Patrick Lynch, youth minister at St. Gabriel, wasscheduled to depart Louisville on Friday, March 2with a group of teenagers to help prepare the Aux-ier Center for the upcoming home repair season.They delayed their departure until 5:00 A.M. Satur-day morning due to the storms of March 2, 2012.

Patrick shares his reflections of that morning.…

“About 7:30 A.M. we came over the Cnal hill towardsSalyersville (home of St. Luke Catholic Church andHelen Penningtons clothing closet – a frequent stopforHand inHand volunteers) anddrove into themidstof the reality of Friday’s storms. Unknown to us, it wasground zero for one of the largest of Friday night’s tor-nadoes. It was unrecognizable and impassable. I havenowords to describewhatwe saw. Sure, I candescribeit; debris, insulation, collapsed houses. For me it hithome. This was the debris of the living of life aroundyou. Thesewere not just collapsedhouses. On this Sat-urday morning, I saw collapsed lives. This is one ofthose times I wish I could "unsee" what I had seen. Ihave never had a van load of teenagers be as quiet asthey were then.”

Patrick and his group finally made it to the AuxierCenter and spent the next few days deliveringemergency relief supplies and hope to the region.It was the beginning of a long process of rebuild-ing – a process that Hand in Hand will embrace formany months to come.

The outpouring of support for our tornado relief ef-forts has been astounding. Countless individuals,churches, schools, and businesses have respondedwith amazing generosity. Those funds allowedHand in Hand to provide emergency relief.

Our focus will now shift to re-building efforts, forpeople like Walter Blevins a 90 year-old man wholost much of his roof during the storm. For photosand details of this and other Hand in Hand projects,visit our blog at www.myhandinhand.org/blog

NEWSSpring 2012 • Volume XIII • No. 2

Lend a hand . . . change a life!

Unexpected Challengesmetwith Extraordinary Response

Rebuilding has already begun.

Only the foundation of St. Luke Churchsurvived the tornado.

www.myhandinhand.org

Students and businesses found many ways to help thoseaffected by the tornadoes that hit Eastern Kentucky onMarch 2. Hand in Hand was one of the first organizationsto help the rural areas devastated by these storms.

The list below shows the schools and businesses thatcollected and donated supplies and raised more than$24,000 for Hand in Hand's tornado relief efforts.

Schools participating in the tornado relief effort:St. Agnes St. Albert the GreatAscension AssumptionSt. Bernard Blessed Theresa of CalcuttaSt. Frances of Rome St. GabrielHoly Cross HS Holy FamilyHoly Trinity St. IgnatiusImmaculate Conception Kentucky Country DaySt. Margaret Mary St. MarthaSt. Mary Academy Mother SetonNotre Dame Academy Presentation HSSt. Raphael St. RitaSacred Heart Academy Vanguard AcademySt. Xavier HS St. Joseph Cathedral

in Bardstown

Companies donating goods and services included:Karem's Grill & Pub Monty's Plant FoodPenske Truck Leasing Ryder Truck Rental

Children in several Louisville schools accepted our LentenChallenge. The children were asked to reflect on theneeds of the poor and share from their own personaltreasure. The donations benefit those in need throughthe programs of Hand in Hand. Children from theseschools raised over $4,000.

St. Augustine, Lebanon, KYJohn Paul II AcademySt. Michael Lifelong Learning CenterSt. Mary AcademySt. Stephen Martyr

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Tornado Relief EffortsSchools and BusinessesRally to Help Eastern Kentucky

Students and businesses collected supplies,loaded donated trucks, held fundraisers and wentto Eastern Kentucky to help tornado relief effortscoordinated by Hand in Hand.

Schools Respond to FirstHand in Hand Lenten Challenge

Auxier Center gears up for 2012 Season

Presentation Academy elected to offer an alternativespring break trip to Appalachia with Hand in Hand for the5th year. A group of 38 including students, parents andstaff members all pitched in to lay carpet and repair floorsand windows. They also helped repair a home damagedby fire. They hung drywall, cleaned and painted. Twoother teams each built a handicapped ramp for a family.

The lives of Verlene Jenkey and her family have beenchanged forever. Their home is much more livable with allthe repairs and new carpet. Ansie Howell and family willalso benefit greatly from all the work done to restore theirdining room and kitchen. The wheelchair ramps for Mr.Williams and Mr. Osborne have made life easier for themand their families.

Our Auxier Center serves an important function in theAppalachian community. It provides a place for people tomeet, a food pantry, community meals and a library. Thefollowing list of the activities scheduled for the next fewmonths will give you an idea of all of the things we do.

You can support the work we do in Auxier by donatingonline at: www.myhandinhand.org

There are also immersion trips available this summer toAuxier. Call the Hand in Hand office at 502.459.9930 tosign up or form more information.

Community DinnerThird Tuesday each month, 6 p.m., FREE. Join us for a deli-cious meal, dessert and friendship.Family Fun FridayThird Friday of each month, FREE. Each month somethingdifferent and lots of fun for the whole family.Second Saturday Kids CampsA fun Saturday afternoon for kids, each month a differentactivity and project.Choices for WomenA wonderful workshop from the New Opportunity Schoolfor Women focusing on opportunities for women. All at-tendees receive a goody bag.FAST TRACK to your own businessWorkshop for the budding entrepreneur.Chat’n & Cookin’Join us for easy recipes, samples and fun!Managing in Tough TimesLearn how to budget, save and plan when you’re pinch-ing pennies.Basic Computer ClassParticipants who meet income guidelines will receive acomputer upon class completion.Intermediate Computer & Advanced Computer ClassWorking with the internet and popular software.Beginning Quilting ClassesMost materials providedLand the JobLearn how to make a resume, fill out an application, inter-view skills and other secrets to land the job you want.Goody bag and prizes for all who complete workshop.Auxier Center Community LibraryOpen Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Small fees apply to some classes. For more information,contact the Auxier Center at 606.886.0709.

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Presentation Academymakes5th trip to Appalachia

Have you considered remembering Hand in Hand in your will . . . leaving a lasting legacy?

Belize

Six O’Toole siblings along with friends from Kentucky,Tennessee and Mississippi gathered in Belize to build ahouse. The opportunity to provide for a young family,struggling with the difficulties of having little or nothingat all, resulted in a safe and dry home for the family.

The O’Toole children did this in honor of their late parents.Patsy O’Toole, the organizer of this trip, shared how it allcame about.

“Ourmother passed away in November 2010 after battlingcancer for a few years. She was a very humble person - alwaysdoing for others and not comfortable being in the limelight.After her death, we wanted to do something to honor her.Our father passed away at the age of 54 in 1983. He, too, wasa wonderful man - fun and generous. Both of them providedus with a solid foundation for life. My sister, Mary, explains:"They provided us with a loving home. Wewanted to providea loving home for someone else - to pay it forward."

We planned for this trip for 1 year, and raised the funds forthe house through the generosity of many friends. Theexperience was a bonding time for our family and the closefriends whowent with us. Wewere touched to the core by thepower of the experience, and thrilled to know that Cheryl,Trevor and Ty-Ty have a new home as a result. We felt thecloseness of our parents the whole week. Honoring ourparents in this way helped to heal our grief. The Sisters ofCharity of Nazareth have been part of our lives since wewereborn, so it was natural for us to do this through the SCNVolunteer program.We are so grateful to Hand in HandMinistries for providing us with this opportunity.“

Early Childhood Education:Start Early and AimHigh!

“If a young child doesn't receive sufficient nurturing,nutrition, parental/caregiver interaction, and stimulusduring this crucial period, the childmay be left with adevelopmental deficit that hampers his or her successin preschool, kindergarten, and beyond”.

Early Children Care and Education - UNESCO

Hand in Hand’s Outreach Center began activities inconnection with child stimulation month with a pa-rade of preschoolers on March1. It began in Consti-tution Park and ended at Memorial Park with a Rally.The children went on a City Tour, to expose them toBelize City and other important landmarks. It wasalso to coincide with the lesson taught on "senses"such as the sense of sight and direction.

Additional trips to local parks, an Easter Egg Huntand special movie days highlighted March activities.

O’Toole Family builds the 177th Homein Belize in honor of their parents!

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Hand in Hand’s Arte y Amistad program in Nicaraguawas a wonderful success. We’re just delighted with thenumber of students who enrolled, their enthusiasmand their enjoyment of the entire process. They pro-duced some lovely works of art and were introducedto the creative process, which we hope will stay withthem their entire lives. What a thrill.

The program was led by Bill and Melanie Wolski, whotraveled to Nicaragua from Colden, N.Y., to lead theclasses and assist with the program. Here are photosof their class and their work on the final days of theprogram. Thank you to the Wolskis for going toNicaragua, and thanks to the Dunsworths for theirconsistent leadership in Nicaragua. We could not havedone this without both couples.

It always amazes and inspires us when college stu-dents – or anyone really – agrees to give up a week oftheir time to help someone they don’t know, in an-other country, through Hand in Hand.A group from the University of Texas Catholic Centerwent to Nicaragua, and came back with wonderfulstories and photos from their trip.Ed and Barbara Dunsworth

were in Louisville in April aspart of a whirlwind trip thatincluded their daughter’sgraduation at Spring Hill Col-lege, catching up at thehome office and a trip to Washington DC for officialHand in Hand business.While in Louisville, Molly Malone’s in St. Matthewshosted a dinner reception for Ed and Barbara. More than60 people attended and everyone had a great time.Hand in Hand thanks Molly Malone’s for donating a por-tion of the evening proceeds to Hand in Hand.

Arte y Amistad in Nicaragua

Ed and BarbaraDunsworthVisit Louisville

NicaraguaUniversity of Texas students

make first Hand in Handimmersion trip

5A Gift of a Scholarship makes an immediate and lasting impact on a young life!

Local News

6

Hand in Hand hosted its annual Volunteer AppreciationBrunch as a small gesture of appreciation for the largeamount of work our volunteers provide on a daily basis.

With hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods do-nated each year, our warehouse volunteers are an essen-tial part of how these goods are prepared for distributionin Louisville, Appalachia, Belize, Nicaragua and more.

Volunteers also help with mailings, office projects, andphone calls, and they help staff events. They also lead im-mersion trips and explain the mission of Hand in Hand atLend a Hand evening presentations.

The Mayor’s Give A Day Week was brand-new this year –and a huge hit! Planned by Louisville Metro Mayor Greg Fis-cher, the event called on Louisville residents and thosefrom the surrounding area to volunteer time at non-profitorganizations, schools and churches. More than 40 volun-teers, including a group from Humana, sorted items fromdonors that we will use to help those we serve, includingthose in Auxier, Ky., affected by the recent tornadoes.

Thanks to every volunteer who stepped up to help us.

Cindy Rigby, Sarah Aclandand the folks at LadyBughad a trunk sale of jewelryand other items to raisemoney for Hand in Hand’smedical efforts in Nicaragua(medical team scholarshipand supplies). It was held onSaturday, April 21 at Lady-Bug in Norton Commons.Thanks to Cindy and Sarahfor sharing their time and talent with Hand in Hand.

If you missed the show, Cindy will have jewelry for sale atthe Hand in Hand Starfish Stroll, August 5, 2012.

Volunteer Appreciation Brunch Mayor’s Day of Service

Follow us on YouTube at www.youtube.com/handinhandministries

Jewelry Trunk ShowBenefits Hand in Hand

Did you know that Hand in Hand supports dozens oflocal non-profits from Wayside Christian Mission toTrackside Ministries? When we receive goods weʼreunable to distribute or use, we see that they supportother groups locally that can make good use of them.

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Mark Your Calendar

Aiken for AppalachiaA Backyard Barbecue, Beer andMusic Bash

Charlie Aiken is hosting a backyard barbecue to raise awareness andfunds for Hand In Hand Ministries projects in Appalachia. Anyone whoknows Charlie and his friends, knows this will be great time with music,dancing and great food - all for a good cause!

June 9, 2012Saturday Starting at 7:00pm

1119 Red Fox Rd., Louisville KYLive music by the band "This, That and the Other"

To RSVP or to donate online, visitwww.myhandinhand.org/aiken.html

Hand in Hand to hostPlanned Giving SeminarTuesday, September 25, 2012

7 pm at the Hand in Hand officeJoin us for an informative evening with

Estate Planning Attorney Kerry Miles WrightJohn Schmidt, CPA

Financial Planners from ARGI FinancialThe presentation will be followed with a panel discussion

and a question and answer session

Hand in Hand’sNinth Annual

Legacy BreakfastTuesday, November 13, 2012

Make plans now to get involved. Volunteers, table captainsand sponsors are needed. Contact Marla Cautilli at502.459.9930 or email marla@myhandinhand.org

to see how you can Lend a Hand.

2012 Immersion TripsOpenings for Hand in Hand immersiontrips to Belize and Nicaragua are still avail-able. Not only will you change the lives ofthose served, but you will be rewardedwith memories and experiences like noother trip you've ever taken.

BELIZEJUNE 17-24, 2012

OCT. 28 - NOV. 4, 2012NOVEMBER 18-25, 2012

(SPECIAL THANKSGIVING TRIP)

NICARAGUAOCTOBER 21-28, 2012

APPALACHIAJUNE 27-30, 2012AUGUST 1-4, 2012

OCTOBER 10-14, 2012OCTOBER 24-27, 2012

For more information, or to sign up, callthe Hand in Hand office at 502-459-9930or email maryhelen@myhandinhand.org

Learn more about the work ofHand in Hand Ministries by attending

a “Lend a Hand” gathering on

Thursday, June 14 - 6:30 pmWednesday, July 11 - 6:30 pm

Wednesday, August 29 - 6:30 pm

at the HHM office,2225 Steier Lane, in Louisville.

502-459-9930Make reservations online on the eventcalendar at www.myhandinhand.org.

Double Your Gift! Many employers match employee contributions.

2225 Steier LaneLouisville, KY 40218

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLOUISVILLE, KY

PERMIT NO. 1486

A message from Marla . . .Last year at this time, Doe Anderson Ad Agencyselected Hand in Hand Ministries as the recipientof a new pro-bono public awareness campaign.

We accepted their offer with excitement andcaution. We knew an updated image with bright,new colors would be good, but questioned ifpeople would embrace the new look.

Our core mission never changed, even if the faceand color of the message did. Almost everyone wasexcited about seeing a new vibrancy while knowingwe were still committed to our same values . . .

transforming lives by sharing life's essentialswith the poor.

Today, we remain committed to a vision of empow-ering the poor, while inspiring generosity in thosewith the means to help. We invite you to share inour mission. If you are supporting us now with yourdonations, thank you. If you can help us in otherways, please let us know. If you wish to keep themission alive, please share your passion with others.

Exciting things are happening and we want you tobe a part of it.

Marla Cautilli,CEO - Hand in Hand Ministries

Hand in Hand is combining two events this year tocreate a bigger family fun event. The Ice Cream So-cial, usually held in June, has been combined withthe Starfish Stroll. The Stroll has been moved up toAugust 5, 2012.

• ice cream• face-painting• magicians• stone carving• games• music• food• prizes

Uncle Smiley’s barbecue will once again providehis wonderful pulled pork and more.

Music by Moon Dance

New this year will be the Hand in Hand StarfishStroll Challenge. Teams from Nicaragua, Belize andAppalachia will be looking for team captains to jointheir teams. Create your own fundraising page andshare it with family, friends and co-workers.

This year willalso featurethe firstStarfish TossRaffle forPrizes

August 5, 2012 • 4 to 7 pmE.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park

3000 Freys Hill RoadLouisville, KY 40241

Starfish Stroll scheduled for August 5