SANFORD, FL —

A young person walking into a theater for the first time may see a stage, rows of seats and bright lights. What they may not yet see are all the possibilities waiting behind the curtain. Confidence. Creativity. Friendship. Discipline. A chance to discover a talent, or simply a place where they belong.

Helpful Hands recently donated $14,000 to support student-based programming at the Ritz!

Helping make opportunities available to students is at the heart of a growing community partnership between Helpful Hands, Inc. and the Ritz Theater in Sanford. Helpful Hands recent donation of $14,000 to support student-based programming at the theater, an investment that helps the Ritz continue creating opportunities for young people to experience, participate in and grow through the performing arts.

For Helpful Hands, supporting programs like these are closely connected to a mission the organization has pursued in Central Florida for more than 15 years. Helpful Hands is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit charitable foundation based in Oviedo and serving Orange and Seminole counties. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life of local children and families experiencing crisis. Once other organizations have helped address a family's critical needs, Helpful Hands focuses on quality of life experiences, something that can sometimes be overlooked: giving children opportunities to participate in the experiences that help make childhood whole.

Through student productions, camps, classes and other educational opportunities, young people can encounter the performing arts not simply as spectators but as participants. Some will discover a lifelong love of theater. Others may find confidence they carry into the classroom, friendships they might never otherwise have made or abilities they did not know they possessed.

The Ritz's relationship with Helpful Hands is also part of a much broader commitment the organization has made to arts opportunities for local children. Every student who receives an opportunity to walk onto a stage, learn from an instructor, watch a film, work alongside fellow students or discover what happens behind the scenes represents another opportunity for that relationship to continue paying dividends long after the curtain closes.

Helpful Hands began in the Oviedo community in 2009 and officially launched in 2010. What began by serving approximately 100 children and families in 2011 has grown significantly. The organization now reports that, over its first 15 years, community support allowed it to fund more than $1.5 million in grants impacting more than 15,000 children and families. Rather than attempting to operate every program itself, Helpful Hands provides grant funding through community partners capable of putting those resources directly to work for children and families. The organization's records show 96% of its funding is dedicated to programs that create quality-of-life experiences for children and families facing crisis.