Keep Reaching Out Your Hand: Helping Hands at Fort Knox

Our Helping Hands program at Fort Knox can be described as a safe zone for the military community. It’s also a comforting place to welcome kids with special needs and offer them an educational setting. Kelly Iglesias and Barbara Dupree are the Red Cross volunteer co-leads for the Helping Hands Food Pantry and Lending Closet. Their sons, Jesse and Jack, have grown their interpersonal skills since volunteering with them. 

Barbara Dupree (L) and Kelly Iglesias (R)

“This is wonderful. In a place where you don’t really have the transitional service for young adults with disabilities, the Red Cross has offered us an environment where they can get it. It feels like a family here. The boys are supported,” said Kelly. Barbara echoes her feelings, saying, “It’s nice because they have been able to speak on their behalf and advocate for themselves. I love the people that are here.”

Barbara came from Italy with her husband who has been in the Marine Corp for 25 years. She wanted to find job training opportunities for Jack. “We’ve had many opportunities to volunteer with different organizations, but we have always gone back to Red Cross,” said Barbara. Kelly got emotional sharing her story, saying, “The Red Cross helped when my dad passed away, we had to get back to Guam.” Our team was with Kelly every step of the way, communicating the messages. “After going through that hardship- I came here and found a family. The Red Cross was here when I needed it.”

The food pantry offers two programs. The first is a drive-thru grocery service for active-duty E-6 and below. “We give about 25 grocery items that we put into bags,” said Kelly. The second program is emergency relief. It’s not rank specific, just anyone having a hard time- including veterans, retirees and widows. “We’ll give them bags of food that should sustain them for a couple of weeks. All the way up to cleaning supplies, diapers and wipes for babies, at no cost,” said Barbara.

The lending closet offers supplemental household appliances like toasters, microwaves and crockpots. “There are usually tears of joy when they leave, and they give us a hug. It makes you feel good,” said Barbara. The team reflected on their impact, remembering a mother. “She just moved here with her husband and 6 kids. When they got into their house, it was infested…They were [temporarily] homeless and displaced, living in a motel. They realized there was a food pantry on post that services the military community. We were able to help.”

“If the programs didn’t exist, I think it would be devastating. We have numerous foster families here…That come in and need additional help because they are helping foster kids,” Barbara commented. The volunteers have also helped individuals escaping domestic violence. “I remember a mother who packed up her kids and fled. She was so grateful for our help. Between Warrior Warehouse and here, she received clothes and toys for her children… She was like: ‘All this food for us?’ I said we will find a way for you. Come back if you need more,” said Kelly.

With the help of Jesse and Jack, these ladies work countless hours giving back. All they ask in return is for the word to be spread about the services on base. “We don’t just help families on base. We want more people in the military community to know they can come here,” said Kelly.