Exciting things are happening within the walls of Hands Across the Street/The Columbia Dream Center. "We are here to serve the community," said Lynn Mull, director of operations and development. "We're a faith-based organization, but we're open to everyone."

For the 10th year, Hands Across the Street (HAS), located at Columbia Presbyterian Church, 360 Locust St., will offer a Summer Food Service Program weekdays at four locations in the area. "We provide a meal for children and their families, and we also have a lot of kids' activities," Mull said. HAS also serves the community with a soup kitchen, available weekdays, as well as its food pantry. "Our food pantry is set up like a grocery store, so people can come in, walk through and shop for what they need," Mull said.

Mull noted that the soup kitchen serves upward of 2,000 people a month, while the food pantry serves about 600 a month. Those numbers reflect the need in Columbia, where one in five families lives below the poverty level. The need for access to food increases in the summer as well, when the free school meals provided to all Columbia School District students aren't available.

A clothing bank is also located on-site at HAS, and it features options for men, women and children. "Everyone who comes into the clothing bank receives brand-new socks and underwear," Mull said.

Down the street from HAS, the Columbia Dream Center has recently undergone a few transformations at the Columbia Shelter, including renovations such as removing old carpeting and painting the walls and floor. A donation from DAS Companies in Elizabethtown provided 15 bunkbeds, replacing floor mats that guests were using. Upstairs at the shelter, the Restart Day Center is open daily, providing access to computers and serving lunch and snacks. A staff member is on hand at the center to help guests and community members connect to resources such as job and home searching, applying for benefits and more.

The Columbia Dream Center is modeled after its namesake, the Dream Center in Los Angeles. Staff members visit the California center twice a year for mission trips, and Columbia Presbyterian pastor Dave Powers has helped Columbia's location become a part of the organization's network. Becoming an official Dream Center has allowed the organization to brainstorm with other Dream Centers across the country for ideas on how to best serve the community, Mull said.

As for the future, Mull noted that the organization has some lofty goals, including starting a mentor program to provide one-on-one guidance for guests and setting up an after-school program featuring time for games, crafts, homework help and dinner. She noted that the center relies on volunteers to keep operating, with only seven paid staff members. "There is a volunteer opportunity in every area," she remarked.

Mull came to the center as a volunteer before becoming a staff member, and she said she loves being able to serve others. "Sometimes all people need is a smiling face and someone to listen," she commented. "If I can do that for someone, it's a good day."

For more information on Hands Across the Street/The Columbia Dream Center, visit http://www.columbiahas.org.