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Show Local man guides Helping Hand program yy , yyyyy'my 'g; . . MfSfflsrassM f ;i0yp: LaVar K. Huntsman is spearheading the Helping Hand Farm Project, a non profit corporation cor-poration designed to help people help themselves. The organization is presently seeking donations to get the program going. Huntsman, Pleasant Grove, said that the goal of the corporation is to establish a facility wherein needy individuals are provided the specific assistance which they require for the basic necessities of life while obtaining required training and counseling to support themselves and contribute to society. The project will include a farm near the present location of the State Training School which consists of 475 acres of surplus Utah State property. The number of residents projected is listed at 201 male residents, 34 female residents, 1.0 family unit residents, plus room for expansion if necesary. All residents who are physically capable will participate in assigned work activities. A counseling program will also be provided. Needy individuals, according to Huntsman, a-e those whom, for some reason beyond their control, can no longer provide food and shelter for themselves and their families. The determination of need" is made by state and local governmental social service Huntsman noted that the benefits to the residents are that food and shelter will be provided together with essential training and counseling coun-seling to assist the residents in becoming self-sufficient as soon as possible. The public will receive the benefit of having those needy individuals, who constitute a burden on public assistance organizations, provided an opportunity for food, shelter and training. . Most of the food for the project will be raised on the farm by those who are being helped. Dairy cows, beef cattle, sheep, hogs, and chickens would be raised on the farm. Crops such as hay, oats, barley, corn, potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, beans and fruits would also be raised. Huntsman said that he estimated the cost for the project and first year expenses at $1,740,600. The corporation cor-poration has a tax exempt status and donations are tax-deductible. Surplus produce from the farm could go to help others in the community com-munity such as mothers of dependent depen-dent children, elderly people or anyone whom the social service departments might suggest. Huntsman said that an endowment en-dowment fund would be set up so that after it reached the desired amount the entire operation would LaVar K. Huntsman then be self-sustaining with th prject being run off of the interest ' LaVar is a retired Pleasant Grove farmer who saw a need after reading about the homeless street people. He has been asked to serve on the Governors Task Force for i 1 Homeless and the Needy. I He is married to the former Run Harsh and they have four children 20 grandchildreb, and 12 great. grandchildren. to He is a former LDS bishop and isa retired constuction supervisor. He was raised in Plesant Grove. |