Ray-Pec Sunrise Club Vice-President Tom Circo presents Heart-n-Hand Executive Director Alexis Butterfield with a monetary donation. (Courtesy Photo)

The Ray-Pec Sunrise Optimist Club met February 8th at the IHOP Restaurant. Guest speaker for the meeting was Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director of Heart-n-Hand Ministries.

Heart-n-Hand, located at 200 B Street in Belton, provides food assistance (through their food pantry, monthly mobile food pantry, and a daily lunch), life-skills classes, recovery groups, day center for those in need, and clothing vouchers for the Heart-n-Hand Ministries Thrift Store located at 305 N Scott in Belton.

Alexis shared statistics from 2021, including 292 school supply-filled backpacks given out last August, 511 showers provided and 3,456 lunches served at the Heart-n-Hand Ministries day center, 1,329 Thanksgiving meals given out, and 1,800 Christmas gifts provided for children and seniors in need. Alexis also told the Optimist Club about the newest addition coming to the program center—a commercial kitchen where hot meals can be prepared and served.

For many food and housing insecure individuals, the only meal they’re eating is served at Heart-n-Hand Ministries, and that meal currently consists of prepackaged items that can be microwaved or eaten right out of the package. Heart-n-Hand Ministries wants to begin providing a hot and nutritious meal, and the commercial kitchen will allow for that.

Alexis also stressed that the programs and aid that Heart-n-Hand Ministries provides are constantly evolving based on the area’s needs. If you would like to support Heart-n-Hand Ministries many programs with a monetary donation or by volunteering, please visit https://www.heartnhand.org/volunteer–programs.html for more information.

Club Vice-President Tom Circo presented Heart-n-Hand with a monetary donation and the club thanked Alexis for her time and presentation.