Not a Handout... Not a Hand Up…
When describing the work of Cornerstone, we often get the response, “Oh, so you don’t give a handout, you give a hand up?” Though the spirit of that answer is close to being correct, our response is that we connect individuals with supportive relationships that encourage them to grow and ultimately thrive.
Essentially, we offer folks who are struggling our hand.
The difference?
When you give a handout, you are helping from a posture of your excess as compared to their lack.
When you give a hand up, you are helping from a posture of elevation to their position below.
When you offer a hand, the posture is that of a neighbor and fellow traveler.
How is Cornerstone offering our “hand”?
This month we initiated a new program that we refer to as “Amplify.” Amplify exists for alumni of Jobs for Life or Faith and Finances who would like to continue being encouraged through long-term mentoring. Amplify “turns up the volume” of the good that began in our classes and encourages participants to continue to grow in every area of their life.
The purpose of Amplify is to provide intentional and ongoing support (a hand) to individuals as they…
Identify Challenges
Set and Pursue Goals
Grow in Faith
Central to Amplify is an approach we call H.E.A.R.T. Coaching. Our trained mentors walk participants through goal setting related to: Home and Health, Employment and Education, Attitude (Emotional and Spiritual health), Resources (Financial), and Team (Support Network) for up to a year.
Participants meet in a small group “cohort” and in one-on-one sessions with their mentor each month. This month we launched our first cohort of two students and two mentors. The students were alumni from our 2021 Faith and Finances class!
We anticipate adding a cohort a year and cannot wait to see what God has in store not only for our participants, but for our volunteers as well.
At Cornerstone it is our hope and prayer that the neighbors who receive our “hand” find with the right kind of encouragement that they are thriving in ways they would never have dreamed and that they in turn are beginning to consider how they can offer a similar hand to others.