Helping Hands Coordinators - Cathy Wedwick and Pat Widlowski

On April 29^th approximately 80 people gathered in the Lower Hall of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church to have dinner and to receive thanks for their efforts over the past year as Helping Hands Volunteers.  The Helping Hands ministry of the church is a volunteer activity to provide a variety of services as well as support to parishioners in need. There are over 170 active volunteers that provide transportation, visits to the homebound, respite breaks for caregivers, provide meals, operate a buddy phone chain, and send greeting cards to those on the parish prayer list.

The Helping Hands Coordinators are Cathy Wedwick and Pat Widlowski and together they served as the hostesses for the dinner that was catered by Home Plate along with a beautiful decorated “Thank You” cake from Cranford’s. Cathy and Pat thanked the volunteers for their enthusiastic responses to all the needs over the past year. This included over 5,575 miles driven taking people to doctor appointments or grocery shopping or whatever special need someone might have. There were almost 900 volunteer hours logged in providing assistance and more than 2,000 greeting cards sent by volunteers. 

The program is being expanded this year to included visits to care facilities in addition to the homebound visits. These visits to care facilities will be to provide a friendly face and will be in addition to the Eucharist Minister visits that also occur for Sacred Heart parishioners in these facilities.  Cathy and Pat thanked those attending for making the ministry very successful.  A few other Hot Springs Village churches that have become aware of the program have asked Cathy and Pat for information to help them begin a similar program.  The parishioners of Sacred Heart are very appreciative of the services that are available and benefit from the unselfish giving of time by the Helping Hands volunteers.