Dawn Hand has big ambitions. But not for herself. Her big ambition is to help as many people as possible.

"At the end of this year, I hope to have helped a minimum of 20 families," she said. "At the end of two years, I hope to have a person in all the surrounding communities who volunteers to do the same thing that I do in their community."

It seems unbelievable. But meet Hand for only a few minutes, and you realize that she might just pull it off.

Her tool to accomplish this will be Project Halo, her new nonprofit organization which will celebrate its kickoff with a party this Sunday from 12-5 p.m. at Wareham Crossing.

"When you help somebody and their eyes fill up with tears and gratitude...there's just no way to explain it, it's so rewarding," Hand says before recounting one of many stories about somebody who has helped her and volunteered to assist in her organization.

The nonprofit is a way for Hand to give back and to spread her belief that "if you give good, you get good."

It is something that she understands. A single mom who moved to Massachusetts from Texas to start life over again over ten years ago, she has struggled to get by at times. Ironically, her insatiable energy and dedication to work (just try to fit an interview into her schedule) made her ineligible for government aid.

"I've been a struggling, single mom working sometimes three jobs to get by," said Hand. "I was technically a 'middle-class' family who couldn't get help from community resources or get state aid when I needed it."

But friends were always willing to help. And really, what Hand is doing is simply acting as a liaison between friends who are willing to volunteer their time and those who need help. (Note: As soon as you meet Dawn, you are in her "friend" category.)

She has "a mini Extreme Makeover Home Edition Team" of contractors -- a plumber, an electrician, a mason, even a home-entertainment-system installer -- ready to assist families. And if you have a skill, Hand can find a way for you to use it. Caterers, the Wareham Best Buy Management and Associates Team, limousine services, a florist, you can help.

And for each person whom Hand recruits, she has a story about how they personally helped her. Ask her about Nate at Best Buy this Christmas or Pam, who donated furniture for Project Halo's first task of helping the Barrows family after their home burned down. And there are many, many more.

"I wish I were a millionaire," she said, finally hinting that she shared at least one of humanity's common flaws. "I'd be able to help so many people!"