Helping Hands began in response to the needs of the children in our community.  It was founded as a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization in 1973 by a group of Aiken citizens due to their concern that abused, abandoned, and neglected children were being temporarily housed in the Aiken County jail due to lack of foster home space.  

Our first location was a large home on York Street in Aiken which was leased from the local Episcopal Church for $1.00 per year.  The agency began with a $10,000 contribution from the Gregg-Graniteville Foundation and a $5,000 contribution from the Aiken County government.  We became a United Way agency in 1979.  

In 1980, a home for teenage girls was opened in North Augusta, SC and a separate home for teenage boys was established in Perry, SC.  In 1988, a new 38 bed facility was constructed and all operations were centrally located, closing all satellite facilities.

Mission

Our mission is to work unselfishly to ensure that all children are afforded every opportunity to grow into healthy adults. We strive to help our residents return to their families, when possible, and transition into the next phase of their lives.