If you are like me, you always look forward to the first signs of spring. The sweet relief from the bitter cold temperatures of winter. Saying goodbye, at long last, to the possibility of snow and ice. Welcoming the longer days of sunshine that promise opportunities for enjoying the outdoors. I love seeing the beautiful shades of green in the trees and flowers that emerge every year, even after a long winter. Nature really is amazing and beautiful, and I hope you can get lost in it often and find inspiration and energy to continue to walk the path of love, compassion, and hope.
Spring is a time of newness in the natural world, and it happens to be a time of newness at our organization, too. In addition to my stepping into the Executive Director role fully and officially, we’ve also welcomed a new Louisville Program Director, Caleb Brooks. We’re excited to see what fresh directions Caleb might help lead our Louisville program into as we seek to maximize our impact in the community we’ve always called home.
Hand in Hand works to bring people together to instill hope in one another as we meet the housing, education, and healthcare needs of the economically vulnerable. We do this primarily through Immersion Trips, where volunteer groups choose to leave their home and stay at one of our retreat centers to engage in an experience of learning and meaningful service. These trips are life-altering for the volunteer participants. Anytime we leave the familiar to go somewhere unfamiliar with a mindset to learn, understand, and serve, we are enriched because our hearts and minds are expanded to the world of others. We get to see and experience how others live. We get to build a connection with others, and if we pay attention, I believe we come to understand that we all have much more in common than not. The world is made a little smaller as we make life-long memories and sometimes even life-long friendships.
These trips are also impactful for the families we serve. Whether a family receives a wheelchair ramp, a new home, or repairs completed to their home, these individuals become members of the Hand in Hand family. They’re often in a place where they just need a little assistance. They need someone to lend a hand to help change their life. Our programs focus on helping those in need who reside on the margins of our society. This is critical work that our world needs more of each day. Work that values sacrificing for others and giving generously of our time and resources. Work that prioritizes including people who often feel left out, neglected, and forgotten. We work to see people, we work to listen to people, and we work to affirm the dignity of everyone we encounter. When we lend our hands to help, it is amazing the ripple effect of change that takes place in each person who is involved in the work.
When you give to Hand in Hand, you can be sure that your resources help each of our programs complete our mission. We are grateful for the faithfulness of so many generous donors over the years. It has been incredible to see people give donations, go on trips, and then do it all over again. It is inspiring to see people so committed to such a worthy cause. We hope you continue to support the mission and work of Hand in Hand. We hope you will share the opportunity for others to engage in the work of Hand in Hand. We trust your life will continue to be changed, and you will experience growth as you continue to give more and more of yourself to others.
Please consider giving a gift to the mission and work of Hand in Hand.
Always hopeful,
Luke Chase
Executive Director
