Renita Marshall knows what it’s like to grow up in a home with lots of love, but less than adequate financial resources. That experience led her to establish the Renita Marshall Helping Hands Foundation, Inc., a new Independent Sector Member working to lessen that worry for others. Find out how Renita’s foundation is making life better for families and children in Barre, Vermont.
Tell us about your mission and the community need(s) it addresses.
The Renita Marshall Helping Hands Foundation (RMHHF) is rooted in compassion, dignity, and practical support. We provide financial assistance to families experiencing temporary or unexpected financial hardship — whether due to illness, job loss, divorce, natural disaster, or other unforeseen life events.
Our goal is to ease the overwhelming stress that parents often feel when they are unable to meet their family’s basic needs during challenging times. By stepping in with timely support, RMHHF helps restore a sense of stability and hope. When parents are no longer forced to choose between paying bills and providing for their children, they can focus on healing, rebuilding, and maintaining a nurturing home environment.
Every act of assistance lightens the emotional load that families carry. It allows parents to breathe a little easier, knowing they are not alone. We believe that by strengthening families in crisis, we strengthen entire communities.
How does your work address those concerns?
Our work is specifically designed to meet the real, everyday needs of families facing temporary or unexpected financial hardship. We understand that crisis doesn’t always come with warning — and when it does, it rarely arrives alone. It brings stress, fear, and impossible choices for parents who simply want to take care of their children. That’s where we step in.
Our assistance is flexible and responsive to each family’s unique situation. We help cover those “extra costs” such as sports fees, equipment, summer camps, back to school clothing and supplies. We also help cover Christmas wish lists so families can focus on their urgent needs such as rent or mortgage payments to prevent eviction, utility bills to keep the lights and heat on, and grocery costs to ensure children are fed. For families affected by illness, divorce, job loss, or natural disasters, we fill in the gaps where traditional aid may fall short or be unavailable.
Beyond financial support, we also offer peace of mind. When a parent knows they can keep their home, feed their children, or avoid yet another disruption without impacting their children, their stress is eased — and that stability benefits the entire household. We’ve seen firsthand how relief turns into resilience: When basic needs are met, families can begin to heal, rebuild, and move forward with dignity.
Our work is about more than dollars — it’s about restoring hope, preserving dignity, and making sure no family faces hardship alone.
What motivated you to work in the nonprofit sector, and what inspires you most as head of your organization?
I was inspired to start the Renita Marshall Helping Hands Foundation because I know firsthand what it feels like to grow up in a home where love was abundant, but money was tight. Raised by a single mom who worked full time, I watched her stretch every dollar to cover the necessities — but there were always things we had to go without. The “extras” that so many other children took for granted — expensive clothes, the hottest Christmas gifts — were often out of reach.
That experience stayed with me. Years later, when I saw a neighbor bravely share her own struggles on social media, it stirred something deep inside me. Her words echoed the same worry and helplessness I remembered seeing in my mother’s eyes. I couldn’t scroll past. I had to do something. That moment became the spark that led to the creation of RMHHF.
As president, the greatest joy I feel comes not just from being able to help, but from watching our community show up — time and time again — for families they may never meet. Their generosity, kindness, and willingness to lift others during hard times is what makes this work so powerful.
RMHHF is rooted in empathy, lived experience, and the belief that no one should have to face hardship alone. Together, we’re rewriting the story for families who just need a little help to get through the storm.
What concerns do you have for your organization as our sector grapples with challenging times?
One of the challenges I face as president of the Renita Marshall Helping Hands Foundation is balancing the demands of running a nonprofit with working a full-time executive job. While my heart is fully in this mission, the reality is that my time is limited — and that often means less time to dedicate to fundraising efforts and donor outreach.
We take pride in the fact that RMHHF accepts no taxpayer funding. We are fueled entirely by the generosity of individuals, businesses, and community partners who believe in the power of helping families through tough times. But as everything becomes more expensive — both for families in need and for the foundation itself — it’s getting harder to stretch our resources far enough.
This year, we also had to invest in the infrastructure of our organization to strengthen our ability to serve. While necessary, those costs were higher than expected and impacted our available funds for direct support. The truth is, if we don’t have the funds, we simply can’t help — and that’s never easy to accept when the need is right in front of us.
Despite these challenges, our commitment remains unwavering. We just need help to keep doing what we do best — showing up for families during their hardest moments. Every dollar, every share, every show of support helps lighten the load for someone who needs it most.
What influenced your decision to become an Independent Sector member, and how can being in our membership community help you better achieve your mission?
I recently joined Independent Sector with the hope of connecting with other nonprofit leaders who may be facing the same challenges we face at the Renita Marshall Helping Hands Foundation. Running a grassroots organization while working a full-time executive job can feel isolating at times, especially when you’re navigating rising costs, limited fundraising time, and an ever-growing demand for support.
Independent Sector offers a vital community — one that brings together nonprofits, foundations, and changemakers who understand the realities of this work. By joining, I’m looking to build relationships, share resources, and learn from others who have walked similar paths. Most importantly, I’m hoping to connect with potential donors and partners who are aligned with our mission and want to be part of the impact we’re making in families’ lives.
This community is not just a network — it’s a lifeline. It’s a place where ideas are exchanged, solutions are found, and collective strength is built. Being part of Independent Sector gives us access to knowledge, support, and opportunities that can help sustain and grow RMHHF, ensuring we can continue to provide relief to families when they need it most. We don’t need to do this work alone — and through this new connection, I believe we won’t have to.
What’s one thing about your organization that people would find surprising?
One thing people often find surprising — and inspiring — about the Renita Marshall Helping Hands Foundation is how deeply rooted we are in community input, right from the very beginning. In fact, every major decision during our startup phase was made on social media, with the help of our followers.
When I first shared the idea of starting a nonprofit, I had no intention of putting my name on it. But when I asked the community what it should be called, the overwhelming response was that it had to reflect the heart behind the mission — so the name stuck. Our logo? Also chosen by a public vote. And even now, when the board occasionally hits a standstill on a decision, we’ll turn to our online community for feedback — and they always show up.
This level of engagement has shaped RMHHF into something truly unique. It’s not just an organization I created — it’s a shared mission, built by the very people who believe in it. That sense of ownership and collaboration is what keeps this foundation strong. We’ve never been just a nonprofit; we’re a movement powered by community, for community.
Learn about other Independent Sector members and becoming a member.
