AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF) – Helping Hands in Aiken celebrates its 50th anniversary.

“It basically started from a tragedy, where a family was in a car accident, and the parents passed away. So, the children had no place to go. What they ended up doing was placing the children in the local jail. Some concerned citizens passed through and noticed this, and that’s kind of how the inception or the thought of ‘Helping Hands’ came about,” says Geneva Wright, a volunteer coordinator with Helping Hands.

“To see kids that didn’t have the resources that they needed, come from broken homes, come from being abused or neglected, and actually have a new outlook on life…knowing that we are responsible for some of that is amazing,” says Helping Hands CEO, Monica Jeffcoat.

“Here, everyone had their own chore, and it rotated. So we learned to do our own laundry, we learned to organize,” says former resident, Brooke. “We spent a lot of time with other programs, learning a lot about what’s going to develop us when we DO leave here.”

“Some started with educational issues, and they actually succeeded while they were here in our program, we got them enrolled in college. I’m actually going to a graduation in May for one of our success stories,” says Jeffcoat.

Brooke: “The biggest thing was the love from the staff. It felt really good to know that where I was, I was loved,” says Brooke.

Helping Hands is working on raising $50,000. If you would like to donate click here to visit their website.