Sharing and Caring Hands

I appreciate all this charity does to help people during homelessness and helping them to get jobs and get their own apartment. I buy as many new items as I can afford for personal use and upcoming apartments. I also buy used suitcases, bags and sleeping bags so people and their children have places to keep their belongings and easier to move when the time comes. I try to deliver my current car load at least monthly if not more often. I have been downsizing my own house but still love to shop so I now shop for people living in this place and for pet adoption centers. Pet adoption centers always need blankets, etc. Some people appear to complain in their reviews but I don't see too many other people helping the homeless families as much as Sharing and Caring Hands does. If not for Mary Jo, then who? God bless her and those who work there.

This is my favorite charity. They are so good about helping people who really need help. Mary Jo Copeland who runs the operation started it many years ago and has grown it the organization is today.As Mary Jo once told me she helps people that are so poor they have no relatives. I wouldn't believe it unless I had seen it myself.She has done it all with private funds and refuses to take governmental aid. Cheers to her.Besides providing food, medical and dental care she has built a building with apartments for mothers and children to live while they are in transition to get their feet back on the ground. She provides them with food, shelter, daycare and clothing for them. In turn they need to show progress for finding employment, housing and education if they choose.I have provided clothing, food, time and my money to the organization as i can. My children also have and I will continue to in the future.

I went in there to get help, but decided it was not for me...Be prepared for blasting oldie-type music that is annoying and not necessary to put on a good "vibe."After an argument with a woman's situation explaining about her and her cousin who were in need of a check, I saw Mary Jo's face curl up, like a real mean old woman after this black women was trying to explain to Mary Jo her situation and she went over to another old man and made disparaging comments about race and "these people." It was really an upsetting situation to witness and the the big security guy yelling at her to leave was scary. And after this black woman had left, Mary and other staff were talking about how they got the check they had given her, back from her, and were proud of it like money-hungry people like they had done some good deed. Now, the black woman was apparently mad enough to yell, "Fuck you Mary," as she stormed out. If you don't want to be around those situations, which come with the territory of people in poverty, don't go here! They only help with ID.s, Birth Certificates, and other stuff, but not travel experiences, motel vouchers (like the guy on the phone told me), personal checks and the shelter's are they best they can do. If you're a woman with a kid, I think you get more help. Be prepared to show ID, and give them your SS number too.

I think Mary Jo Copeland the founder of Caring and Sharing Hands in Minneapolis Minnesota is trying to reach sainthood. Which I pray she will never even be thought of to get after the way she treated my sister and her 21 month old daughter.My sister and her daughter had traveled all the wayto Minnesota from Arizona for a funeral. On the way here they had gotten a flat which they were able to get the tire plugged so they could finish their trip here to Minneapolis. Well needless to say after the funeral and they were getting ready to go home, we checked the tires and seen that they needed to be replaced as the would have blown on her way home, and no one here was with much money to help her, so she used her gas money to get back home to get new tires on the car. With her having no money to get back home to Arizona we were told to go to Caring and Sharing Hands by someone who was recently helped with travel expenses of $150. She said, they would help with travel expenses for her to get back home especially since they were in town for a funeral. We were told to look up the website so we could see first hand that she assists with travel expenses. We looked it up and thought this is wonderful, thank goodness there is someone who can help.I went to caring and Sharing Hands with my sister and when she got up to talk with Mary Jo, Mary Jo was rude... telling her "Tell me what you want? What are you asking for?" When my sister started to reply Mary Jo stopped her and said "We dont do that here."handing her a piece of paper which she tehn ripped out of my sisters hands. My sister tried to explain to her that she had a 21 month old with her and they drove up here and all Mary Jo kept saying to her was "We dont do that here." and told her she could leave.She was willing to leave my sister stranded here in Minnesota when she needed to get back home to get back to her life and take care of things, like finish packing for a move. We had to ask around and try to find people who had some spare money to borrow just so we could make sure that my sister and her daughter got back home.I will never tell someone to go to Caring and Sharing Hands for help, after I seen first hand how my sister was treatedand how rude Mary Jo was to her. From this experience and I have heard it from other people Mary Jo Copeland is a fake and only wants people to see the good thinsg she does, but I know quite a few people who have not so good experiences with her. Its too bad that there are so many people who need help and they are willing to let this person belittle them to get any kind of help. I will tell people of other places to go for assistance as I find them cause after this experience I have made it my goal to find better help for people than someone who acts fake with her help. Mary Jo Copeland is not acting as a woman of god, she is doing things to make her look good.

Mary Jo has been committed to helping others for decades. After her husband died, I wonder how she manages everything. God bless her!!

Mary Jo does good work and in the past Ive been happy to donate items here. Today while dropping off two boxes of personal care items and a carton of school supplies I met a woman who was locked out of her car and offered to help her. While waiting for the locksmith i was ordered off the property because parking lot is only for workers. All the spots were empty. Thankfully nobody took in my donations yet so they can go to a more charitable charity.

A place of safety and hope for those seeking it in earnest. Sharing & Caring hands is my favorite charity to give to, as people who want a real chance to change there lives, get that chance there. I find sharing & caring hands to be extremely careful with there donors money and they do spend it wisely & kindly to help others so in need. I have indeed visited the center and shelter, I am aware of others complaints of it, however I find no fault, this is a huge problem to deal with on every level, as so many pieces to the puzzle of homelessness, hunger and hopelessness there are, most of us indeed to overwhelmed to even try to help. Mary's place is there trying all day everyday and they do make a driffrence in many peoples live's.There will always be those who find fault, but not me, as Mary's Place is there open to all who come to find some light of hope . I speak from experience my friends enough said.My opinion of Mary's Place from: A daydream believer.

Ok i took my friend there to ask for some help, she fell on hard times and living in her car. Yesterday her car got broke into and they stole her id, birth certificate, medication, and what little money she had. Sharing and caring hands treated her very disrespectful, and told her no they can't help her. The security grabbed her and actually threw her out. I felt bad for the way they treated her, and she was crying. Wow i thought they help people out at Sharing and Caring. Who ever funds this place needs to check out how funding is spent, can't believe Mary Jo became a millionaire off of the poor and really don't help people out. You are a disgrace Mary Jo. Also people are treated like they are a piece of trash there, and Mary Jo seems racist.

Don't expect anything but a headache and poor service. I have only been able to get there at 2:45, they say that they are open till 3 on the phone but won't even give you a post it not that allows you to get food in the basement. If you call and ask about why they close early they will still tell you they close at 3 and say they closed early today and rudely hang up on you. I would suggest donating your time and money elsewhere.