St. Matthew supports the Helping Hands Humanitarian Project

Helping Hands is an ecumenical group of volunteers who share their time, talent, and treasure with the people living in the South-central area of Jamaica, and also Kenya, Africa. The Helping Hands project, which started in 1997, was initiated by a desire to share our gifts with those who are less fortunate. The organization provides an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people living in developing third world countries. Many of us are unable to devote several years in missionary service with the Peace Corp, religious groups, or with any of the many organizations that serve the needs of the very poor.

• Helping Hands provides a variety of opportunities for short-term missionary service:
• Donate time to collect, pack, label and ship supplies
• Contribute needed supplies and materials
• Join a group of volunteers who work for several weeks
• Provide financial support
• Sponsor a child for school tuition

Helping Hands converts every dollar donated into $20 - $30 dollars of value. To sponsor one year of a child's education it is $150.00, a teacher's education for one year $300.00, or a home to be built $1,200.00.

These Helping Hands opportunities appeal to many people - people who care and want to make a difference by sharing their gifts of time, talent and treasure.

Contributors include retirees, teachers, students, physicians, construction workers, farmers, nurses and many others. The volunteers who travel to the South-central area of Jamaica, or Kenya, Africa will experience the poorest and most remote areas. The work projects which are selected by local representatives, include all types of construction/repair work, painting, projects with school children, medical care, home visits and many other activities that allow volunteers to share their special gifts while spending time with the local people.

We are encouraged and supported by the local missionary volunteers who need our assistance to complete their work. The infrastructure provided by these missionaries makes our contribution possible. We are welcomed as guests and treated with warm, gracious and sincere hospitality. It is the coordinated and combined efforts of these missionaries and the Helping Hands Volunteers that make this project so effective. We invite volunteers of any faith, who want to travel to the South-central area of Jamaica, or Kenya, Africa to work with the Helping Hands volunteers.

For more information, e-mail tgroovers@att.net