Ministries
Apple Tree
Any client who has children registered at a school in Belton I.S.D. can register their children during the months of May, June and July for Project Apple Tree. Students are given clothes, shoes, school supplies, a backpack, personal hygiene products and a haircut. All items and services are distributed at the gymnasium of First Baptist Church Belton the Monday before school begins in August. The distribution date for 2012 is August 13th. In 2011, 1,534 (16% of all BISD students) students were served through the ministry. The total worth of items and services donated from churches and individuals for the children of Helping Hands Ministry through Apple Tree is approximately $150,000!
Benevolence Program
Funded by the Helping Hands 500 Program, (500 families giving $5 per month) the benevolence program assists clients who are in urgent situations. Clients may speak with our benevolence counselor to explain the nature of their circumstances. Providing that funds are available, $50 may be used for aid once every twelve months to provide assistance with rent, utility bills or medication. Clients may also ask for gas vouchers of $12 or $20 for verifiable medical appointments or job interviews. All gas vouchers are redeemable at our partner business, Smith Brothers Gas and Grocery on 6th Avenue. As clients are helped assisted with bills through this program, they must complete the Family Finances class and 1 other elective class (see Education Classes) within the next 12 months to again be eligible for help. Client Families of Helping Hands are assisted more than 1,000 times per year.
Bundles of Joy
Clients who are expecting a new baby may receive a layette that includes feeding supplies, diapers, ointments, clothing, blankets, car seats, strollers and pack-n-plays if available. A special book is also given to each parent to read to the child. Helping Hands Ministry requires that expecting mothers complete the Child Safety class offered by Safe Kids (Scott & White) at Helping Hands and save $23 to pay for their child’s birth certificate. If a family does not have car seat for the new baby, they may receive a new one during the Child Safety class.
Client Choice Food Pantry
Clients are encouraged to come weekly to receive grocery assistance. Helping Hands Ministry believes in giving groceries weekly instead of monthly to provide more face-to-face opportunities to share the love and Gospel of Jesus with each. Depending on the family size (Single Individual, Regular, Medium or Large Family) clients are allotted a number of canned or boxed goods of food. Clients are given and additional allotment of produce, bread and meat items as well. Clients are given a choice of any food that is shelved for their taking, thus the food pantry is referred to as “client choice.” Helping Hands Ministry is only pantry in Bell County to offer a client choice food pantry. The goal is to instill dignity in the lives of those who come for help as they are able to choose for themselves what food they need; giving the clients choices helps to promote independence. In 2011, the clients of Helping Hands Ministry were helped 107,00 times!
Education Classes
Free educational opportunities are available to clients of Helping Hands Ministry at least once a week. Partnering organizations and businesses (such as STARRY Counseling, UMHB’s College of Business, Texas AgriLife Extension of Belton, First Choice Power and others) come to Helping Hands Ministry to present the classes. Each class is an hour long and a one-time class. Classes include Family Finances, Child Safety, Healthy Life Choices, Child Obesity Prevention, Becoming a Love & Logic Parent, Homework Help for Parents and Energy Efficiency in the Home. Classes are available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at various times. Classes are available in both English and Español.
Emergency Needs
Special consideration is given to clients with emergency needs such as: birth certificates, Texas Identification cards and drivers licenses. These situations are assessed on an individual basis. Typically situations in which a client may gain employment, be helped with travel expenses in times of a family emergency, or has experienced a fire, flood or other tragic loss are given strong consideration. Fans and heaters in times of extreme weather conditions are also made available to those in need through the Emergency Needs.
Holiday Food Distribution
During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, clients of Helping Hands may choose holiday items that are specially stocked on the shelves of the food pantry. The days in which the pantry is open to offer these special holiday food items are the Friday, Monday and Tuesday (from 9-6) immediately before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Holiday food items include turkeys, hams, cake and cornbread mixes, cranberry sauce, stuffing and other like items.
Household Goods Department
The household goods department, which is also known as “Kim’s Closet”, (named after Assistant Director, Kim Pointer) has linens, curtains, plates, dinnerware, fans and heaters for clients who are in need of them. This is typically for clients who have started over due to theft, fire, flood, hurricane or who have fled from an abusive situation.
