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Member Benefits

Eleven good reasons why you should join Solidarity Helping Hand:

REASON 1: YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY

  • You will be part of an organisation that has helped people in need for the past sixty years.
  • Helping Hand renders assistance to communities where government aid is generally not available.
  • The programmes and models that Helping Hand uses, can be used in other communities as well.

REASON 2: YOU WILL BELONG TO A TEAM THAT DOES NOT SHIRK AWAY FROM ISSUES

  • Helping Hand speaks for people who are unable to speak and stands up for people who are unable to stand up for themselves, thereby giving them hope.
  • Helping Hand broke the silence about white poverty.
  • Helping Hand has tackled drug-related crime through the Break the Grip Project and also takes on issues such as child abuse and crime.
  • Helping Hand always looks for positive solutions to negative circumstances.

REASON 3: YOU WILL BECOME PART OF THE SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT

  • Helping Hand operates as a Section 21 company within the framework of a firmly established Solidarity Movement that dates back more than 100 years.
  • By supporting Helping Hand, you become part of a movement that has your interests at heart.

REASON 4: YOU WILL INVEST IN CHILDREN’S FUTURE

  • Thousands of Afrikaans families are dependent on feeding schemes. In these circumstances, Helping Hand has a unique task to fulfil, namely to bring hope to the needy and to offer solutions, thereby ensuring that the next generation of Afrikaans children have a future in South Africa.
  • Helping Hand’s approach to poverty relief is to prepare the youth to enter the workforce through vocational guidance and training.
  • Helpende Hand develops programmes to ensure that young people receive good career guidance which will enable them to make the right career choices.
  • Helping Hand has created an extensive Afrikaans bursary platform from where it administers a variety of bursary funds, giving a large number of young people access to financial aid for further training, especially training in scarce and critical skills.

REASON 5: YOU WILL BECOME PART OF THE SOLUTION

  • Everyone can help to combat poverty. You cannot always give money to beggars in the street, but through your involvement with Helping Hand you can become part of a broad solution to poverty.
  • Helping Hand is involved with the upliftment of several informal settlements, shelters, old-age homes, children’s homes and crèches, focusing on creating criteria and standards to improve living conditions.
  • The support that Helping Hand offers to the community is based on a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses training, social upliftment, religion and awareness raising.

REASON 6: YOU WILL BE PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT CARES

  • Helping Hand is establishing needs-driven service branches nationwide that can mobilise communities for development support. These branches are already tackling poverty in their respective regions. Service branches run social projects, seek job-creation opportunities and raise funds to finance community projects.
  • Helping Hand endeavours to include South Africans living abroad in its efforts to combat poverty. A successful communication network has already been set up in 11 countries, whereby Helping Hand raises awareness among South African expatriates about growing poverty in white communities.
  • Helping Hand members belong to an organisation that cooperates with the government and welfare organisations at all levels.

REASON 7: YOU WILL HAVE A HAND IN TANGIBLE PROJECTS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

  • You will become involved in projects that offer solutions to problems.
  • When you join Helping Hand, you join a team who are willing to get their hands dirty to encourage and empower others.
  • The Lunchbox Project distributes food coupons to nursery schools in disadvantaged communities and provides training to nursery school teachers, child minders and mothers.
  • The Schoolbag Project provides schoolbags and stationery to Grade 1 learners on their first day of school.
  • The Biscuit Project is a job-creation project for poor communities.
  • The Donations Office distributes food, clothes and other essential supplies to people in need daily.

REASON 8: YOU WILL HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT YOUR MONEY IS PUT TO GOOD USE

  • Helping Hand members have the assurance that their contributions will be used to improve people’s living conditions and not be divided into small, useless parts.
  • Helping Hand does not receive any money from the state, the national lottery or any other organisation.
  • Helping Hand is entirely dependent on funds obtained through its members’ debit orders and donations from the community.
  • Helping Hand provides a focused service without making compromises, as it generates its own funds.
  • Helping Hand manages its funds responsibly, transparently and according to sound business principles.
  • Helping Hand maintains high corporate and administrative standards.
  • The company’s finances are audited regularly by external auditors.
  • Helping Hand consults a legal advisor on a regular basis to ensure accountability for its actions.
  • Helping Hand respects the wishes of its donors.

REASON 9: YOU WILL HELP TO CREATE HOPE

  • There is a saying that well done is better than well said. If you join Helping Hand, you will contribute to the search for solutions and play a role in creating hope.
  • Every year Helping Hand bestows Heroes of Hope awards on people who render exceptional community service.
  • Helping Hand believes that everyone who is involved in community outreach is a hero of hope.
  • REASON 10: YOU WILL ENJOY THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS
  • You will have access to the Helping Hand Emergency Fund, subject to certain criteria.
  • You will have access to bursaries of Solidarity’s Afrikaans Bursary Fund and Career Guidance Institute, subject to certain criteria.
  • You will have the privilege to get your hands dirty during organised outings/meetings.
  • You will automatically be included in the discussion forum at www.storiesvanhoop.iblog.co.za and will be able to participate in Helping Hand’s Internet radio show on Mondays between 13:00 and 14:00.
  • You will receive a monthly newsletter on the activities of Helping Hand’s branches.
  • You will be kept abreast of Helping Hand’s research.
  • You will receive a Section 18A Tax Certificate, subject to certain criteria.

REASON 11: IT’S FUN TO GET INVOLVED

Community outreach is more than just a duty – it can also be rewarding and fun. It is gratifying when your contribution creates hope for a child, enables a young person to study further or creates job opportunities. It is rewarding to see the excitement on the faces of Grade 1 learners when they receive schoolbags, or to spread joy among little ones with gifts of lunchboxes. Being part of Helping Hand requires hard work and there is nothing glamorous about poverty, but it is rewarding to spread hope.