OPERATION A.M.E.N.
ANOTHER MEAL EVERY NIGHT
Due to the unfortunate increase in demand for our services from those in most need in Medway we are launching Operation A.M.E.N. as our response. Consequently Caring Hands in the Community will now be open from Monday to Saturday 9am - 5pm that’s almost a 100% increase in our operational hours. Thanks to funding help from The Kent Peoples Trust, Caring Hands in the Community has been able to employ Thomas Smith full time as assistant manager to bolster the team of Staff and Volunteers as they now serve the approximately 1,500 meals and snacks needed each week.
Below are photos from Caring Hand's 10th anniversary: (left) Thomas Smith with Marty Brogan, (right) The Worshipful Mayor of Medway, Councillor Ted Baker.
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CARING HANDS' CHRISTMAS
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Above are photos from the Caring Hands Christmas day Meal. (left) Clients enjoying a full three course Christmas dinner (right) Councillor Andrew Mackness serving up Christmas dinners to the clients.
SO THAT WAS CHRISTMAS 2011
On Christmas Day 121 Guests and Volunteers enjoyed an excellent Christmas lunch at our Day Centre thanks to West Kent Housing Association and the kind generosity of our faithful supporters. WKHA staff had chosen to support Caring Hands in the Community as one of their charities for 2011 and raised monies throughout the year to help us at Christmas. Gifts were donated from various Churches, local businesses and individuals whose collective generosity brought some much needed festive cheer to those present. On behalf of all those who benefitted on the day may we say a great big thank you to all of you for your support and generosity. May God bless you all richly.
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Above are more photos from the Caring Hands Christmas day Meal. (left) Mark Stevens, Councillor Andrew Macness, Tubbs Young and Marty Brogan (right) Clients being served by Councillor Craig Mackinlay.
Changing Lives
Caring Hands in the Community is an outreach project of the King’s Church Medway, a Christian response to the problems facing the marginalised in our society. Caring Hands staff and volunteers minister help to those affected by issues such as isolation, social exclusion, hunger, homelessness, substance addiction and prostitution.
Since we began keeping records in 2001, Caring Hands has registered in excess of 2,000 clients from the Medway area whose lives have been affected by some or all of these issues.
The Caring Hands response is to bring the love of God to those in need in a practical & positive way that delivers both relief & hope through our Restoration, Reconciliation and Recovery program.
Ever since its humble beginnings with the offer of one cheese sandwich, Caring Hands in the Community has continued to grow apace with the emerging needs of our local society. Pastor Matthew Guest, a founder and visionary of this ministry, has continued to inspire and direct the operation of services at Caring Hands in the Community in his role as Senior Leader of the King’s Church Medway.
Medical Centre
Homeless, helpless, lonely & vulnerable people daily visit our Day Centre on New Road Avenue in Chatham to seek assistance with the difficulties they face in life. The Centre operates five days per week, Monday through Friday.
At Caring Hands, we seek to offer tailored support to every visitor that is aimed to help both the individual through their circumstances as well as improve the value they add to the community they live in. Our Medical Centre, staffed by The Kings' Family Practise, serves to provide much needed General Medical Services to this client group in an aim to enhance our holistic Restoration, Reconciliation & Recovery Programme. Telephone triage is operated on Mondays and Tuesdays with Doctor and Nurse Practioner led surgeries on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.Alcohol Counselling is also available on Wednesday mornings.
Our goal is to give every individual the opportunity & support to address the issues they face in life. Caring Hands seeks to minister the love of God to a hurting world both practically and purposefully, helping to break the circles of addiction, poverty and hopelessness that blight so many in our society.
Cruz Hall
The Day Centre offers much more than tea and coffee. Guests can avail of the online computer suite, dedicated medical service, laundry and shower facilities and clothing store. The staff and volunteers offer Job Search and Benefit Assessment expertise, help resolve housing and other issues by advocating on the guests behalf with the relevant statutory bodies.
Caring Hands works in close partnership with many of Medways service providers to enable our guests to engage with and secure satisfactory solutions to the issues they face.
Caring Hands' Kitchen
Thanks to the Co-operative Membership Community Fund, and The Royal Engineers B&SF team,Caring Hands has an excellent modern kitchen facility which is purpose built to deliver, on average 185 meals and snacks each day to those most in need. A Food Bank is operated on Friday afternoons to help over the weekend.This is made possible through our ongoing partnership with Sainsburys and local schools through their Harvest Celebrations each year. Caring Hands receives no goverment funding, but local churches, businesses and individuals give financial support for the day to day running costs. It is their continued giving that enables us to offer all that we do. If you would like to help support this ministry and partner with us in changing the lives of others, please use the details below.
Caring Hands is a registered UK Online Centre providing internet access and training to its guests. Through the internet learning is increased, housing, jobs and family contacts are secured. All of which are foundational to our guests in their on going recovery and resolution of the difficulties hampering them.
A team of people meet every Monday night at Caring Hands to take food, bedding, sleeping bags, hot drinks etc. to those sleeping rough and in need on the streets of Medway. People come from different churches to help Caring Hands with the outreach work.
Time : 7:30pm at the Caring Hands building. If you would like to help with this ministry, please contact the Caring Hands centre on Tel : 01634 409768
Please visit the Outreach page for more on the Caring Hands street outreach.
Marty Brogan Centre Manager
Contact Us
Tel: +44 (0) 1634 409768
Centre Opening Times:
Monday - Saturday, 9am - 5pm.
About Us:
- The life issues that lead to homelessness are most times complex and long lasting. Caring Hands is here to help each step of the way. We recognise the potential value each person has to offer our society and aim to see them do just that.
Testimonies:
“When I first came to Caring Hands Day Centre, I was in a right mess. Nowhere to live, broken, filthy and very hungry. Basically, I had lost my self respect through drink and lost my family, lost everything really. I was down and out as they say. Today I have hope! They helped me get washed, fed and housed, sorted out my money and are even helping me address my drinking. My life now is worth living thanks to Caring Hands!” R
“Before I came to Caring Hands I was homeless and hopeless. Now I’ve got a roof over my head and a job! Drugs are a thing of the past for me thanks to the guys at Caring Hands who really cared for me,” H
“Sleeping on the streets made me very nervous. I was always fearful and on guard. When I met the Outreach team, they told me about the Day Centre. It was fantastic! I could get warm and felt so safe there away from the outside world. With the meals and clothes and other help I got I was able to see things differently. No more streets for me! Thanks to God and Caring Hands I’m back on my feet and well on the mend.” K
“I came out of prison with nothing and nowhere to go. Someone told me about Caring Hands and they sorted me somewhere to live and work. They helped with my reading and writing and now I’m standing on my own two feet without drugs or crime.”C
Medical Centre Opening Times:
Monday:
- Telephone triage
Tuesday:
- Telephone triage
Wednesday:
- Doctor session 12pm – 1pm
- Alcohol Counselling Session
- 10am - 12pm
Thursday:
- Nurse Practioner session
- 12pm – 1pm
Friday:
- Doctor session 12pm – 1pm.
Dr Catherine Norwood
Not Creeds, but Deeds
"Then he, the King will say to those on his right hand. "‘Come, my Father’s blessed ones, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; ‘I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to see me.’
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying. ‘Master, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? ‘When did we see you a stranger and take you in; or naked and clothe you?" ‘When did we see you sick or in prison, and come to see you?’"
‘In solemn truth I tell you,’ the King will answer them, ‘that inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brothers, you have done it unto me.’"
Matthew 25:34-40 (MNT)
As Christians we have a responsibility to those less fortunate than ourselves. To aid, encourage and equip them to better their lives. At Caring Hands in the Community we seek to develop personal relationships with all of our guests as we join forces in prayer and practicality in pursuit of solutions to their issues.
VIDEOS
10th Anniversary
The Army at Caring Hands
MHS Sleepout
