At Lansing High School, several teachers quietly and compassionately support students through a program called Helping Hands. This program exists to fill specific needs for Lansing USD 469 high school students, ensuring they can focus on learning and thriving at school.
Helping Hands typically provides support such as winter coats, toiletry items, eyeglasses, books for vo-tech courses, car mechanical repairs, and shoes. The program works closely with school counselors and our district social workers to identify students in need, and all support is provided anonymously to protect each student’s privacy and dignity.
Recently, Helping Hands stepped in on a much larger scale than usual. A high school teacher noticed a change in a student’s behavior and took time to follow up. In that conversation, the student shared that their family had experienced a devastating house fire and had lost everything. On top of the emotional toll, the student was also without basic utilities at home due to a missed payment following the fire.
Helping Hands paid the outstanding bill to restore the student’s utilities, allowing them to return to school with more stability and peace of mind. Staff and students across the district also rallied together to collect essential items to help the student and the family recover from the loss.
While this extraordinary support made a life-changing difference, it also significantly depleted Helping Hands’ limited funds. To continue supporting students in moments of crisis, Helping Hands is asking for community support through cash donations. Every dollar donated goes directly toward meeting the needs of Lansing students experiencing hardship, whether for everyday essentials or emergency situations.
How to Donate:
Donations can be dropped off or mailed to the Lansing High School front office (1412 147th Street). Please note “Helping Hands” as the recipient on your contribution.
This program is made possible through the generous donations and volunteer support of our community.