On this page find out about how our Church supports people and communities during times of crisis or hardship.
To find out how we help God's other creatures please visit our animals page
Helping Greek Orphanages
We have some Greek families worshipping in our church here at Latton and through them we have become increasingly aware of the desperate situation and ongoing economic crisis in Greece, which has recently seen many families abandoning their children to Greek Orphanages, while for some the situation is so bad that they are selling their children. There has been a huge increase of newborn babies dumped on the doorsteps of clinics and children’s homes.
It is shocking to hear the stories of parents forced to give up children because of poverty – and charities warn of more cases to come as hundreds of people have resorted to begging all over the country. Greece is a proud nation, but news coming out of there shows a fraught situation as it prepares to endure a fifth consecutive year of recession, with poverty and unemployment climbing rapidly.
Here at Latton we recently started a project to support the orphanages in Greece. And with the help of many of the local churches in Harlow we have begun to collect a mountain of goods and so far have raised £2,500. These goods are going out there, directly to the orphanages at the end of May. Meanwhile we are hoping to collect even more for them over the next few months. In April we held a Greek Dance to raise funds for the project and also to have fun together, and you can see photographs of that in our gallery pages
Delivering our Gifts to Greece
Please click here to read about Liz's visit to Greece to take aid to the Orphanages.
November 2013 Update
Liz and Emily have been working very hard lately holding car boot sales to help the children at the orphanage. Last month they managed to raise £400, which bought school uniforms for all the children. This month they have been able, thanks to some support from ASDA, to by the children a bagful of alternative new clothes each.
A couple of years ago we helped Nazeing church try to raise money for an orphanage they were trying to build in Kenya. Well unfortunately that never came to fruition, so the £1,334 that we raised towards that is coming back to us and we are going to use it to help replace some of the windows at the Greek Orphanage our church supports. The Orphanage used to be an old monastery and the rooms the children sleep in were once the monks cells, so not the warmest of places, especially as it's situated up a mountain! The money will only replace half of the windows, but it's a start. Please keep the project in your prayers, giving thanks for Emily, Liiz, and the family, also the helpers at the orphanage and the children they lovingly care for.
Thank you everyone who has helped in any way with this ongoing project bring the compassion of Christ to those in greatest need.
For further information you can ring Liz or Emily 01279 415 155
[page top]Supporting St John Ambulance
Some of the members of our church at Latton are members of St John Ambulance
and lead local training in Harlow. St John Ambulance teaches people first aid ,
about 800,000 last year alone , so that they can be the difference between a
life lost and a life saved. They would love to have you join them.
Once a year they hold a special enrolment service and award ceremony
in our church. Find out more about the activities of St John Ambulance
The Children's Society
The Children's Society is a children's charity which wants to create a society where children and young people are valued, respected and happy. They are committed to helping vulnerable and disadvantaged young people, including safeguarding children in care and young runaways. They give a voice to disabled children, help young refugees to rebuild their lives and provide relief for young carers, helping children of all faiths and none, including children at risk on the streets, young refugees, young carers or those within the youth justice system. Through lobbying and research they influence child protection policy and perceptions at all levels so young people have a better chance in life.
We at Latton support the Children's Society in a variety of ways including coffee mornings, collection boxes and our Christingle Service.
Oxfam
Oxfam is an excellent charity dealing with life-saving emergency responses to life-changing development projects and campaigning. They focus on working with and through partners and communities on long-term programs to eradicate poverty and combat injustice. They deliver immediate life-saving assistance to people affected by natural disasters or conflict, and help to build their resilience to future disasters.And they are part of a global movement for change raising public awareness of the causes of poverty and encouraging ordinary people to take action for a fairer world.They work extremely hard to change policies and practices that reinforce poverty and injustice.
At Latton we support the work of Oxfam in two ways. We buy the eggs laid by our vicar's garden hens and some of the profit is sent to Oxfam for households in rural Tanzania who keep a few chickens, and where Oxfam is helping people increase the size of their flocks. Also for providing training in basic animal care, disease control and poultry husbandry. They help to buy medicines, vaccinations and training for vets, other animal health care professionals and communities to keep goats and donkeys in good health and condition.
And secondly, many of us at Latton have made the decision to buy Oxfam gifts at Christmas which will support a variety of Oxfam projects, whether animal aid, teachers, health related, building, farming, wherever the need.
Harlow Foodbank
The Harlow Foodbank is a local organisation which provides food parcels to people during times of crisis. Please visit their website at http://www.mrct.org.uk/foodbank.htm to find out about their work.
We have a collection point at our Church for people to bring donations to the Harlow Foodbank when they are attending Church Services.
The photograph below shows a selection of donated foods. The Foodbank welcomes donations of tinned,
bottled and dried foods with long shelf lives.
Streets2Homes
Streets2Homes is a charity based in Harlow and they manage a centre, which seeks to reach out to and help homeless people. They provide an environment in which they can assist the homeless in a number of ways, including finding a place to stay. The demand for housing in Harlow always outstrips availability, so it can take time to find suitable accommodation. In the meantime their drop-in centre provides social contact and access to housing and employment advice, health services, food & clothing, and general guidance. They cannot do all the work themselves but they have links with a wide range of agencies and organisations that they can contact to try to get the appropriate type of assistance.
To find out more about their work please visit http://www.streets2homes.org
During the early months of 2016, our church is opening it's hall to the homeless on Friday evenings. Some other churches in the area are covering one or two of the other evenings during the week. People will be given a hot meal and comfy bed for the night during the very coldest season.
We regularly support Streets2Homes and have held a number of sponsored 'Sleep-outs' in our churchyard in order to raise funds for them. See photo's below.
Safer Places
Safer places is an independent domestic abuse charity dedicated to supporting adults and children affected by domestic abuse.They provide a wide range of services to support and respond to individual needs and circumstances, whether it is in their refuge accommodation or in the community. All their services work in a holistic and empowering way to help enable people to live independent lives free from domestic abuse.
To find out more about their work please visit www.saferplaces.co.uk
At Christmas we at Latton buy loads of new toys and other gifts, for the women and children
This year we gave them over 80 Easter Eggs, half of which were 'The Real Easter Egg', which is a Fairtrade egg that contains a booklet sharing the Easter story.
Operation Christmas Child
and
Did you ever wonder what love looks like? We usually think of love as a verb; as
an emotion. But if love was a noun what would it look like? Could you fit it in
a shoebox? You could, if you have been involved in our yearly Christmas shoebox
appeal, filling 130 shoeboxes to overflowing with love!
Operation Christmas
Child and Link Romania are two of the world's largest children's Christmas
appeals. Every year through the amazing support of thousands of people in the UK
and Ireland, thousands of children and their families receive shoeboxes filled
with goodies.
Thank you all so much for playing your part . You
have truly helped to spread God's love.
ActionAid
Our church at Latton sponsors a Ugandan child through 'ActionAid'and two Ugandan villages
ActionAid is a registered charity, which fights poverty and injustice in over 40 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas, by working with local people to fight hunger, as well as seeking justice for women, education for
children and helping them to cope with emergencies.
Since 1982 it has expanded its operations throughout Uganda as part of their long-term commitment to work with the socially and economically disadvantaged out in the fields as well as supporting urban development initiatives in Kawempe Division of Kampala City and running peace-building initiatives in Karamoja.
In 2010 they reached over 393,927 families representing 26% of Uganda's poorest population, supported over 71 community based organisations, non government organisations, civil society networks and alliances working on a number of poverty eradication and rights initiatives in over 47 districts in the country.
To find out more visit www.actionaid.org.uk
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is an international development charity that works with
people of all faiths and none, in around 50 countries to eradicate
poverty. It was formed and is still supported by the major Christian
churches in the British Isles. Our church at Latton is one of it's
supporters. Apart from door-to-door street collections we undertake
each year, some of our church members participate in 'Circle the
City' sponsored family walk around the churches of the city of
London. We also give the donations from our 'Lent Lunches' to
Christian Aid and support them in supporting any major world
emergencies which occur.
Maybury Open Door
The aim of Maybury Open Door is to provide opportunities for people to work together to support social need in their community, promoting the ability of people, and encouraging them to take an active role. It's based at two Harlow church halls and is managed by a team of community workers and volunteers. Some members from our church here at Latton do volunteer work with them at the centres community drop-in and also supporting the projects wide range of adults including the elderly, people with a disability, homeless, isolated people and others who just need to venture out and meet new friends.
Heart4Harlow
Heart 4 Harlow is an umbrella Christian organisation that brings
together not only 40 local churches but local community based
projects where it is possible to do so. It holds a number of regular
annual events such as the Summer 'Praise in the Park' at the Town
Park, 'Carols at Christmas' in the Town Shopping Mall and a 'Good
Friday Walk of Witness ' through the town shopping area. Heart
4Harlow is a resource for the Church in Harlow and plays a key role
in bringing together the Harlow community. Last year, Heart4Harlow
decided to raise awareness of the excellent contribution to the
Harlow community made by a variety of citizens and organisations. The
categories for the awards were: Business, Education, Sport and Arts,
Voluntary Sector and Public Sector. To find out more please visit www.heart4harlow.org.uk
In October 2015 our vicar and churchwardens were pleased to receive
on behalf of our church a 'Heart4Harlow' award for our community
work.
