Emergency Food for Local Families
There are endless circumstances in which a family can find themselves without the money to buy food. Perhaps a single mother has escaped a violent relationship, a young offender has been released from prison, a family have lost their home.
Social Services has a wide net, that allows for emergency accommodation to be provided for cases like these - and applications for benefits are made promptly and generally commence within weeks. But paperwork takes time. In the time it takes for benefits to begin, what will the family eat?
It’s a stark reality that in our community, this could happen. But it does. Every day.
Helping Hands was launched in 1998 to provide emergency assistance to people in these short term crisis situations - by providing food, toiletries and baby items. Tinned and dried packet foods, toiletries and baby products (baby milk, nappies) are donated to us by our church congregation, other church congregations, local schools and other friends in our community.
We work exclusively with social services, who call us when a person in need is identified. We usually respond within hours (but no more than 24 hours elapses before a food parcel is delivered).
Household Maintenance
There are many vulnerable people in our community - senior citizens, single parents, disabled people - who may need help with domestic maintenance. It’s the kind of thing that most of us would think of as a small job - but that would make the world of difference to someone unable to do it themselves.
A dripping tap, an overgrown garden, a broken latch, an unsafe shelf, a small electrical repair or decorating task - any one of these things and more can be resolved by our Home and Garden team.
Our band of able volunteers respond to requests for one-off assistance - and assess each job before commencement. This service is for people who have a genuine need and who would otherwise be unable to complete the task either themselves, or who do not have the financial means to hire a contractor. If you have a genuine need for help, please call 0121 711 5309.
Deby Management and Advice
Poverty has many faces. Some people with the apparent means of day to day survival are actually spiralling in a daily downward descent in to debt. At some point, they can fall no further - and face a desperate financial future where they may lose their home and possibly their livelihood.
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) provide a free service for anyone struggling with debt. This highly respected organisation will undertake private, confidential appointments at either Renewal Christian Centre, or at the individual’s home address.
Click here to visit our debt counselling page for more information.
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