Helping Hand Cemetery Club
HHCC
Courtland, Virginia
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MISSION
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he mission of the Helping Hand Cemetery Club is to improve and to maintain the cemetery as a peaceful, dignified, safe, and beautiful place worthy of its historical recognition. HHC is the link to the legacy and heritage of the African-American community of Courtland, Virginia. In addition, HHCC's mission is to receive and to acquire additions to the cemetery and to sell lots and burial rights therein.
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President's Corner
Hello Friends & Family,
It has been a challenging, yet wonderful experience serving as president of the Helping Hand Cemetery Club (HHCC).
I would like to thank all the members of our board of trustees for the dedication and hard work they have rendered to the cemetery.
Although most of our board members do not reside in Virginia, a number of them are descendants of the original HHCC Board of Trustees and are quite dedicated to the cemetery due to that personal connection. Trustees have invested many volunteer hours, as well as made monetary donations to help make capital and landscape improvements. They are deeply rooted in fulfilling the mission of the cemetery.
Please take the time to read our Mission Statement, it explains what we are striving to accomplish. We were incorporated by the State of Virginia on May 1, 2018, which allows us to fund raise and solicit members. Also, the Federal Government certified us as a tax-exempt organization (501C-13) in 2019.
We are currently asking friends and relatives who have loved ones interred at the Helping Hand Cemetery to get involved with our ongoing improvement efforts. The work never stops and the grass continues to grow. Let’s all share in upgrading the look of this historic cemetery. Let’s take pride in it and restore it, bringing it back better than ever! Donations and increased annual memberships will help make this possible.
Please forward the contact information of possible donors to any member of the Helping Hand Board of Trustees, so that it may be entered into our database for communication purposes.
I thank you in advance for your assistance and valuable support.
Alton Darden
President, HHCC
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UPDATE FROM THE MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
For our relatives and friends buried in the Helping Hand Cemetery (HHC), there is no better memorial than to make sure their resting place is peaceful, well-maintained and properly marked when you come to visit.
The annual $60 per person membership fee for the Helping Hand Cemetery Club is used for maintenance each fiscal year of July 1- June 30. However, monetary donations of any amount are appreciated and will help us maintain the cemetery.
Please join or renew today and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
We are setting up a database of contact information that will be used to keep supporters informed about projects and special days. We are also projecting growth of interments and trying to relieve families of stress at a critical time.
To that end, we need to know if you have a receipt(s) signed by an official HHCC representative for prepayment of a
burial plot or if you are interested in prepaying for plots at this time.
Please contact me about membership, location of burial plots, and receipts showing payment for future burials.
Thanks for your continuing support!
Helping Hand Cemetery Club is a tax exempt organization - 501C13 (Cemetery)
Please make checks payable to: Helping Hand Cemetery Club
P. O. Box 612
Courtland, Virginia 23837
From Your Pay Pal Account send to: helpinghand612@gmail.com
Venmo-- hand612
Cash App- $612hhcc
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Fundraising
Leave eternal memories of families, relatives or supporters
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4"x 8" Brick - $100 each
Order your brick at:
for more Information contact
Alton Darden
Email: amd18084@aol.com
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Grants and Historical Update
Helping Hand Cemetery (HHC) is as historical as it is beautiful.
The current trustees have focused this year on identifying and highlighting the stories and contributions of the more than 500 ancestors buried in HHC.
Founded in the late 1800’s, owned and managed by the Helping Hand Club Trustees since 1913, Helping Hand Cemetery has earned its place among historical sites this year having qualified for The Virginia Historical African-American Cemetery and Graves Fund. In addition, HHC has been included in the Town of Courtland’s recognition as a historical site by the State of Virginia’s Historic Places and the National Registry.
To preserve, upgrade and maintain HHC, we continue to seek funding through donations and grants. Our objective is to preserve the legacy of slaves, sharecroppers, free people of color, Native Americans, veterans, and Southampton County citizens. This legacy bridges the stories of the past with the present for today’s diverse communities and future generations.
Dolores Peterson,
HHCC Grant Researcher/Historian
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WANTED
Information to highlight the Black Experience in Courtland,Virginia
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We are looking for photos of those interred in the Helping Hand Cemetery, who owned
homes or businesses in Courtland
during the early 1900's
Friends & Family please send information to:
Dolores Peterson
dvlp13@yahoo.com
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Communication - Cemetery Information
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Find your Friends & Family on the sites below
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Please get the latest information about our projects by following us on Facebook. Be sure to like us!
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Helping Hand Board of Trustees
Official Representatives
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President
Alton Darden
Florida
Retired Teacher Detroit Teacher & Recreation Center Supervisor
amd18084@aol.com
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Vice President
Melvin Johnson
Virginia
Current Medical Director, Norfolk City Jail
bg_mel_johnson@msn.com
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Secretary/Parliamentarian
Gail Lover
Texas
Retired Educator, Parliamentarian, , Professional Genealogist
glover8311@aol.com
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Historian/Grant Writer
Dolores Peterson
Delaware
Retired Middle School Principal Bronx, NY
dvlp13@yahoo.com
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Treasurer
RosilBryant
Virginia
Current Community Teacher
rara60@verizon.net
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Membership Chair Wallace Darden
North Carolina
Retired Manager
Verizon Telephone
modarden@aol.com
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Cemetery Observer
Elmer "Bob" Barnes
North Carolina
Retired Commercial Banker Local Radio Talk
ebobbarnes@embarqmail.com
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Dwight Cannon Jr.
Virginia
Property Manager,
Virginia Beach, VA
dcannon1983@yahoo.com
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Media Specialist
Shelton "Bobby" Darden
Virginia
Information Technology Professional
shelton_d@yahoo.co
m
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Cemetery Mapping
Vernon Darden
Virginia
Retired Verizon 30 years
bugpowder4029@gmail.com
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Cemetery Programs Memorial Day - 2018 & 2019
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Upcoming Events
Memorial Day Parade & Annual Meeting - May 25, 2020 - Cancelled
Cousin's Day - July 11, 2020
Courtland Recreation Center, 25499 Florence Street, Courtland, VA 23837
Bobby Darden, Coordinator - shelton_d@yahoo.com
(due to VA guidelines for current pandemic, please check for an event update)
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