‘IH2’ started in garage, now provides services all over region
When Mindy Schnitgen moved to Adams Township a dozen years ago, she looked for volunteer opportunities where she and her young children could provide real help to the needy in their community.
But none of the very worthy charitable organizations she contacted allowed children to volunteer.
“So I started Inspiring Hearts and Hands in my garage 11 years ago,” she said.
The first “IH2” event saw 65 families at a low-income housing development in Gibsonia receive Thanksgiving baskets.
“Now, we serve over 800 families in three counties,” Schnitgen said.
One program, KidzEquipped Summerfest, provided clothes, shoes, coats, socks and underwear, backpacks containing school supplies, a hot lunch and games to families at Broad Street Elementary on Friday. Several service organizations also set up at the Broad Street playground to offer services to parents.
While the racks of new clothes were collected via a clothing drive, the 3,750 items selected by young students at KidzEquipped were paid for through fundraisers during the last year, as well as through grants from PNC Charitable Trust and The Grable Foundation.
The Angel Tree program at IH2 sees all students at Broad Street and Emily Brittain elementary schools, as well as students at McQuistion Elementary School who get free and reduced lunches, fill out Christmas wish lists.
The items on the lists are then placed on tags that decorate dozens of “Angel Trees” in businesses, public spaces and organizations around the county.
Anyone can pluck a tag from one of the Angel Trees and purchase that gift, which is dropped at IH2 for processing. The gifts eventually end up festively wrapped and tucked under the Christmas trees of the children who filled out the wish lists.
“This year, I expect to have at least 1,500 tags on our trees,” Schnitgen said.
Other IH2 programs target veterans and various youth causes.
Schnitgen said a staff member at Broad Street Elementary related to her that a woman called and asked if she could get just a backpack for her student at KidzEquipped Summerfest.
“When she told the woman she could get everything else, she said ‘times are so hard and I’ve been really struggling. This is such a blessing,’ and she started crying,” Schnitgen said.
A boy at KidzEquipped pulled a stylish shirt from a rack in the gym and proclaimed “I’m wearing this on the first day of school!” Schnitgen said.
“This is about making them feel loved and special, period,” she said of the event.
To donate, volunteer or learn more about Inspiring Hearts & Hands, visit ih2helps.com.
