Helping Hands Chairwoman KG Ariagno had two reasons to smile at Trigg County Fiscal Court Monday night.
The first she knew all about. Asked to give a review of the last fiscal year, one of the community’s most successful non-profits had a calendar to remember — thanks to the generosity of many to make it happen.
The second, however, was a complete surprise — when Judge-Executive Stan Humphries presented her with the 2025 Dr. Tom Martin “Community Member of the Year” Award, annually bestowed since 2017 to someone noteworthy and humble in a righteous cause.
Ariagno reflected on how well “The Bargain Barn” has done since its move to Main Street — so successful, in fact, that officials held a March 18 ribbon-cutting after joining the Trigg County Chamber of Commerce.
She added that this was one of the first years in which Helping Hands made a profit during the annual Cadiz Rotary Radio Auction — always held in April, and always packed with people ready to serve.
She thanked the City of Cadiz employees, who consistently take care of the grass behind “The Bargain Barn,” and she reaffirmed that at some point — perhaps in 2026 — work will begin on a food pantry.
The eventual shift from Line Street, she added, will serve a dual purpose:
+ It puts everything Helping Hands related onto one campus.
+ And it finally puts the former church building into retirement, after decades of service to the area.
The “Back to School” drive held July 31 allowed for more than 215 kids to shop for school-appropriate clothing at $100 per student, a cost of more than $21,000, while the organization raised more than $35,000 during two hours of accompanied calls for philanthropy. This also included a concentrated effort to join up with Happy Feet, which gifts pairs of shoes to needy kids and families.
The most recent food drive, she said, brought in more than $23,000, which will help make a serious dent in the needs of Trigg Countians.
Through annual appropriations from fiscal court, Ariagno said they usually pivot those funds to utility assistance — which is typically needed in the hottest of summer and the coldest of winter. It used to be, she noted, that families could receive a one-time payment of $100 to soften such costs. That offering is now up to $150.
A mobile pantry served more than 450 families this past month, and she confirmed that 40 families will be receiving a food gift card this Christmas holiday.
Even now, Ariagno remembers those early beginnings for Helping Hands, when during the Christmas of 1997, a family was in desperate need of a lift.
Former recipients of the award include Dr. Martin, Donnie Tyler, LaDonna Diggs, Beck Sanders, Kim Fortner, Susan Kyler, Larry Lawrence, Carl Heckmann and Cissy Lawrence.
