About Henry County Helping Hand

It was the end of 1978 when six men met in the basement of the Paris post office. It was the office of the late John Caldwell, then a county agricultural extension agent. The six men had two things in common. Firstly, all of them had been active in the annual March of Dimes Radio Auction which had been initiated years earlier by the Paris Lions Club. Secondly, they all thought it was time for a change. The meeting was called by Bill McCutcheon, who at the time was a radio announcer for station WTPR. In those days, the daily sale had only one person at the microphone for the weeks that the auction lasted. Also present at the meeting were Bill Davis, auction treasurer; Bill Williams, a substitute auctioneer; William T. Looney, whose advice as an attorney was sought for the meeting; and Bob Jelks, a leader in the Lions Club and in the auction.

Their concern was that of the thousands of dollars raised, Henry County only received a small portion. Although the March of Dimes was a worthy and nationally recognized cause, the group felt that the money could be better spent in Henry County by people familiar with local needs. The meeting resulted in a proposal for a unique, all-local organization that would continue and expand on the annual auction, and use the proceeds to exclusively benefit Henry County charities. The group proposed a temporary name: Henry County Helping Hand. The name stuck and so did the cause! And it GREW! The first Helping Hand radio auction, held in 1979, raised $11,519.78. A board of directors selected from across the county chose 10 organizations to benefit, each receiving $926.20. They were: Henry County Fair Association; an Optimist Club fund for paramedic training; Paris-Henry County Rescue Squad; the Senior Citizens Association; Henry County 4-H Clubs; and the volunteer fire departments of Cottage Grove, Henry, Paris Landing, Puryear, and Springville.

At the 25th annual auction sale in 2003, we raised $230,270 - almost 20 times the amount of the first year! That year, the Helping Hand board presented checks to 55 different organizations, all of which are either based in Henry County or provide direct service to Henry County residents. From the very beginning, Helping Hand has followed several principles designed to build public trust and treat all parties fairly. The organization does not provide assistance directly to individuals, but does give money to groups that have the been approved as a non-profit, tax-deductible charity under paragraph 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Anyone who participates in the auction, whether as a donor, worker, or buyer, is eligible to vote in the annual election of board members.

To ensure equal geographic representation on the board, by-laws stipulate that every section of the county will be represented on the 15-member board. Organizations that want to receive funds from the auction submit applications each fall. The board carefully reviews them to determine which groups can be funded. A final determination of how much each receives is made after the auction is completed. An enduring quality of Helping Hand is the enthusiastic volunteer support of scores of people all over the county. Rounding up items for sale, cataloging them for sale day, describing items over the radio and receiving telephone bids, as well as ensuring buyers get their merchandise - these tasks and more are all handled by volunteers! Volunteers allow us to hold the auction’s average administrative costs to about 2.5% of total sales over the years. The primary hallmark of Helping Hand is merriment. Long hours, six days a week for almost two full months could grind anyone down. However, our volunteers seem to thrive in the bustle and enjoy the camaraderie. Doing so much good must have something to do with it!