NORWAY — Helping Hearts of Western Maine is a new nonprofit dedicated to distributing necessary items such as clothing and household items to those in need in the Oxford Hills area.

Helping Hearts was formed this summer when its President Ellen Burnham and her daughter, its Treasurer Sarah Burnham, wanted to begin collecting donations and distributing them to those in need.

“We’ve been a resource for redistributing to people who could use those items,” Sarah Burnham said Tuesday.

Sarah had long been a contact for the local school district to distribute winter supplies or other needed items to students and had experience in writing grants.

Clothes are laid out at the Norway town office for citizens to take for free during Helping Hands of Western Maine’s pop-up free store Oct. 26. photo courtesy Helping Hearts of Western Maine

Detailed on the website, helpingheartsofwesternmaine.com, is Sarah Burnham’s favorite bit of advice and inspiration: “No matter how happy you may be, no matter how lucky you may feel, there will be dark times. But no matter how dark, there will always be light if you look hard enough.”

“We want to be your light in the dark”, the nonprofit’s website reads.

Each month, Helping Hearts holds a free store pop-up at the Norway town office where anyone can stop in and pick up clothing, household or hygiene items, and home medical supplies.

“It’s sort of like walking into a store. We just let people come in and take whatever,” she said.

The first event in September was a back-to-school theme where backpacks with all the necessary supplies stuffed in them were given away. 

“We had a huge line that wrapped around the side of the building an hour before we opened,” Sarah Burnham said. 

There have been at least 100 people come to each pop-up at the Norway town office, she said.

“We have definitely had a good turnout,” she said.

While Sarah mostly handles the financial and administrative side of the organization, Ellen Burnham spends a lot of time driving around the Oxford Hills area picking up donations or dropping off items for people in need.

A variety of miscellaneous household items are available at the Norway town office for citizens to take for free during Helping Hands of Western Maine’s pop-up free store Oct. 26. photo courtesy Helping Hearts of Western Maine

Helping Hearts receives many requests by email, Facebook, or phone call, and works hard to find those specific items and redistribute them.

“As I pick up or drop off donations, the people I’m meeting are incredible!” Ellen Burnham wrote on the group’s Facebook page in September. “If we can help someone, we will!”

Home medical supplies have also become a large part of Helping Hands’ work as well.

“Somebody donated some medical equipment and we realized there was a pretty big need for that stuff— things like shower chairs, wheelchairs, walkers,” Sarah Burnham said.

Helping Hearts received a $1,500 grant through Walmart’s Spark Good program, which helped to cover small insurance costs for the in-person events, hygiene items, and what is highest demand, socks and underwear for kids and adults.

The nonprofit also distributes laundry coupons good for a free load of laundry.

“One of the issues with being homeless is you may not be able to wash your clothes,” Sarah Burnham said. “Even in Norway, we have a lot of people who are low income or homeless.”

“Our tagline is ‘come as you are, take what you need,’” Sarah Burnham said. “It’s just really important to us that people know they are cared for regardless of who they are, how they identify. We just want to help the people around us.”

For more information visit helpingheartsofwesternmaine.com.