Helping Hands Belton Blog

Check out the wonderful story about Helping Hands Ministry’s volunteer, Mary Anderson, the Assistant Director of the Food Pantry.

For the parents of so many children who receive free/reduced breakfasts each morning at schools across Belton, spring break isn’t much of a break.  Lower income families who rely on the free breakfasts for their children have to make their dollars stretch even further during the school holidays in order to feed their children.  Altrusa International of Temple is making spring break for these parents a little easier this year.

A $2,500 donation from Altrusa is being given to Helping Hands Ministry of Belton in order to provide breakfast for 700 needy children.  
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Thanks to the ER Carpenter Foundation in Temple, the balance of the building loan of $400,000 for which Helping Hands Ministry is due to pay by May 1^st is $30,000 less.  Helping Hands Ministry began a lease purchase agreement with Sonny Wooley Properties Management, L.C. in September of 2008 for their current building, located on 2210 Holland Road in Belton.   The $400,000 loan was set to be paid by May 1^st, less than four years from the beginning date of the loan.

“It was a huge leap of faith when the board decided to trust God for this facility.  
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The first education classes of 2012 began in January.  The Family Finances class (taught by the Collegiate Financial Organization of the College of Business at UMHB) was presented first.  On Monday the Child Safety (Crib, Car and Home) was taught by Safe Kids from Scott & White hospital.  Both classes gave clients of Helping Hands many useful tools to use in life.  The goal of these classes is to help those who attend to become more cognizant of the opportunities that they have to enhance their own lives and the lives of those in their family and neighborhoods.  Hopefully, the clients will not only graduate from the free education classes offered by Helping Hands Ministry, but will graduate to a life of independence in which they no longer need to come to Helping Hands for groceries and rental assistance as they move out of a life of poverty.

Other classes include, Energy Efficiency in the Home, Nutritious Cooking, Healthy Life Decisions, Child Obesity Prevention, Becoming a Love & Logic Parent and Homework Help for Parents.  All of the classes are taught by professionals from other organizations in the community who have partnered with Helping Hands Ministry.  Classes are offered in both English and Spanish.

Click to read the Fall Newsletter; stay up with all the happenings at Helping Hands Ministry!

By eating at Casa Ole (Temple Mall) this Thursday, you will contribute to Helping Hands Ministry.  20% of every bill (accompanied by the attache flyer) will be given to purchase food at Helping Hands!  REMEMBER TO PRINT THE FLYER AND PRESENT IT WITH YOUR BILL.

The first education class of the fall took place Thursday. Becoming a Love & Logic Parent, a class taught by STARRY Ministries, was the first parenting class available to the clients of Helping Hands Ministry.  Clients stayed an hour after the class had concluded to further discuss parental issues with the class presenter.  This class is a two-part class and will finish next week.

Additional classes to come during September and October are Healthy Cooking, Financial Literacy, Child passenger Safety, Life Nutrition, Energy Efficiency in the Home and Crib Safety.  All classes are free to clients of Helping Hands Ministry.  Each is presented by a professional from the field from which the curriculum stems.  All of the education classes are taught with biblical principles in mind.

Bodega Bean of Belton is giving 10% of its proceeds from Wednesdays to Helping Hands’ Project Apple Tree.  Just go by and order whatever you would like during any Wednesday in July and August and 10% will go towards the purchasing of school supplies, clothes and shoes for children of Helping Hands Ministry.  Learn more about Project Apple Tree.

The children gathered daily with the anticipation of finding out who would win the contribution competition.  Kids across Belton attended Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church Belton last week and brought the loose change from their pockets, car seats, couch cushions and the sidewalk.  The boys were trying to bring more than the girls and the girls were doing likewise.  In the end, the clients of Helping Hands were the winners.  The children brought $3,050.28 in change!  Half of those coins are designated to help purchase clothes, shoes and school supplies for Helping Hands’ Apple Tree ministry.

A big thank you is in order to all of the children who gave to help those in need!  This, and every contribution, helps to share the Gospel of Jesus to those in our community by sharing His love and providing for the needy.

On June 9th, First Choice Power presented Helping Hands Ministry with a check for $2,000.  The “Reduce Your Use” funds were granted the with expectation that HHM would use the money to make energy efficient upgrades to the facility.  The clothing ministry received a wonderful addition with a new Energy Star washer and dryer.  Clothes given to the clients of  Helping Hands will not only be clean but will have used less electricity during the process!