Hope at Hand Newsletter – December 2021
Hello everyone,
Wrapping up 2021 we cannot believe where this year has taken us, it has been exciting and has given us opportunities to learn and grow. We so enjoy partnering with other organisations and getting to be known in our community.
We have been super blessed with kindness and have seen God’s provision and His hand in all we’ve done. For this we are so grateful.
Food Parcels
We were able to distribute 255 parcels from October to December 2021, ending off the year having distributed 1103 parcels.
This also includes supplying 20 families a month in our newDAY Tembisa family. Also 15 parcels for parolees which they receive on their release to help them get on their feet again, this initiative is through REVIVE PBO.
Gratitude from some of our parcel recipients:
Thank you so much for the food parcel. Greatly appreciated. God bless you all!
Dearest Team, a biiiig thank you to you all for helping us once again. Especially appreciated is you taking time and money to drive to me to deliver. I just can’t express our gratitude in words, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Some good news: I have now got a bicycle (my kiddies and friends all chipped in, a frame here and pedals there and some welding and …. Voila!) So instead of walking everywhere, I can now get by a bit quicker. Praise our good Lord! May you have a very blessed week. Stay safe and healthy as always, you are in my prayers! Love from my house to yours.
Thank you, ladies, for all you do and sacrifice for us. We love and cherish you
Vegetable Gardens
After veggie boxes were made, treated and prepared, we were able to plant vegetables on 18 October at Stepping Stones. The box route was taken to protect the veggies from the resident fur-babies. Stepping Stones is a shelter for those needing to start afresh. The produce grown is looked after by the residents for their own usage but also giving them skills and purpose. Leeks, carrots, spinach, lettuce, onions, beetroot, potatoes and cabbage were planted.
On 21 October new seeds were planted at our Hope house garden, we were blessed to be able to reap a harvest from the previous season. T his produce is also being taken care of and used by the residents of this step down facility.
In November our 4th vegetable garden was dug up and prepared at the premises of Newday church, we will be planting shortly after an irrigation system is installed. Funds for this garden and the irrigation system were donation by Nedbank private wealth, to whom we are very grateful.
Homeless Outreach
The following outreaches were held over the past quarter:
08 Oct, 19 Nov & 15 Dec – 100 sandwiches were prepared each time for a team to take onto the streets of Hillbrow. They were well received and appreciated by recipients, as well as the love and prayers given by the team members. These folk are homeless and mostly hopeless, these visits are very uplifting for them.
30 October – On the streets of Edenvale 90 meals containing samp/rice, mince and a cooldrink were distributed in partnership with Revive NPO. This meal was donated by Fabian of Louhallas Guest House in Edenvale. His killer sauce made the dish a highlight. We are very grateful for his generosity.
08 December – Another outreach was undertaken with 100 peanut butter and jam sandwiches, including an apple and cooldrink being distributed. This outreach included lunch for 35 children at Baby Bear Day Care Centre in Alexandra township.
Our next outreach will be on 26 January 2022.
Donations
Monetary donations to the value of R17 500.00 were gratefully received and some of it was used to purchase extra items for our regular food parcels for Christmas. We will be increasing the number of parcels to be handed out during this year.
We also received money towards our stationary pack project for children of an informal settlement on the outskirts of Alexandra.
Manor Community Outreach
45 stationary packs are ready and waiting to be delivered to children in a small community of Alexandra township. Most are cared for by either single moms or their gogo’s so this is a great help to get them started for the year. In addition to their stationary packs they will also be receiving a pair of school shoes, these were kindly donated by Pick n Pay head office, cannot wait to see the looks on these children’s faces.
Love, reach, communities church
LRC Church distribute food parcels on a weekly basis to residents of Alexandra Township. We continue to supply 50 kg of maize each month to assist them. It has been wonderful to witness their distributions, including the recipients coming once a month to choose 2 items of clothing. Hope @ Hand have been instrumental in donating good quality second-hand clothing for this outreach.
Help in other areas
Debbie was able to enroll Gift at English classes held at Baptist Church in Edenvale to improve his English to enable him to upgrade from security guard at the church to being a teacher, which is his dream. He is making good progress.
We would like to thank everyone who supported us and donated to this ministry we appreciate you all.
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