- Helping Hands Gospel Mission (HHGM) is a faith-based organization. We function in the spirit of Matthew 25. Though church attendance is not required, a spiritual relationship with God is encouraged, as is connecting with a local church. Our experience indicates that the best success comes when there is a support group behind the client. In our opinion, the local church can be a key to that support emotionally, spiritually, and financially.
- HHGM does not believe in enabling, but helping. Using the concept that “Helping is doing something for someone that they could not do for themselves…while enabling is doing something that they not only could, but should be doing for themselves,†HHGM tries to walk along side people in making the changes in their lives that will truly change their circumstances. We recognize that most people who come to us will be looking for handouts, while we focus on the 5% or so who truly desire a change in circumstances. This often means allowing someone to truly hit rock bottom when we could help them out of a situation. At those times, many people find their own solution, or learn the difference between true wants and needs in their lives.
- HHGM recognizes three levels of help: Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development. Relief care is short-term and solves emergency situations such as fire or physical safety. Rehabilitation is the area that most of our work falls under. It entails developing a trusting relationship with people who are otherwise untrusting and hurting. We believe in helping them make healthy choices, while not pushing our thinking on them. We will help them set goals and connect them with outside resources available to them. Development is a larger term, and HHGM works with area churches, local government, and other agencies such as the Homelessness Initiative group to make community-wide changes for those in need.
- HHGM takes a holistic approach to a person’s life. We believe they need to be healthy in body, mind, and spirit. We provide opportunities in these areas, recognizing when they might need help from another source, and encouraging them in that area.
- While HHGM would like to help most people, we recognize that mankind has a free-will and we cannot control the choices they make. We often work with people coming out of jail and prison, victims of violence, people with serious mental health or addiction issues. We take an encouraging role in helping them, while recognizing that the choices they make are theirs to make. We will never “strong-arm” anyone into doing what we think might be best.
- HHGM believes in a team effort in helping someone. That team could consist of agencies in the area that might provide services for them, a local church, or trained members of our organization. We believe that by pooling our resources and communicating with each other, the community can best serve individuals and families going through crises. HHGM is a member of the Homelessness Initiative and uses the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for South Wood County.
