Hope reaching out to the community

By Gordon Lambie

In light of the many new challenges and difficulties arising at the moment in the world and the local community The Hope Community Church (HCC) in Lennoxville is reaching out through a number of new initiatives.
According to Paul McLean, a member of the church’s leadership team, the church community has turned its usual volunteering energy towards offering to do grocery or pharmacy runs for isolated individuals, or helping out in other ways, like yard clean up, as possible.
McLean clarified that the church has been in contact with the local police to ensure that their ideas are social-distancing approved.
“We can’t gather, and we have to respect that,” he said noting that many members of the community have more time on their hands than usual to help out and are eager to do so, even if it is just in the form of conversation with people feeling isolated or alone.
HCC also operates the cornerstone foodbank, which is supported by many different organizations and individuals in the local area. Anyone who has a need or knows of someone that does is invited to reach out at 819-822-2627 or online through https://hcclennoxville.ca/food-bank or info@hcclennoxville.ca
In a similar vein, the church’s Community Care Fund is designed to provide small bursaries to people who find themselves in short-term financial need. If this describes your situation or someone you know the same phone number and email address apply.
Like many other local church communities, HCC has turned to Facebook live for Sunday services, streaming at https://www.facebook.com/hcc.lennoxville/videos/ as of 10:30 a.m. but McLean said that they also had great success on Easter weekend playing a ten minute “concert” from the steeple.
“We had about 40 people standing in different parts of the downtown to listen,” he said, referring to the experience as “arm’s-length church” and saying that the experience was so positive that they plan to repeat it.
“There will be an end if there is hope,” he said, adding that the church has also joined into the practice of ringing their bells daily as a way of keeping spirits up.

Published in the Wednesday, April 15 edition of The Record.

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