CLEVELAND — Strong Hands United is in trouble and needs the community's help.
The nonprofit's Founder and Community Engagement Director Curtis Freed told me the van they've been using the last five years is out of commission after an engine failure.
"It was an old raggedy van, but God kept it running," Freed said.
Strong Hands United has been operating since 2015. It's main goal is educating the community on the reality of human trafficking as well as helping those underserved.
Freed's passion for uplifting those around him comes from a very dark moment in his life that happened four decades ago.
"I was in East Cleveland. I'm a recovering alcoholic as well, and I went into this drug house. I was in there drinking and [other men] kept running in and out the bathroom. I was like what are you doing? They said, 'We've got a girl in there.'
I went in the bathroom and it was a child. She must have been about 11. They were just doing some unimaginable, crazy, sadistic things to this child," Freed said. "I repressed that memory for so long until I had to go to therapy and the memory came out and I told my pastor about it and it just kept tugging at my heart. My pastor was like, if it's that strong, maybe God's trying to tell you something."
For more than 10 years now, Freed has been trying his hardest to support and uplift his community in an effort to curb those types of situations.
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Strong Hands United has also partnered with Walmart, receiving frequent donations, including bicycles that are given to children in Cuyahoga County.
"They give us tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise off season like when it's in the wintertime, they give us the summer stuff. At the end of the summer, they, you know, rotate like that. We take all the stuff and we have a big event at the end of the summer and just give it away to people and then we have a community closet in case someone needs something throughout the year," Freed said.
Operations may have to pause, though, as Strong Hands United is without reliable transportation.
"Our program is in jeopardy of being cut off without the van. We can't function without the van to move the supplies around and get it to the people who need it," Freed said.
Freed said it looks like rather than replace the failed engine, a new van will need to be purchased, which will cost the organization roughly $10,000.
"We're on a shoestring budget," Freed said.
Freed said the organization unfortunately does not have a rainy day fund, so now it's a matter of crowdfunding.
"I'm feeling enthusiastic and hopeful, but I've helped a lot of people. We made a lot of partners, and I just believe that... somebody's gonna help and support us. I don't know who. I don't know how, but I just trust and believe," Freed said.
Freed said the van has not been operable since Thursday.
He told me another local organization has offered to loan Strong Hands United a pickup truck until a van is secured.
Freed said he and his wife are finalizing a GoFundMe that's expected to be active on Monday.
Once the GoFundMe link is live, it will be added to this publication.
In the meantime, if you'd like to donate, you can inquire through the organization's website.
The nonprofit's CashApp is $donateshu.
