‘I was on a mission’: Helping Hands founder stepping down

The founder and president of Sault Ste. Marie Helping Hands has announced she is stepping away from the organization.

For more than 10 years, Wendy Gutcher has overseen the operations of what has become one of the city's most impactful non-profits.

Originally launched out of her Crawford Avenue home in 2013, Gutcher has provided underprivileged residents with free and low-cost items like clothing, food, household items, and other essentials.

But due to some recent health challenges, she has decided that now is the right time to walk away.

“I’m 62 years old; I’m ready for some time to myself and my family,” she says. “It’s very upsetting for me to leave; I’ve been bawling my eyes out for days.”

Gutcher told SooToday her difficult upbringing is what sparked the decision to begin Helping Hands in the first place.

Her mother abandoned the family when she was just five years old, and she suffered abuse from various adults in her life.

She lost her home to a fire twice and was involved in eight separate car accidents. Specialists told her she would likely never walk again.

“I was told I’d never be able to work,” she says. “I said: ‘Don’t tell me what I can’t do, I’ll show you what I can do.’ I was on a mission and my mission was to help people survive.”

Determined to assist the less fortunate, Gutcher grew Helping Hands from her small living room into several thousand square feet of space at the former Steelton Chapel on Wellington Street West.

Over the years, she has collected an overwhelming amount of donations from the community that her team of volunteers has worked tirelessly to sort through. Some items have even had historical significance. 

Despite numerous break-ins, floods, COVID-related barriers, and financial struggles, Gutcher says she always found a way to keep the doors open — all while not earning a single dollar for herself.

“I never got paid but my heart got paid,” she says. “I’ve given up jobs just to keep that place running.”

Throughout her 10-year run, Gutcher has hosted a number of street parties, barbecues and fundraisers in support of the people who have come to rely on her services.

In addition to helping the homeless, a growing influx of new residents have come to rely on Gutcher’s services, including several Ukrainian families who have recently moved to the Sault amid the Russian invasion.

The organization’s impact has also been felt on social media as the Helping Hands Facebook page recently grew to more than 17,000 members. There, citizens can post requests for items they’re in need of or things they’re willing to donate.

Gutcher has also been recognized for her work at a number of community events, including the Sault Police Community Awards Night last year when she received a plaque.

While she’s incredibly proud of the impact she’s had on the community, the Helping Hands founder says it’s difficult to say farewell.

“I don’t want to walk away,” she says. “My heart is broken. This is my life; it’s all I know. I just wanted to help as many people as possible in this world.”

“But Helping Hands does not belong to me — it belongs to the community. I’m only the founder. I created something for people to get help.”

Gutcher says the organization will have its annual general meeting on Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. to discuss the future.

“I just want to thank all the businesses, community members, volunteers, and past and current board of directors,” she says. “My final piece of advice is to just help one person a day — that’s 365 people in a year.”