New Sault non-profit founded by someone who knows all about helping

In Sault Ste. Marie, the founder of Helping Hands has opened a non-profit that uses a new system that brings back the old style of bartering and trade.

The Sault Ste. Marie Community Pantry and Household Bartering Items Foundation recently opened on North Street.

It was founded by Wendy Gutcher, the founder and former operator of the local charity Helping Hands.

As the name would suggest, items at the non-profit can be paid for in many ways other than cash.

“There’s no price tags on anything,” Gutcher said.

“If you want anything and you see some clothes or whatever, maybe you can volunteer instead of just saying, you know, I got this and I’m out of here. A lot of people just don’t want that. It’s the pride that takes over. So they really want to help out.”

The bartering model has been Gutcher’s dream since before creating Helping Hands, with clothes, books, toys for kids, furniture and much more available, as well as a pantry.

But the founder has even bigger plans for the 10,000-square-foot building. Renovations of each of the three levels would pave the way for more services.

“Downstairs will be a couple of washers and dryers to teach people how to wash and care for clothes properly,” she said.

Industrial kitchen

One section of the main floor has a space where she wants to add a full industrial kitchen, hiring chefs “to teach people how to cook for personal use and to get a job.”

Upstairs, the aim is to create office space for six, where a nurse and dental hygienist will be hired to provide their professional services.

Another top floor area has a room she hopes will be used for CPR, WHMIS and Safe Food Handling training.

These are just a few of the ideas that Gutcher has as she looks to create a (soon to be) charitable enterprise that can serve those in need, while giving them a “hand up, not a hand out” – a personal motto of hers.

So far, funding for leasing the building and groundwork to start up came from an inheritance by the foundation’s founder.

“My dad passed away and he left me some money and I just can’t take the money and just spend it on myself,” Gutcher said.

“So I felt … the right thing to do is take my inheritance and just spend it on getting this up and running, and we are applying for grants and stuff like that.”

Still, Gutcher said they need investments from the community, as well as donations.

Mike Chikoski, the non-profit’s volunteer communications manager, said there is one thing that is in especially high demand for those they serve.

“Biggest need right now, what we’re looking for is, our pantry is getting low,” Chikoski said.

“We are providing … a fair bit of food out there to the homeless that come here. So we need food, canned goods, you know, non-perishables.”

The longer-term priorities, like medical and training services, aren’t too far away, Gutcher said.

“We’re hoping by fall (or) Christmas, that we can actually get up and running with those services.”

Then, she wants to expand the foundation’s reach.

“Once we’re up and running here, we are Algoma District, which is Blind River, Elliot Lake and Wawa. We want to help there, too,” she said.

Gutcher is determined to make the ambitious new system work in the Sault.

“I’m going to help as long as I can keep moving and it helps me mentally and helps me physically, knowing that people will be taken care of and we just all need to think on the same level of kindness,” she said.