“There is a fine line between desperate and middle class. The middle class, (who is) on the brink and don't get these (government-sponsored) benefits but cannot afford to live (well).” This is how Serena Overson, Boulder County resident and founder of Lending a Hand Hub — a regional organization working to support individuals in need — defines the gray area for those living just above the official poverty line.
Having walked the poverty line, Overson started a trust system to connect neighbors and friends, she said. Overson’s trust system is made up of people she has connected with throughout her time as a hairdresser. She has helped many of them and, later, many of them helped others in the community.
“Throughout the years, doing (hair), I got to know the social workers, the lawyers, I know people who have the funds to give, which helped me create a community here built on trust,” she said. “I gained the trust of people and thought, ‘now that I have it, let's figure out ways to be the connector.’”
When the pandemic hit, Overson was unable to continue her job and decided to finally bring some structure to her charity work, she said.
This is how Lending a Hand Hub was born.
The Lending Hand Hub is a Facebook group created in 2020 serving Boulder County with over 2,000 members regionally. Members can post requests for help and offer help in return, by way of donating or exchanging clothing, food, car repairs and more.
This group is the platform that brings together many of the connections Overson has made over the years. However, there is still a lot of work to be done outside of social media, she said.
“This (the Facebook group) gave the opportunity for people to see people in need, to truly understand what is out there in terms of need right now, which unfortunately is a lot,” she said.
Overson’s work focuses on connecting people to existing services and support that other local nonprofit organizations provide, such as Emergency Family Assistance Association, Community Food Share and Sister Carmen, she said, adding direct support for individuals comes in when organizations fail to deliver.
“There were times where I made three dollars too much for food stamps and they were cut off and I had to reapply. It is like that for a lot of people. It’s hard,” she said. “There are a lot of gray areas for many who are unfortunately unable to get assistance. We try to be the middle help.”
Lending a Hand administrators post requests for clothing and furniture people are willing to donate to those unable to afford new items, and then they will drive the items to the individuals in need, Overson said.
She will help raise money to cover automotive repairs and identify mechanics who are willing to do the job for free as long as parts are provided. The group has also helped recruit volunteers for food distribution and identify sponsors for food drives, she said.
These are a few examples of the way in which the system works, one that Overson believes is a more relatable kind of help, she said.
“Other nonprofits, they’ve helped me tremendously, but it feels all business. You sit down and cannot give too much information, cannot be too desperate. It feels like you have to read yourself before you go in. You cannot be too sloppy or say too much,” she said.
“I’ve realized throughout these years that there is a lot of shame,” she said. “A lot of people feel ashamed about needing assistance, so I created this thing to connect them with people who are non judgemental, with a lot more understanding … making the people who are in need feel comfortable to go to these people.”
Mandy Porchia, a Longmont resident, has accessed and given support through the hub over the past few months. She has used the service as a resource for clothes, household items and birthday gifts for her daughter.
“I believe in utilizing every resource you can when you need help getting back on your feet,” she said. “There's always someone in need that may not be able to afford things and being able to get nice things for free can really help someone become physically and emotionally stable.”
While the hub caters to all of Boulder County, it is just beginning to branch into the Longmont area.
“A lot of things are being asked from people in Longmont,” she said, adding the pandemic has increased needs for the community as a whole.
During the pandemic, Community Food Share, a food bank tackling hunger in Boulder and Broomfield counties, has provided more food than ever before in its 40-year history, distributing over a million pounds of food each month to partners across the region, according to its website.
The OUR Center in Longmont distributed more than 1.1 million pounds of food last year, more than 1,000% from 2019, according to the nonprofit’s year-end reports.
Rida Silva, a member of the administration team of Lending a Hand Hub, has focused on the Longmont area, shortly after beginning her internship at The Zone after school program — a youth development group led by the city of Longmont that offers no-cost activities.
“We have been helping many families and homeless with tents, food and other needs,” Silva said. “I also have been very active with the Latino community. My family started a little fruit truck and many of our customers were in the Longmont area so I got very familiar with the people and what was needed to build a stronger community.”
Silva sees an opportunity, working with the hub, to a positive impact by strengthening communities and being a voice for the silent.
“I hope everyone sees that there are people with hearts so big there's room for everyone in it,” she said. “I try my best to obtain as much knowledge as possible in order to help as many (people as possible) and teach them and give them the tools to help themselves and others. I'm hoping this will start a ripple (effect) of change through kindness.”
With four members of the board of directors, 15 people part of the administration team and 50 regular volunteers, Lending a Hand Hub is in the process of officially becoming a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, according to Overson.
“At the beginning, I would think, ‘oh my god, what am I doing?’ I didn’t want to be exposed as much, but I wanted people to see and spread kindness, if you spread kindness it's good to show people what you are doing so they want to be a part of it,” she said. “It’s like planting a seed, to plant a seed and you have to spread seed all over the place, I want it to be a change statewide … I want it to be a big thing.”
