History of CANHelp
Dawn Sheffield has and will forever be the hands and feet of God's vision for this organization. Sheffield was (and still is) a registered nurse living in Sulphur Springs. She had previously been a member of the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital Board of Directors and a busy community wellness advocate. More importantly, she is the mother of a child with unique needs. As any parent of a special needs child knows, the frustration level can be overwhelming when trying to locate resources for your child. This is the frustration that Dawn encountered. She was frustrated not only that she had trouble locating resources for her child, but also when healthcare and social services professionals could not provide her appropriate direction to find more resources. It was for this cause that she relayed her findings to her Community Nursing class while attaining her Bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Tyler.
It was this frustration that led her to develop a comprehensive resource guide for Hopkins County. She began working on this guide in her extra time at home at her dining room table. It was there that the spirit of CANHelp was born. She set out of "help people find the help they need."
In December of 2000, she filed appropriate paperwork with the State of Texas and CANHelp was officially born. At a ceremony on March 19, 2002, CANHelp moved from Dawn's dining room table to 525 Church Street in Sulphur Springs. Not only was CANHelp providing comprehensive information and referral services through what was growing into the 2-1-1 Texas network, she was also pursing the opening of a Free Health Clinic. "When we incorporated in December of 2000, our two major priorities were to have a clearing house of information and referral and to operate a free health clinic. We are there! This convenient location, the well suited building, the dedicated Board of Directors, the willing volunteers including health care professionals, and the recent generous monetary gifts from various organizations all combine to make CANHelp a reality!"
In 2007, CANHelp moved to it's current location at 613 Gilmer Street. Some programs have come and gone based on the needs of the community and Dawn retired in 2011. Though programs may change and leadership may change, Dawn's vision for improving access to community services has not changed. Based on God's Word, CANHelp's Core Values and Guiding Principles, established by Dawn, remain consistent.
It was this frustration that led her to develop a comprehensive resource guide for Hopkins County. She began working on this guide in her extra time at home at her dining room table. It was there that the spirit of CANHelp was born. She set out of "help people find the help they need."
In December of 2000, she filed appropriate paperwork with the State of Texas and CANHelp was officially born. At a ceremony on March 19, 2002, CANHelp moved from Dawn's dining room table to 525 Church Street in Sulphur Springs. Not only was CANHelp providing comprehensive information and referral services through what was growing into the 2-1-1 Texas network, she was also pursing the opening of a Free Health Clinic. "When we incorporated in December of 2000, our two major priorities were to have a clearing house of information and referral and to operate a free health clinic. We are there! This convenient location, the well suited building, the dedicated Board of Directors, the willing volunteers including health care professionals, and the recent generous monetary gifts from various organizations all combine to make CANHelp a reality!"
In 2007, CANHelp moved to it's current location at 613 Gilmer Street. Some programs have come and gone based on the needs of the community and Dawn retired in 2011. Though programs may change and leadership may change, Dawn's vision for improving access to community services has not changed. Based on God's Word, CANHelp's Core Values and Guiding Principles, established by Dawn, remain consistent.