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Organisations
Helping Hands
When I was younger, so much younger than today,
I never needed anybody's help in any way...
by David Wilbourne
I heard recently about an elderly lady in Helmsley who no longer had sufficient grip to change a light-bulb. Too independent to bother her neighbours, she employed the local electricians and paid the £30 call out. It sounds ridiculous, and yet I had a similar experience when we were away one summer. My parents' washing machine packed up in mid-cycle, and without me at home to call on, they summoned the Hotpoint man, who charged them £85 for the call out, when the only work necessary was to change a fuse in the plug. To their credit, Hotpoint refunded £50 when I raised the matter with them.
There are a lot of people out there who,
though advancing in years, are well able to live independently. But
from time to time they deserve a helping hand. Maybe a dose of flu
prevents them shopping and feeding themselves properly. Maybe electrical
appliances have become just too complicated to fathom. Maybe just
an hour's chat with a friend will turn things around and give the
strength and determination to cope. And it's not just the old: maybe
a young mother has lost too much sleep with her new baby to have the
energy to clean the floor. Often family and kind neighbours provide
such help, and prove a God-send. But sometimes, for various reasons,
people miss out and they battle on alone.
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To make sure those people are not neglected, we operate a Helping Hands scheme in Helmsley. This includes a pool of trustworthy volunteers who can offer practical help such as being a friend, shopping, cleaning, simple repairs and maintenance, gardening, dog-walking, local transport, etc. We deliberately limit each volunteer's commitment to one hour per fortnight so that no one person exhausts themselves with caring. Rather they fulfil the role of being like the helping hand over a stile, so that life's journey can continue. If you need such a Helping Hand,
please contact the Vicar who will attempt to match your need
with the talent available. Volunteer Helping Hands please contact
the Vicar too. |
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