Their Welcome Boxes project began as a response to the urgent needs Hope Church Hounslow were seeing right on their doorstep. As a church they had supported refugees for many years through their foodbanks. With the pandemic, the overall use of their foodbanks increased, as well as the number of asylum seekers attending. With charity shops closed, the foodbank volunteers started to notice an overwhelming need for clothes, so Hope Church, led by Revd Claire Clarke, set up a clothes bank: “Sometimes we would meet refugees with no shoes on their feet and no jackets on their back in the middle of winter” says Victoria, the Welcome Boxes project lead.
Boxes of care
As the scope of their refugee ministry work increased, Hope Church decided to become a Welcome Boxes church. Hope Church Hounslow now has a team of volunteers who put together welcome boxes to deliver to newly arrived asylum seekers, as a way of letting them know that “the church cares about them” and is “here to support”. The boxes are personalised for each person. They can include practical items like t shirts, pyjamas, nice toiletries, plus toys and books for children, as well as things like chocolates, candles and a handwritten note, which “can hopefully bring a little bit of comfort”. “It’s a very practical way of showing the love of Jesus” explains Cas, another of the Welcome Boxes volunteers.
We are all God’s children
The volunteers at Hope Church talk about the opportunity to meet those they have supported through welcome boxes, individuals from all walks of life and all with different struggles and stories, as “a privilege” and “a blessing”. Hannah, one of the team, shares how she has grown both as a person, and in her faith through volunteering. She felt that God wanted her to be “a vessel, to show that no matter what the religion, or background the family were from, we are all god’s children, and that as a church we care.”
A greeting and a smile
Since 2021 Hope Church have delivered Welcome Boxes to 41 adults and some have ended up becoming part of their church community. Those receiving the boxes have talked about the gladness and surprise the welcome brought: “I am very glad to see you kind angels today. Thank you very much for the gift you gave me.” Even when comprehension can be limited, Jonty, another of the volunteers talks about the ability connect through a greeting and a smile: “I hope it’s one small step along the road from feeling less a stranger and more a brother or sister”.
