Hands Celebrates 20 years – Part I

It is hard to believe that April 8^th will mark the completion of 20 years of serving together through Hands. As we work on a video commemorating this journey, I will also share a three-part series in the newsletter to share how we’ve progressed. This month, we begin the story between 2003-2009.

Hands didn’t start intentionally, but it began the only way it could have. After losing my job and learning about God’s heart for widows, my wife signed me up to lead the Single Parent’s Ministry.

Hands began as a project to keep me busy while looking for work. I met regularly with 30 or more single moms and widows, entirely floored by the trust they offered to me by sharing their journey and the needs that were going unmet. I started offering time as a volunteer while the church paid for materials, enabling us to fix things around their homes. It was followed by becoming a volunteer manager of all the contractors and other skilled volunteers that offered their time. The group of “hands” grew so quickly that we were able to meet all the needs within the church. 

After seven months without job opportunities, Brenda and I moved forward with faith that the next step was to open up and serve outside the wall of the church. We raised support to cover the costs, came up with the name thanks to my aunt, and filed for our nonprofit status.

The women we began to serve shared their stories of struggle, perseverance, and encouragement with us. The culmination of many stories presented themselves in concern for transportation, which outpaced the needs around the house.

At the start, we helped with oil changes and solicited local repair shops to provide discounted repair bills that we could pay for with funds we raised. Eventually, our staff and board realized that paying repair bills was unsustainable, so in 2008, we decided to move from a home repair model to focus entirely on automotive.

In 2009, Hands began its first capital campaign, planning to have our very own automotive shop to support the growth.

Early on, there were many times I questioned if it was “going to work.” At one point, I remember having a conversation with another ministry to see if they would take it on. Through all the ups and downs and the encouragement of many of you, songs heard at the right time, and support from family, it grew.

I hope that helps give some context to the very simple beginnings Hands had and where we’ve come from. In the May Storytime, I’ll share another time period with you. For now, please accept my gratitude for being on this incredible journey and being a Champion for each and every woman we get to serve together!