Link for Life have been partnering with Hands at Work and the Volunteer Care Workers in Share for more than six years now and we were delighted that we had been asked to help the Care Workers and children to decorate the outside of the building at the Care Point. We had been asked to bring with us brushes and rollers which we had squeezed into our luggage, and we were pleased that they had survived the squashing into our bags and the journey. We were given a very good deal by Collis DIY in Chasetown and want to thank them for their generous discount, which they gave us when they asked why we needed 10 paint trays, 20 rollers and 15 brushes. Thank you Collis DIY!
The idea to decorate the care point was one that Hands at Work in Africa had suggested to the Volunteer Care Wokers - to help make the building a bright and appealing place and a place of belonging.
At the start of the day we joined in worship with the care workers ( a wonderful and moving experience) and then they painted some of the upper parts of the building and some small sections of the lower area - Each care worker chose a segment to be 'theirs' and painted it in a colour of their choice. Our team painted upper sections a bright orange ( chosen by the care workers) with some excellent work at height from Andrew, Sam and Andy.When the children arrived, they were gathered into small groups and Elisha talked to them about the colourful world which God had made and how the multi-coloured building would remind everyone of God's care. The children were reminded that God knows each of us by name, and that we knopw that He loves us because of Jesus.
The children were then invited to write the first initial of their name in a segment of the wall which they had chosen to paint in the colour they most had also chosen. The idea is that as the children come to the carepoint, they will see the segment that they painted and will be reminded that they are loved by God and that they belong.
Each of them was given a bin liner to wear to protect their clothes, as for many of them, the clothes they wore may be amongst the only clothes they have. The team helped each child to paint and then we had chance to play too after a delicious meal of pap, beans and cabbage, which was cooked by the care workers and served by members of the team.
At the end of the day, we walked some of the children homen and were able to get a little bit of an idea of the challenging home situations which many of them have. As we walked back to the care point, we saw the wonderful, colourful sight of the redecorated care point... which someone described as a 'beacon' of hope in the community. May it be just that, and more.
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| Onny gets busy |
It was a chaotic, colourful, exhausting, poignant and wonderful day. We look forward to being back in Share on Monday 13 Aug for a Care Workers Apprecition Day and Children's Treat Day.