The purpose of Hands Knit Together in Love is to meet people's basic needs on a short-term interim basis. The fund set up to be a source of seeks to be a source of support to the prayer partners and members of Save My Loved Ones Prayer Ministries/Save My Loved Ones Community Room and to those who have contacted us for prayer who are experiencing financial hardship. All requests are kept confidential.

Hands Knit Together Relief Fund is intended as a source of last resort, to be used when the family or individual requesting assistance has explored all other possibilities of help from family, friends, savings, investments and local church and community resources. It is intended to be a temporary help during a time of crisis.

Assistance from the Relief Fund is intended to be a one-time gift per year. In unusual circumstances, the overseeing team may decide to help an individual or family more than one time a year. However, under no circumstance is a gift from the Relief Fund to exceed $200 per family within a 12 month period.

Those requesting assistance must also be willing to receive financial assistance, family, or emotional counseling from their local church.

The Relief Fund Committee members will not provide help to anyone who, in their estimation, will have negative or irresponsible behavior reinforced by financial help. Those requesting help must be willing to give a Relief Fund Committee member permission to follow up on any of the information provided to the Committee. The Relief Fund Committee members will be sensitive to confidential issues.

Scriptural Basis for the Relief Fund

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ”It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Act 20:34-35

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Deut 15:11

Criteria

The stated purpose of the Hands Knit Together in Love Relief Fund is to meet peoples’ basic primary needs. Normally, the Committee will consider meeting the following needs:

• Primary lodging (mortgage/Rent)

• Utilities (electric/water/gas)

• Necessary medical services

• Groceries

• Clothing (weather appropriate)

• Natural disaster response

Recipient eligibility requirements:

1.       All applicants must be an active member or become an active member of Save My Loved Ones Community Room.

2.       All applicants must show proof that they are a member in good standing of a local Church by presenting a letter from church administration stating that they:

• Attend worship service on a regular basis.

• Observes the Biblical guidelines for ‘Tithing” or financially supporting their local church.

• Demonstrates good stewardship over their own finances.

Generally, assistance from the Relief Fund will be small amounts to help as many as possible and therefore limited to a maximum payment per family of $200 in any twelve month period. The Relief Fund should not be viewed as a means to meet an ongoing chronic financial need.

Funds disbursed from the Relief Fund are at the direction of the Relief Committee. The Relief Fund Committee works primarily with prayer partners and members of Save My Loved Ones Prayer Ministries and/ or Save My Loved Ones Community Room. The order of priority given to applicants requesting disbursement from the Relief Fund is as follows:

1.       active prayer partner of Save My Loved Ones Prayer Ministries, or active member of Save My Loved Ones Community Room,

2.       new members of Save My Loved Ones Community Room (if requesting assistance you must join)

3.       members of the community, (if requesting assistance you must join Save My Loved Ones Community Room)

When working with those who are not church members or regular attendees, the Relief Fund Committee members will ask enough questions to realistically discern the accuracy of the needs being presented. At the same time, those calling for assistance will be treated with respect, erring on the side of generosity over suspicion.

Procedure for Disbursement

A Relief Fund Assistance Form must be filled out by the person requesting assistance.

Processing the Request

·          You will be contact by telephone by a committee member to discuss request.

·          If funds are available checks are written and disbursed. As much as possible, checks from the Relief Fund will be payable to vendors, homeowners associations, etc. or paid online rather than to the individual requesting assistance.

·          The person receiving assistance will be notified.

All disbursement decisions will be made on a case by case basis. The Relief Fund

Committee members will consider the person’s particular situation, supporting documentation and the Relief Fund fund’s current financial condition. In no circumstances will the Relief Fund balance be allowed to become negative.

Contributions to the Relief Fund

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Acts 2:44-45

The Relief Fund is not a part of any church’s operating budget. Any money received by the fund is over and above the regular expenses of Save My Loved Ones Prayer Ministries International.

The funding of the Relief Fund will be gathered by purchased made through Save My Loved Ones Prayer Ministries International sponsors and generous donations to Save My Loved Ones Prayer Ministries International.

Contributions to the Relief Fund are not tax deductible donations.

The Relief Fund Fund’s financial balance will be carried forward from year to year. Having a balance will allow the Relief Fund Committee to respond more generously to those coming to us with significant needs. At the same time we do not want the balance to communicate that the Committee is not willing to part with the money God provides by helping those in need or that we do not have needs in our body.

When the balance gets high, Committee members must become all the more resolute to seek-out and meet the needs of our body and those of our community.

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