Helping Hands Ministry: Being the Hands and Feet of Christ

It’s a phrase we often hear — the encouragement to “be the hands and feet of Christ” to others. But what does it really mean? And as members of the Body of Christ, here on earth, how do we live this out?

For a group of parishioners here at St. Vincent de Paul — those who are part of the Helping Hands Ministry — this call is one they take seriously, actively seeking to help others in tangible ways.

“The ministry is set up to help in situations where it would be difficult to hire someone — small jobs, errands or temporary assistance — for someone who had surgery and needs help cleaning their house for a week, or needs help grocery shopping or picking up their prescription,” says parishioner Mary Henley, who started and coordinates the ministry. “We do rides to doctor’s appointments or wherever you need to go. It’s just helping out with small tasks for those who are physically unable or don’t have family or friends nearby.”

The ministry began a couple of years ago after Mary felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit on our parish retreat.

“I’ve worked in healthcare and I’ve always taken care of people, and I felt the Holy Spirit saying, ‘Now what are you going to do with that?’” Mary says. “At the retreat, they were saying, ‘What’s your talent?’ That was the first time I started thinking of this as a talent I can use to help others.”

It wasn’t long before Mary joined forces with fellow parishioner Sandy Shaw, offering assistance to those in need of a little extra help, and connecting other volunteers with those needing assistance. The heart of the project is letting people know that their brothers and sisters in Christ are there to help them — and are happy to do it.

“People will say, ‘I’ve asked them so many times to help me, and I feel like a burden,’ or ‘I don’t want to ask again, so I thought I would ask you guys and see if you could help me out,’” Mary says. “There are so many people who are happy to help.”

Since she is a relatively new parishioner, Helping Hands has also been an opportunity for Mary to get to know members of the parish she might not have otherwise met, and she’s grateful for the ways it’s connected her children with the community, as well.

“I’ve definitely connected with more parishioners through this,” Mary says. “You get to know so many more people.

“One of the best things that has come from this is that I will bring my kids to run some of the errands,” she adds. “They get to feel useful and see that this is what the Church does — it’s not just going to Mass on Sundays. We’re actively doing things for people, and they get to see somebody being grateful.”

Mary encourages those who need groceries delivered, help with a project, or a ride to reach out and contact the Helping Hands Ministry.

“I hope people feel relief that they can call on somebody and not worry about feeling like they’re asking too much,” Mary says. “We’re people who signed up to do this. It’s not too much. I hope they have a feeling of comfort that they can ask for these things and we’re so happy to do it. It’s what we want to be doing.”

She also hopes that her fellow parishioners who are looking to get involved will contact her to offer their particular talents in service.

“You can start small and build from there,” Mary says. “It’s always taking the first step that’s the hardest. Just listen to God, you’ll know if it’s the right time. If God’s speaking to you, it’s going to feel right.

“Something that I heard a long time ago was, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if you were the answer to someone’s prayer?’” she adds. “Wouldn’t that be cool? You could be that person.”

For more info on the Helping Hands Ministry, if you have a task you need help with,or would like to volunteer your service, contact Mary Henley at 402-968-9091, or Sandy Shaw at 402-643-0681.

A little helper with Helping Hands Ministry delivers groceries to parishioner Gladys Roebke.