ARLINGTON — The staff of the Helping Hands thrift store in Arlington recently reflected on the community contributions, while acknowledging that some problems have remained constant regardless of its location.

Helping Hands spent August distributing $2,000 in gift cards to 80 area schoolchildren, with each receiving a card for $25, while September has seen the nonprofit set aside $4,000 for various community groups.

“We’re still mailing the checks,” said Lana Lasley, director of Helping Hands, who added that her store is continuing to support the Oso slide recovery. “We must have driven ten totally loaded pickup trucks full of donations up there after it happened. We took all of it there ourselves, so that we would know it got there. Not bad for the little store by the airport.”

Helping Hands also continues to make regular financial donations to local organizations, including Arlington Dollars For Scholars, the Arlington Boys & Girls Club and Cocoon House.

“It’s not always easy when you’re only open nine hours a week,” Lasley said.

In spite of this, Helping Hands has even been able to give away some of its clothes for free to local families in need, such as the homeless and those with foster children.

“Some of these kids come to their foster families with no shoes or socks or anything,” Lasley said.

In return for this generosity, Lasley hopes that people would stop stealing from the store’s collection bins, much less dumping their trash there.

“If your needs are really that dire, just come in and talk to us, and we’ll help you out,” Lasley said. “All they’re really doing is taking from the community.”

In the meantime, Lasley directed those with any questions to their new website at arlingtonhelpinghands.org.