Douglas County Community Foundation presents second Douglas Has HEART check to Help & Hope Center
Loading...
Summary
The Douglas County Community Foundation announced a Valentine’s Day campaign and presented a second fund distribution to Help & Hope Center. Help & Hope described a record service year (nearly 32,000 served, over 1 million pounds of food) and said donations will support food purchases and emergency assistance.
Kirsten Swanson, executive director of the Douglas County Community Foundation, presented the community foundation’s second check to the Help & Hope Center and urged partners to support a Valentine’s Day fundraising campaign for the Douglas Has HEART fund. Swanson said the foundation has not yet raised additional funds since the prior distribution but was ‘‘a thousand dollars away from the next check’’ and encouraged partners to share the campaign.
Dan Marlowe, representing Help & Hope Center, said the agency turned 40 last year and reported serving nearly 32,000 people, distributing over 1 million pounds of food and more than $500,000 in clothing and household items. He said the center provides emergency financial assistance for housing and utilities, hotel vouchers in severe weather and close coordination with HEART navigators. Marlowe described increased housing density among immigrant households and a need for better language access; he said the center is testing a two‑way translation device to help overcome communication barriers.
Swanson and Marlowe said unrestricted donations typically support food purchasing and operational needs and requested that donors route generosity through the Douglas Has HEART fund rather than handing cash directly to people on the street. The presentation included a group photo and a request for partners to help publicize the campaign on social media to accelerate distributions.
