Why I am so proud to be part of the amazing Charity, Hope Into Action.

This all started during my childhood, I was always quite a sensitive child and I really struggled with seeing the homeless on the streets and felt there must be something I could do to help, even just for one or two people. There are so many out there today and it breaks my heart, AND to think it could be any one of us hitting hard times. No one is exempt from homelessness, no one.

When I went to Church one Sunday, and we had a visiting preacher who was Jon from HIA, talking about the charity and a way that our Parish could help house some homeless people, and support them, it was like my prayers being answered. At last I could reach out, and as a Parish could make a difference to the lives of 3 men at a time, thanks to the huge generosity of a benefactor. We could give them love, and a place to belong. I very quickly volunteered my services and became the Co-Ordinator for St Margaret’s Church, Old Catton, Norwich.

This is a role I feel very privileged to have and take extremely seriously. It is very emotional at times, and there is probably not one emotion I have not felt during the 3 1/2 years I have been volunteering. Emotions range from sadness to joy, feeling humble, frustrated, intensely proud, needing patience, feeling honoured and privileged and most of all the emotion of overwhelming love for each tenant. Work generally involves being with them, as they are, in the moment, but there have been many emergencies too, which have involved calls during the late evening or later. I will always be there for them and if I can’t at that precise moment, I will always call them back. I see the work of Jesus Christ working in their lives through the power of prayer, from myself, our Church as a whole, and of course from the Charity itself who pray regularly.

One of my most proudest moments, was being invited to the baptism of my most recent tenant who has, since living in the house, given his life to Christ. Although it has not always been plain sailing, he knows that God is with him and can feel his warmth and love when things get tough. Also seeing the same tenant, standing on the stage in front of 200 people in Peterborough, receiving an award. Another very proud moment.

This role has helped me so much in my own life. I have not had things easy myself but I appreciate all I do have so much more, and realise how hard it can be for people who don’t have the love and support of a stable family, and don’t know what it is like to be loved. I remember vividly, giving my tenant a birthday card and present, and he broke down in tears saying no-one had ever given him a birthday card before. It literally broke my heart. The experience was so humbling and had a huge impact on me.

As a result of all I get out of this role, and some other personal factors, I recently decided to train and I am now an NLP Practitioner and I specialise in Mindset and Working on Emotions. All the skills I have learnt from this, I now subtly use with the tenants. I encourage them to look at the way they talk to themselves, help them to love themselves which is paramount to life as a whole. I help them understand the impact of “What they think about, is what they become” and the importance of gratitude when they can. I am also, of course, aware that this may not be suitable for everyone, and I go with the flow on the day, but they are just little seeds I can plant when the time seems right.

Having put my new-found career together with my passion, my long term vision is to coach paid clients, and be able to fund one “disadvantaged” client, free of charge per month, so I can help change as many lives as possible, but not excluding those who have hit hard times. This will happen, it is just through prayer, that this will be put into action, and may take a little while to come to fruition.

I absolutely love my role in Hope Into Action and everything the charity represents. I only hope and pray we can get the message out further afield so that every vacancy can be filled, new homes opened in every town and city, and the streets cleared of all those with nowhere to go, and their lives be filled with our love and, the love of Jesus Christ.

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