When the coronavirus pandemic started earlier this year, Will Titus got to work.
He started small—delivering groceries to elderly or immunocompromised neighbors here and there. As things started to pick up, though, he decided that he could be doing more. So he rounded up a few of his friends and started Hopewell Helpers in early June.
“I saw how providing that help was valuable to these individuals and allowed them to remain safe,” he said in an e-mail. “One day, I thought, ‘What if we could provide this service to more people?’ And so, Hopewell Helpers was born, offering much, much more than grocery delivery to a much greater number of clients.”
Hopewell Helpers worked with 30 residents in its first 10 days. That number has grown to over 200 as of mid-August.
Titus and his team of local students—all Central High School students or alumni—travel around the Hopewell Valley helping vulnerable residents with different tasks, mostly yard work and manual labor, though they are willing to assist with just about anything.
”We’ve done tons of weeding, we’ve dug holes, we’ve helped move things around the house and assemble things and countless other similar odd jobs,” he said. “We’ve helped with cleaning and tech support, childcare, grocery delivery, pet sitting and just about any odd job in between.”
There are no set prices. Hopewell Helpers offers all services using a “pay-what-you-want” low-cost or no-cost model, something Titus knew he wanted to do right off the bat. He needed to make sure that he could assist anyone who needed help.
Those clients number in the hundreds, and Titus hopes to see that number increase—he wants the Hopewell Helpers model to work year-round, not just seasonally.
“It’s been a great learning experience from the entrepreneurial side of things, and it has provided myself and other Helpers with new perspectives and experiences that come from helping others out,” Titus said.
And now, as the school year approaches, the organization is expanding its offerings to include tutoring. Volunteers can help with individualized tutoring, college essays and applications, writing support, summer packet help and more. Lessons and instructions can be completed in-person or virtually.
Hopewell Helpers started with a team of four and quickly grew to almost 30 volunteers. The group is still accepting new volunteers, especially recent graduates and those who will be able to continue working in the fall. There are two requirements: volunteers must be able to provide their own transportation, and they must be at least 16 years old. Prospective Helpers should send an e-mail to hvhelpers@gmail.com.
Titus graduated from HVCHS in 2019 and currently attends Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He works as an EMT at home in Pennington, and he is currently studying for his Firefighter I certification.
Giving back to his hometown has been a rewarding experience, Titus said, and he and his colleagues hope to bring in even more volunteers.
“All of our team members went to Hopewell Valley Central High School, and many of us have been in the area since we were very young,” he said. “It’s a very special opportunity to be able to give back to a community that has given us so much growing up.”
For more information, or to request a service, visit hopewellhelpers.com, call (609) 474-4401 or send an e-mail hvhelpers@gmail.com.
Pennington’s Will Titus founded Hopewell Helpers to aid residents during the coronavirus pandemic.,
