Helping Hands Team

Mission

As 1Corinthians 12:26 says “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together”

Let’s therefore glorify God and love our neighbours like ourselves by extending a helping hand to those in need and opening our arms to the needy to assist them in time of crisis.

Currently, the ones in immediate crisis are, especially residents of Ukraine fleeing from conflict zones and arriving among us with little or no support.

Material Help needed by Ukrainian Refugees in Belgium

Long shelf life food stuffs needed by Ukrainian Refugees in Belgium

How are we implementing this mission:

  1. Financial aid to churches and organizations directly helping refugees;
  2. Practical and pastoral help through:
    • coming alongside refugees in Belgium needing basic necessities and engaging with families who host,
    • creating a support network through the IBC Brussels church family to share the gospel in word and deed.

Coverage is for persons in a situation of emergency, arriving in Belgium to enable them to access temporary protection and practical help while they settle down

Our purpose is to empower the families who come under our care, to enable them to feel supported while settling down during the first weeks and then enable them to find their way around, so they can feel ‘at home’ in Belgium for the duration of their stay here.  

We need also to remain available to helping  new persons requesting our help and will remain a bit longer alongside the more vulnerable persons with specific support as necessary.

The IBC Helping Hands Team (HHT)

The team is made up of 30+ volunteers

The overall coordination team has set up a database of contact details of all volunteers, regular online meetings with facilitators via zoom to ensure a sound communication, as well as a number of possible of host families who could receive for a specified time 1 or 2 persons from Ukraine until they get granted accommodation via Fedasil or private individuals.

Legal help team has communicated to a number of persons arriving from Ukrainian about the rights to temporary protection; how to register and how to access housing.

Practical help team 20 people have volunteered to provide practical care.

The pastoral and outreach help team have been supporting the work of the different ministry facilitators in particular support was given to the practical team. Their work will be stepped up once families we are in contact with as well as new ones may join us for fellowship activities IBC may organise.

The prayer help team has been supporting fully the actions of Helping Hands team through their daily 12 hour rotation prayers. Prayer is essential.

In addition to the concerted help coordinated by the practical hands team, a number of wonderful bilateral initiatives have taken place from with Ukrainians in Brussels, Leuven and elsewhere in Belgium.

Step by Step Guide for Ukrainian Refugees to Register in Belgium for Temporary Protection in English and Ukrainian-24-October-2022Download

Who guides our action? Let’s remember the words of Psalm 127:1-2

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
    for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Call for volunteers

If you would like to be part of this endeavour, please send us a message at hht(at)ibcbrussels.org and we will give your contact details to the facilitators.

God bless you all for your generosity and commitment to extend a helping hand to those who are in need.