food Pantry. We appreciate all that y'all have done with local families & for continuing to do with the donation to support more food insecure families through the food pantry! Thank you!

08/11/2026

Thank you to Greer Electric for the purchase of 20 Blessing Bags for summertime student program at Harps in Kennett! These bags are assembled by Harps employees with great snacks for students out of school during summer break. Harps has a table with the assembled bags for $15 each that can purchased at any checkout register. These bags are distributed at Helping Hand to families with students to enjoy!
Thank you John Greer for the generous and thoughtful donation to benefit local families! 🙏👊 👍

08/11/2026

Thank you to First Baptist Church Kennett Vacation Bible School Class for the collection & donation of nearly 1,200 items to the Helping Hand Food Pantry! This donation came at a critical time when inventories were very low, it sure help to fill half empty boxes up!
The pallet consisted of pasta noodles, pasta sauce, peanut butter, can corn, cereal, mac n cheese and much more! Thank you Darrell for the delivery & FBC! 🙏 🤲 ✝️

08/10/2026

Mark the date.

📚🎉 You're Invited to the Kennett School District Back to School Bash! 🎉📚

Join us as we kick off a new school year with an afternoon full of fun, food, school supplies, and valuable community resources!

🗓 Thursday, August 13
🕒 3:00–6:00 PM
📍 FEMA Building 1400 West Washington St

✨ What's Available?
🎒 Free School Supplies
🌭 Grilled Hot Dogs
🥫 Mobile Food Pantry
🎨 Face Painting & Games
🎁 Prizes & Giveaways
🤝 Community Resources for the Whole Family

Our community partners will be on-site to provide information and services, including:

✅ SNAP Coordinator – Assistance with SNAP/Food Stamp applications
💉 Dunklin County Health Department – Vaccine information and resources
👨‍👩‍👧 ParentLink – Support and resources for parents and families
❤️ FCC Behavioral Health – Information on mental health services and primary care
🏥 SEMO Health Network – Medicaid assistance and information about primary care and dental services