Our Mission
Helping Hands supports homeless men who aspire to sober, responsible, and meaningful lives.
Our History
HISTORY
Helping Hands Outreach Ministries, Inc., was founded in 1986 as an urban outreach program of Faith Christian Center of Bedford, New Hampshire. We opened our first facility in the St. Vincent de Paul building on Manchester Street. There, we provided housing to the homeless, a food pantry, and used furniture distribution.
Over the years, as the ministry grew, we channeled our efforts toward the most pressing need—temporary housing to enable men to overcome homelessness, addiction, and poverty.
In 1991, Helping Hands purchased the former Saint Joseph’s School for Boys—which still today is our primary residential location and headquarters—at 50 Lowell Street. We began extensive renovations to convert the former school to meet community needs.
Currently, Helping Hands operates two residential locations—a recovery center at 50 Lowell Street, and a sober living facility (“The Gendron House”) at 142 Central Street.
Helping Hands is a path to a renewed life, built on a foundation of dignity, self-determination, and hope.
Who We Are
Helping Hands is a welcoming community that provides support without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, military service, national origin, immigration status, genetic information, or marital status.
LARRY NICE | Executive Director & Jeff Knuckles | Chaplain, Life Coach, and Facilities Manager
What We Do
For over thirty years, Helpings Hands Outreach Ministries, Inc., has helped men overcome homelessness, addiction, prison, and poverty. Through its two residential locations in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, Helping Hands enables men to rebuild their lives, providing:
Shelter and food
Case management, behavioral health services, and relapse prevention
Job training and volunteer opportunities
A safe, sober environment
Peer support
On-site intensive outpatient program, offering treatment and support to residents conquering substance dependence
The helping hands of a staff and volunteer community dedicated to supporting men in the transition from inpatient treatment, homelessness, or prison to meaningful, independent living
Leadership
LARRY NICE | Executive Director
Larry joined Helping Hands as Executive Director in 2017, bringing with him over 30 years of experience helping homeless men get their lives back on track. He first pursued this calling inside the walls of the men’s prison in Concord, New Hampshire, as a Corrections Counselor/Case Manager with the New Hampshire Department of Corrections. He continued his work in this role at the Transitional Work Center and the Shea Farm Halfway House, after which time he served for six years as an Institutional Parole Officer, helping men find housing, employment, and appropriate treatment programs so they could reenter the community with parole plans that equipped them for lasting success. He then served for 16 years as a Corrections Counselor at Calumet House, a halfway house for 60 men in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Larry is grateful for the opportunity, through Helping Hands, to continue serving men who are motivated to live sober, responsible lives. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University and a Master of Divinity from the Oral Roberts University Graduate School of Theology and Ministry. Larry lives in Manchester with his wonderful wife, Ruth, with whom he enjoys playing pickleball, traveling the world, and visiting their five children and four grandchildren.
Jeff Knuckles | Chaplain, Life Coach, and Facilities Manager
Jeff brings a wealth of lived experience to his dual role. A graduate and former manager of a local sober house, he has a heart for service that has been proven through hands-on work with the homeless community. He previously volunteered with Harmony Home, an Manchester-based outreach and played a key role in launching the “Overnight Shelter” at Hope City Church on Cedar Street. Jeff founded his own ministry, sharing food, music, and the message of the Gospel with the local community.
Currently, Jeff serves two days a week at Helping Hands as Facilities Manager, where he has overseen floor replacements and room painting. Wednesdays, he steps into his pastoral roles as Chaplain and Life Coach, providing guidance and support to men in our program.