Good Friday Prayer Breakfast

Just wanted to send quick shout out that His Hands received almost $3300 from the Good Friday Prayer Breakfast last Friday! Those funds will definitely be put to good use! What a great and inspiring event - I highly recommend that people attend next year if they can.

Thanks to everyone who helped with the breakfast - Berlinda, Mike, Grant and Trudy, Marion, Jeanette, Amber, and Charles. (6:00am came EARLY, didn't it?!)

Cabinets!

Several months ago, we had been put in touch with Sheryl Konen, director of Kirkwood's Interior Design program. Sheryl's summer Interior Design class will be helping us with the interior design for the new clinic. For the last month or so, Sheryl has been meeting with us and helping us get our proverbial ducks in a row. Sheryl has been an amazing help to us - God truly brought her to us when we needed her!

Recently, Sheryl connected us with Dave Hausmann, Kitchen and Bath Manager at The Ar-Jay Center in Cedar Rapids. Cyndi Ziegler (Clinic Director), Darrell Sanford (Board Member), and I met with Dave and Bill Skelton (an Ar-Jay employee) last week, and they are completely on board with helping us out with cabinetry! They understand that to treat our patients with the dignity they deserve, we not only offer them quality healthcare but also a comfortable and professional clinical environment. They want to help us make the environment the best it can be. With Ar-Jay's assistance, we will be able to put in new cabinetry and include some pieces custom-built for our exam rooms and pharmacy.

Thank you, Ar-Jay!

I am amazed at the work God has been doing with this remodel. There have been so many areas for things to go wrong, but God is proving Himself to be the Master Contractor.

Best,

Sharon (Executive Director)

Building Update: We have walls! (almost)

Yesterday, Cyndi and I went to the new building to talk to the electrician about our electrical needs/preferences. The building looked so amazing that I wanted to share!!

It might not look like much, but a lot of work has been done. As a quick summary, our new building is basically divided into four sections, or bays. (It used to be four separate storefronts, but 30 years ago was converted to one large building.) The floor of each bay was at a different level; for example, the second bay's floor was 4" lower than the first, and the third bay's floor was 3" lower than the second. For the last few weeks, the carpenters have been leveling the floors and framing the walls.

Bay 1:

This picture is taken from what will be the pharmacy, located at the front of the building. If you look closely, you can see the doorways of our four exam rooms. Each exam room is around 90 square feet they are very large and will be very comfortable for our patients, especially when they need to bring a friend or family member. To the right (out of the picture) is a handicapped-accessible restroom.

Bay 2:

As you can see, the carpenters have completed leveling the floor in the second bay and have started framing the walls. Cyndi and my offices are on the left side, and on the right side you can see the breakroom, which will have a small kitchenette and space for volunteers to relax. The are in front is the reception office. The picture itself is taken from the waiting room in the front of the building.

Bay 3:

Here you can see the leveling of floors in action! The floor in the third bay has to be raised around 7". The carpenters are currently in the process of placing the floorboards on our leveled floor. The third bay will house our chiropractic rooms, our physical therapy/massage therapy room, another restroom, and the prayer room. The section in the far back has been reserved for a future dental ministry. (Yes, the purple wall will be repainted!)


We are so excited about our new space and can't wait to share it with everyone! Stay in touch for upcoming open houses. As usual, please contact us for information on how to donate or participate in this relocation.

Small beginnings and big changes...

As you may have heard, we are in the midst of renovating a new building to give us room to breathe and bless us with room for growth. Our contractor Gary has been working hard. A couple pictures from the construction site at 400 12th St. SE:

It may not look like much yet, but we are joyful to repeat the words found in Zechariah 4:10a: "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand."

We are excited for our new building, but only because we are even more excited about the work that God is already doing and will continue to do through this ministry.

Please pray for us as we make our way through this welcome transition -- a lot has been done, but there is still much to do. If you are interested in donating your time or resources, please contact the clinic at 319-862-2636 for more information. Plenty of volunteer opportunities will soon be available for individuals or groups of skilled workers, able bodies, or desiring hearts. Cookie bakers also welcome! :)

Eye Care

A big thank you goes to Lens Crafters at Westdale Mall for their free eye clinic on December 7. From 8:00 a.m. until noon they gave patients who cannot afford eye care free eye exams and glasses. There were 8 patients referred to this clinic by His Hands. One of the patients, who is also a volunteer, showed up to work her shift in the clinic sporting a new pair of glasses and a big smile. She had lost her glasses in the flood and had been making due with readers, but now has the trifocals she really needs. Next time you are at Westdale Mall stop in and give them a big thank you from His Hands Clinic!

Construction people wanted!

I just got off the phone with Gary Witter, a member of the His Hands board and the contractor for our renovation. He and I were talking about how to use volunteers and volunteer groups during the renovation. Apparently, there is a lot to do!

Concerning volunteer groups, Gary's immediately thought was the basement. The basement walls are made of concrete blocks, and they are old and leaky. The walls need to be scraped clean, coated with sealant, and then repainted so that it looks nice. It's a big basement, and there are many walls to work on! Gary thought that this would be a great project for clubs, youth groups, or Sunday School classes - no experience is necessary, and the work can be done at pretty much anytime. Plus, there is enough for lots of groups to share!

Gary also said that he needs experienced workers - general laborers, electricians, plumbers, etc. If you are interested and have a skill to share, he will be happy to contact you when your skills are needed.

Thank you all for your support! Call the Clinic if you want to help out, and we will get you in touch with Gary!

Blessings,

Sharon

PS: Gary also said that he might be able to fix our backdoor lighting situation and get the street light working again! Thank goodness that we have knowledgeable people in our midst!

A New Chapter Ahead

A lot is going on at His Hands Free Medical Clinic this spring and I want inform you of some coming changes and ask you pray for the ministry.

We're Moving

First of all, the rumor that we are moving is true. Our board was informed that the new “Medical Mall” facility will affect our current location and we will need to move. The board is searching for another building. The timeline is unknown but we could move by the end of the year. Please pray for wisdom for the board as we look at alternative properties.

Staff Changes

Secondly, it is with sadness that I inform you that I will be leaving His Hands in September. My husband is going to graduate school at Ohio State University, so we will be relocating to Columbus this fall. It has been an amazing privilege to be a part of this ministry for the past 6 years! I’ve been tremendously blessed by how so many individuals and churches are working together to provide medical care to the poor. Please pray for the board as they look for a replacement.

We are taking resumes for the new Executive Director position. We are searching for a self-motivated person who can lead our organization in vision, discipleship, fundraising, and marketing. The ideal candidate would be ministry-minded, has experience in nonprofit management, and can agree with our organization’s mission and statement of faith. This position is three-quarters time. If you or someone you know is interested in applying for this position, please contact me by email at director@hishandsclinic.org.

These are all big things and I don’t necessarily understand the timing of it all but trust that God has a plan for this ministry. Thank you for praying for God’s leading and wisdom as we start a new chapter at His Hands.