A Helping Hands friend is dying right now
As Linda lies dying, she just wants to know that you care.
“What do you need most, right now?” is a question we hear frequently from our supporting community. What would Linda say is the answer? Linda doesn’t have much. She has lived off charity for most of her life – food from food banks, clothes from free clothing drops, donated hygiene products, Christmas hampers…. But when it all comes down to the basics, Linda would say that what she needs most is: you.
The Helping Hands community continues to need the provision of “stuff”. But even more than stuff, we need people. People who will take the time to sit together. People who will come and engage with no expectations or judgement. People who show through eye contact that they value every person. People who have their ears open to hear people’s life stories, joys and sorrows. Linda needs you to be willing to be a friend who cares.
And Linda needs one more thing from you. For us to be able to offer friendship-based support, to show people that we care, we also need money. Linda doesn’t really know what happens behind the scenes at Helping Hands to allow us to be there for her. To keep these operational things quietly ticking in the background, providing space and opportunity for staff and volunteers to offer friendship-based support to friends in their day-to-day lives, as well as when they reach the end of their lives, we need to be carried financially through the generosity of people like you.
Consider becoming a volunteer at Helping Hands. And consider how you can financially support us this Christmas so that we can continue to walk alongside friends that make up the community at Helping Hands Street Mission.
P.S. Do you want to also do something practical? If you’re mailing in a donation to Helping Hands, consider adding in a card for us to pass on to Linda! Let’s fill up her palliative space with cards from people who care, while providing this same friendship-based support for others in the community through your financial donation.
Mail your donation to Helping Hands, as well as your card for Linda, to:
Helping Hands Street Mission
349 Barton Street East
Hamilton ON L8L 2X8
If you’d rather donate online, you can do so on this website by clicking ‘Help us!’ in the Menu above
