About Us
A Little Help in the Right Moment
We provide essential supplies to people experiencing homelessness and transitioning out of homelessness — because sometimes all someone needs is enough to get to the next step.
Where the Name Comes From
Keeping the Hanks Off
When our founder Connie Loftin’s father first came to Cleveland, he had almost nothing in his pocket. But along the way, strangers helped him out — a few dollars here, a meal there — just enough to keep him going.
He called it “keeping the hanks off” —those moments when someone steps in with just enough help to keep another person holding on.
His philosophy was simple: sometimes people get so weighed down by circumstances that they don’t know what they might do. Hunger, cold, desperation — it adds up. But if you can ease that burden, even for a moment, you give them a chance to breathe. A chance to think. A chance to get to the next step without falling apart.
A dollar for a soda. A sandwich when someone’s hungry. A coat when it’s cold. These small acts kept the hanks off — kept despair from taking over.
“He spent his life paying that forward, helping people in the neighborhood, people in jail, people on the street, and friends and family.”
— On Connie’s father and his legacy
Our Mission
Meeting People Where They Are
We’re not trying to solve homelessness. We’re trying to help the person standing in front of us right now.
For someone on the street who missed the shelter cutoff and hasn’t eaten all weekend, that could mean a care package with snacks, water, and hygiene essentials.
For a family that just got approved for housing after months of uncertainty, that means a bedroom bundle so they’re not sleeping on the floor — and a kitchen bundle so they can cook their first meal at home.
We meet people in that in-between moment. The gap between where they’ve been and where they’re going. And we give them what they need to keep moving forward.
What We Believe
Our Guiding Principles
Service
Devoted acts of kindness and compassion to others, rooted in love.
Integrity
Our actions, no matter if anyone is looking or caring.
Encouragement
Coming alongside our neighbors, offering hope, support, and affirming they aren’t alone.
Stewardship
Taking care of the provision God has entrusted, just being good caretakers of what he has given.
About the founder
Connie Loftin
Founder, Amanda James House of Hope
Connie Loftin founded Amanda James House of Hope to honor her father’s legacy and live out her faith.
Growing up, she watched her dad help anyone who needed it — most times, no questions asked. He didn’t have much himself, but he always had enough to share. Whether it was someone in the neighborhood, a friend going through hard times, or a stranger on the street, he’d find a way to help.
When Connie’s father arrived in Cleveland with nothing but hope, strangers showed up for him. A few dollars here. A warm meal there. Small acts of kindness that kept him from falling when life felt impossible.
He called it “keeping the hanks off.”
That phrase stuck with Connie. So did the lesson behind it. When she started doing outreach work herself — going to encampments, talking to people at shelters, hearing their stories — she realized how many people are just one small act of help away from making it through.
Keeping the Hanks off and the baseline basic bundle is her way of doing what her father did, at a scale that can reach more people.
Keep the Hanks Off is about a legacy taken to another level or leveled up.
Board Members
Bertha Simmons
Secretary
Christine Steiner
Treasure
Connie Loftin
President
Our Vision
Where We're Headed
Expanding Our Reach
As we grow, we want to expand our bundle offerings — adding more household essentials, serving more families, and partnering with more organizations across the country.
Deepening Local Impact
We want to deepen our local outreach in Greater Cleveland and the surrounding communities in Ohio, reaching more people on the streets and hosting more warm meal events throughout the year.
The goal is simple: help more people, in more moments, with more of what they need.
Join Us
Be Part of the Mission
Donate
Your gift goes directly to care packages and bundles. Every dollar helps.
Volunteer
Join us to sort, pack, write a note, or distribute care packages.
Refer Someone
Work with a shelter or another nonprofit? Submit a referral for someone transitioning to housing.
Spread the Word
Tell your church, workplace, or community about our mission.
We Can't Do Everything. But We Can Do This.
We can’t end homelessness. We can’t fix the housing crisis. We can’t solve every problem someone faces.
But we can put a care package in someone’s hands when they’re hungry. We can make sure a family has essentials when they finally get their own place. We can show up, again and again, and do what we can.
That’s keeping the hanks off. And it matters.