HHH opens its doors with new services for persons in need
EPHRATA – His Helping Hands, a local nonprofit ministry serving low-income and homeless persons in Grant County, will open its Winter Clothing Closet on Monday, Nov. 3, and continue through February to provide cold-weather clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, hygiene products, and more to anyone in need.
HHH is located at 29 Alder St. S.W., Unit B – the former Grant County Journal newspaper building – in Ephrata. The facility is open on Mondays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“While not a warming shelter, we have plenty of coats, hoodies, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, and scarves,” HHH volunteers say on their website.
“There is no qualifying criteria: if you need it, we will give it to you,” they said. “Just remember that you must be present to receive items; you cannot pick up clothing for someone else. So, bring your kids, family members, and friends with you.”
Adults can also use their new shower facility on Mondays and Saturdays from 8-9:30 a.m. Showers may be used for 15-minute sessions and are not available for children under age 18.
Among other services, HHH now has washing machines available to the homeless for one free load of laundry per week. Initially, both showers and laundry will be available on a first-come basis. Over time, a client list may be established to schedule appointments. Upon verifiable need, the nonprofit organization can also provide periodic financial help to persons for utilities, groceries, transportation, or emergency housing.
Over the course of this past year, the old newspaper building has undergone a major remodel to accommodate both the HHH facility and Crossroads, an adjacent but separate office providing women’s health and pregnancy resources.
His Helping Hands invited dozens of past and current volunteers, partners, and donors to an open house Thursday evening to view the new improvements and learn more about future plans.
Dawn Prince, who helped initiate the ministry in 2011 and continues to guide the nonprofit program, grew emotional when recounting the generosity provided by “so many people” in supporting and expanding its services.
“What you see here,” Dawn told one group of guests, “is a gift from God. We didn’t pay for any of this. It’s for anybody in Grant County who comes through the door.”
She and other HHH volunteers pointed out the modified office space, new flooring and paint, electrical upgrades, HVAC system, industrial water heater and walk-in shower, shelving laden with personal hygiene products, and in-house laundry.
Racks were filled with new and quality used clothing and footwear for adults and kids. A portion of the former press room has been converted to a storage area for sorting donations of various goods and supplies, and an open space is being reserved for a kitchen addition and dining/gathering room planned in 2026.
“We want to provide community meals on a regular basis at no cost to the public … That will be a big deal with the economy the way it is,” Dawn predicted.
This past year, HHH has provided assistance in some form to about 1,000 individuals and families, and it’s anticipated there will be an increased need in the months ahead, said Dawn.
She hopes to expand the center’s days of operation following her planned retirement next September from Grant County, where she has worked many years in the records section of the jail.
Ephrata businessman Nick Tommer and a former Ephrata couple, Joe and Patti Whalen, acquired the 6,600-square-foot former newspaper building in 2024. Tommer credited Corinne Isaak, executive director of the Columbia Basin Foundation, for “planting the seed” that led to its transformation into a space that now houses HHH and Crossroads Resource Center.
The resultant effort, he said, “turned out way beyond our wildest dream.”
“What a blessing this is,” Tommer said during Thursday’s open house. “His Helping Hands is an asset, and we’re ecstatic.”
In her outreach presentations, Dawn said the vision for His Helping Hands “has always been to become a faith-based community resource center where the generosity of our community and local churches support … the needs within our community.”
In addition to help provided by the Tommer and Whalen families, HHH has partnered with Columbia Basin Foundation to secure $275,000 in grant funding to complete the initial renovation phase. The ministry is now seeking an additional $100,000 for the second phase that includes the kitchen addition, designated “Elizabeth Molitor Gathering room,” and a meeting room where “recovery coaches” can talk privately with individuals about treatment services available for alcohol and substance abuse, mental health counseling, or other needs.
Dawn thanked Grant County commissioners for their allocation of pandemic-related federal funds under American Recovery Plan Act. Other major contributors include Westland Development Co. ($40,000), the Paul Lauzier Foundation ($29,000), Basin Tree Service ($5,000), Confluence Health and Wenatchee Valley Medical Group ($5,000), $15,000 from an anonymous donor, and $6,000 in other outside donations.
HHH continues to accept both financial contributions and donations of goods and supplies. For information, visit www.hishelpinghandsgc.org, or contact the Columbia Basin Foundation.
And the ministry will again host its annual Christmas dinner on Thursday, Dec. 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Our Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 172 Ivy St. S.E. in Ephrata.
All are welcome to enjoy the free meal. Organizers are also prepared to hand out holiday gifts for up to 400 children. Teens will receive a gift bag of candy while younger kids will get a gift bag with a stuffed animal, wrapped gift, candy cane, and stocking filled with donations.
