How to Receive Help
Little Hopes is a place to ask for help and offer help within the Hamline Midway, Frogtown, Como, Rondo, St. Anthony Park, Merriam Park and North End neighborhoods in Saint Paul. We are expanding and are currently including some families from the East Side by invite only.
Little Hopes began as a Facebook group and continues to use this as it’s primary platform.
First Step: Join the Group
You must live within the group’s boundaries or be included by special invite.
You must meet at least one of the following criteria:
Be receiving some form of government assistance.
Be worried about how you will eat.
Be worried about paying your rent or mortgage.
Guidelines
Posting Items That Can Be Claimed
This is a FREE site. Members give items to people in need. No selling items, trading items or offering to buy items! Items are for members of your family living in your household. Do not take items for friends or other relatives. If an item has been posted for more than 24 hours anyone may claim.
No selling of items you have received from the site
Please remember, that although we try very hard, help is not guaranteed.
What are the guidelines for posting a need?
- You must be a struggling member and the need must be current (i.e. clothes, household items, food).
- Requests for prescription medications are not allowed.
- No asking for cash or gift cards. (Admins of the group can and will post for these under certain conditions)
- No GoFundMe’s or similar links allowed.
Other Receiving and Giving Rules We Follow
- Treat people with respect. Offer help – not judgement
- No piggy backing on another post.
- No advertising or promoting your business on this site.
Job postings, however, are welcome.
No Shows for Pickup or Volunteering/Delayed Pickups
A no show is when you have set up a time and a place to meet and you do not show up or message the person letting them know you will not be able to make the meeting.
No shows will be removed from the Facebook group site. The offender will receive one (1) warning and then if there is a second (2nd) offense they will be removed.
If you are a no show for a volunteer shift, it is an automatic removal.
After 6 months you may request to rejoin, but approval is not guaranteed.
If an item is not picked up within three (3) days or on the agreed upon day, the poster/giver can choose not to give to that person and may move on to the next person.
Volunteering Requirement for Struggling Members
Little Hopes believes that everyone can contribute, build and support our community. Therefore, many of our programs for help have a volunteering requirement. There are many opportunities to volunteer including our Events and Hope Run.
Events may be canceled if we do not have enough volunteers.
Regarding disabled/invisibles – We realize physical volunteering will be difficult. A family member can volunteer for you! We love when youth volunteer (13 and older). Age 12 may volunteer with a parent. If you do not have family to volunteer, we suggest volunteering for the Gear Up event where you can sit and hang clothes or the garage sale where you can monitor a table, a section or the exit.
We understand though, that health plays a definite part in your life and will work with you.
What are the basic rules of the group?
- No arguing with an admin or moderator.
- Admin(s) and moderators have the discretion to remove members from the group.
- Breaking any of the group rules can cause you to be removed from the site. Depending on the severity you may receive a warning or you may be removed altogether. If you are removed you may submit to rejoin after 6 months. Approval to rejoin is not guaranteed, and will be handled on a case by case basis
- .Please no drama.
- If someone is scamming people, please let us know.