Compassion

Compassion Fund

Through your donations, CFC’s Compassion Fund is able to support groups and individuals outside our church who are in need. A lot of this gets used at Christmas buying shopping vouchers for families. Throughout the year we receive referrals from groups we work with and other individuals and are able to provide much needed support to many people.

We thought you might like to hear about a few situations your donations have helped so far in 2022.

Shopping vouchers and Soul Food

With the cost of living increase, we have had a significant increase in the number of people calling at the church offices asking for assistance to buy food, top-up electric and gas. Since January this year, we have given out over £5,000 worth of shopping vouchers. In addition, we are able to give a great nutritious meal from our Soul Food freezer supplies – this is a real bonus and people are delighted to get something home-cooked.

A new home – rent deposit scheme

One of the housing groups we support work with people who are homeless. An issue they identified is the struggle people have to come up with a deposit for rental properties. Using the money you donated we were able to give a gift that enabled 12 families who had been homeless to secure a property for them and their families to live in.

Shoes for Asylum Seekers

One of our members volunteers every week with a group of asylum seekers. She contacted us and asked if we could help in a situation and we were more than delighted to help – here’s the letter we received from the group:

Dear CFC Fellowship,

Thank you very much for your very kind and generous donation of £2,000 to purchase new trainers/football boots for the male asylum seekers who are being housed…..

The guys (approx 40) from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Afghanistan arrived in early January 2022. Since then, we have been working with them on a weekly basis.

When we were informed of their imminent arrival, we were able to gather a small team of volunteers. We gained access to the hotels and set up a clothing station. But, more importantly we were able to pray over the rooms.

On a weekly basis we receive requests for items which are needed, and we keep the room well-stocked. The items which we struggled with the most were trainers and football boots. So it was with a grateful heart that you provided us with the means to purchase these for the guys. It took us about four weeks to complete the project. We had to receive the request with the size, go to the shop (who gave us discount), purchase the trainers, and then meet with the recipient so that they could try them on and confirm they fitted well.

This was such a privilege for me and our volunteers. When the guys tried on the trainers they smiled, sometimes they asked, “do you think they are okay”? We would bend down and feel where their toes were!!! It felt like we were washing their feet. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to do this in God’s name.

The trainers/football boots have made a great difference to their mental health and wellbeing. They play football with local church teams on a weekly basis and take part in various keep-fit activities. Through the football some have now started to go to a bible study and last week we supplied two new Arabic/English bibles.

The guys have asked me to pass on their sincere thanks to you all.

Thanks also for the £500 donation towards and outing. Last Wednesday 29^th July we took them to the Giant’s Causeway. We booked a coach which cost £550 (Ards and North Down Borough Council Good Relations team paid the difference). Ballycastle Presbyterian Church provided tea/coffee, scones and traybakes on our way up and the National Trust gave us free entry to the Centre. A Blue Badge tour guide gave us his services free of charge.

We had a wonderful day; they absolutely loved the scenery and the walk down to the stones and back by the cliff path. It was great to see them smiling and laughing.

A passage that I hold dear is Isaiah 61. Thank you for giving us the opportunity of proclaiming the good news to the poor, binding their broken hearts (even for a few hours) and letting these captives know that someone loves them and welcomes them to this small country of ours.

Thank you again and God Bless,

For more information on any of the above please e.mail missions@thisiscfc.com

SOUL FOOD – FREEZER MINISTRY

Soul Food is a unique opportunity to demonstrate God’s compassion in a very practical way. In essence people in church cook food that can be frozen.  It is kept in a freezer in church and can be given to individuals or families who need a bit of help perhaps as a result of coming out of hospital, having had a baby, bereavement or struggling to make ends meet and need some of the pressure lifted off them with a good quality, home cooked meal.

Our supplies are currently low and we would appreciate your help at this time in replenishing the freezer. 

You can drop you food off to the church office 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. E-mail missions@thisiscfc.com for more information. 

Sandwiches for Refugees and Asylum Seeker

We are delighted to be working with Home Plus, a Belfast based charity working with rough sleepers in our city and who run a Drop-In Centre in Belfast specifically for asylum seekers, refugees and destitute migrants. Each week we prepare 200 sandwiches for Home Plus to distribute to those in need. If you’d like to get involved e.mail missions@thisiscfc.com

For more information e.mail missions@thisiscfc.com