The logo of the Help Them To Hope organization, which can be seen in its bright colors on the helpthemtohope.com website, is an outline of a heart within a loaf of bread, within a T-shirt, within a house.
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And in the middle of it all is a keyhole.
Richard Ribando, the nonprofit’s board president, said the logo signifies what the fund has aimed to do for more than six decades — help Lake County residents with shelter, clothing and food, in their time of need.
Ribando said he is in awe and appreciation of all the people who have opened their hearts throughout the years, and have donated money to their neighbors.
In its 65th year, the fund that started with one act of kindness — which was followed by another, and then another, and then decades’ worth of more — has displayed what that keyhole in the middle of the logo symbolizes. It represents people caring for one another with an open heart.
The holiday tradition, which officially kicks off the fundraising campaign on Thanksgiving Day, has to this day generated $2,886,493.89 in donations, according to the organization. The 2022 campaign collected $32,083.
“We are most proud of the fact that every dollar collected over the 65 years of HTTH’s existence has gone right back into the Lake County community,” Ribando said.
That has only been possible due to the generosity of the group’s members, who have taken on all of the administrative costs, with some outside sponsorships in recent years.
That means the HTTH team, made up of Ribando, secretary and treasurer Rosemary Alfredson and board members Robert Haymaker, Barbara Swanson, Charlie Selle, Chris Brenner and Skip Schaefer, have given much of their own money and time for the cause, too.
“I would say the work of HTTH has taught the board that we know we cannot stamp out hunger and family misfortune, but we have been committed to giving our best efforts in applying the community donations to agencies that use HTTH dollars wisely, in the best interest of the communities in Lake County,” Ribando said.
This year’s donations will be distributed to seven organizations: A Safe Place, Beacon Place, COOL Ministries, Keeping Families Covered, Love In The Name of Christ Lake County, Mothers Trust Foundation and Roberti Community House.
Together, these groups cover the needs of many families who are hungry, unhoused, need clothing and other items, and are facing difficult situations that require guidance and support, Ribando said.
As it’s happened in the past, the HTTH team is looking forward to the annual display of kindness in the form of donations that help alleviate hardships that some are facing, he said.