Helping Hands Assistance Program, Concordia
(Published Nov. 21, 2008)
By Betty Suther, CSJ
Manna House Administrator
Among the services offered at Manna House of Prayer in Concordia is our Helping Hands program. From its very inception as a House of Prayer in 1978, Manna House has always had an outreach to the poor in our area. We believe that a part of the function of a prayer house is putting prayer into action, and one of the ways we try to do this is through service to the poor.
Helping Hands offers various services to the less fortunate in Cloud County and beyond. Personnel from Manna House supervise the program. Among the services we offer is assistance for utilities, clothing, medical help (pharmacy bills), travel (for transients or those traveling through town), food (from our food closet), and overnight housing in a motel for transients.
We work with the local agencies in town and in particular with the Family Resource Center. Various ministers in town and the local police know to send transients to our door. We receive assistance from Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish through the Catholic Thrift Shop, St. John the Baptist youth group from Clyde, the Sisters of St. Joseph and their Associates and employees, and several regular individuals who give generously. We are always in need of more assistance, and sometimes we run out of funds and need to turn people away.
Each year there are more and more poor persons who can barely squeak by. The little bit that we can help them gives them some hope. We continue to trust in the Providence of God that there will always be some way that we can be of assistance to those less fortunate. At this time of Thanksgiving and in a spirit of gratitude we trust that many will give generously to our Helping Hands fund. Thank you to all of those who partner with us in this way.
Hi this is Richard and Jennifer we are Amarillo Texas and can use a ride home to California we got stranded along the way car was stolen you’ve been hitchhiking for 20 days now trying to get back to me the three of us me my fiance my dog kind of hungry in need of a shower and food and a ride home to California we’ve been on the road a long time I can’t seem to find anybody to help us get back home so if anybody out there hearts to help us out we’re at the Walmart I’m Grand in Amarillo Texas please help we just want to go home
It’s hot my name is Richard my fiance is Jennifer we are traveling on I-40 hitchhiking home because my car was stolen we’re trying to get to California where we live our homes with our home was damaged another California fire while we was out here visiting my family along with having my car stolen it’s been a long 20 days hitchhiking getting nowhere just want to get home can’t seem to find anybody that helps it have not eaten for 3 days I have a dog her name is Melody she is my companion dog in training and we’re all three just trying to get home by California having a hard time if there’s somebody out there find it in your heart to help us out be deeply appreciated all I want to do is get home thank you God bless