Hope

           My Brother’s Keeper
What is My Brother's Keeper:   This is the collective heading for all our human care and social care programs. The three programs listed below are our efforts to serve and care for others.
          1. Hands of Hope
         2. Seasonal "Giving" Projects
         3. Care and Relief

Hands of Hope
This is the community service component of My Brother’s Keeper.
Hands of Hope usually does single day projects for people in the community with special needs. There have been leaf-raking events, painting and repairs, …

The whole population of Hope is invited to be a part of these “hands-on” service events. These service events are intended to serve people in the community that truly need help. These are day long project events. Usually 3-5 a year.

Seasonal "Giving" Projects
These are “giving” events that take place at church intended to help others in the community. For instance, Adopt-a-Family events, Back-to-school Backpack stuffing events, Christmas Gift collections, Thanksgiving baskets for families, … The whole population of Hope is invited to participate by “giving”.
The “Project Team” identifies the particular activity and coordinates the “giving” opportunity to benefit people in the community .

Care and Relief
This is the food and health care of individuals with needs both local and international. Locally, we do a collection/distribution of canned goods and food and health care items. This is coordinated through the Town of Mansfield Social Services. International effoerts are done through Lutheran World Relief and Human Care.

There are also special collections at time of need in the community.
UConn students sponsor a child through LWRHC 1001 Orphans.

Hope buys nets to save lives! (this article was in a local paper)

“A small mosquito bite is what we are trying to stop! It is incredible to realize that it is a mosquito bite that is causing such terrible suffering and ripping families apart”. This is how Malaria spreads and 880,000 deaths were attributed to malaria last year”. Pastor Joe Nollet passionately shared why the congregation at Hope Church in Storrs ran a month-long campaign for the Lutheran Malaria Initiative. “We got involved with this program because it is a truly preventable nightmare and our people wanted to help. $10 buys a treated mosquito net that a family can use for 3 years to sleep under and safely lay infants down for naps under.” The UN Foundation that is funding all the education and administration costs specifically involved the Christian churches in Africa because the pastors are trusted individuals in the rural villages of Kenya and Uganda.

“At Hope, we put a mosquito net right up on the altar area for a whole month”. Nollet explained about their congregation’s education and collection efforts. “Every parishioner was empowered with literature about malaria and received a collection bottle. For the month long program, we showed videos during worship, shared stories, and gave reminders about all trying to go and ask friends and neighbors to share $10 for a net. The response for a small church was wonderful! We were able to send $2300 in to the Lutheran Malaria Initiative. This will directly save lives!”

Pastor Nollet summed up the bridge between the Lutheran Malaria Initiative and their work in Africa to people here in Storrs that don’t really face the effects of malaria each day. “We all have a choice. We can become deaf to others troubles and refuse to embrace that we’re all a part of God’s global family. Yes, it is a big problem and Africa seems a long way away. But, really can we be so bold as to believe that what affects others in the world does not affect us? It isn’t idealistic to believe there really is hope for people whose lives are devastated by malaria. Could it really be that malaria is both preventable and treatable and we have a chance to do something about it! I’m thrilled that we all have a chance to jump at that opportunity and help our brothers and sisters that face this disease, and I’m proud of how this congregation responded!”

For more info see www.lutheranmalaria.org or www.hope-lcms.org

We are able to help our brothers and sisters in Africa through this great program

An example of one of our "service events"
    Hands of Hope Service Day
      Saturday October 30th
                 9:00 - 2:00
Great Job to all of you who helped out this day!

Lots of leaves were raked... and lives helped!