By BECKY CRISSMAN

becky.crissman@cordeledispatch.com

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Matthew 25:35

CORDELE — The Hand of Hope is dedicated to offering a hand to those in need and sharing God’s message in the hopes of leading the lost to Christ.

Through the reading of The Word, local pastor and Hand of Hope volunteer was lead to create a way to provide rest for the weary, especially with southern temps reaching over 100 degrees.

“It is called the Micro House,” said Jarrett. “It is a 6×10 feet mini house. Inside is a bed a chair and a light and it is air conditioned, It is a place for a person in need to come in and rest their head in a safe, cool place.”

Jarrett said the inspiration for the Micro House came from 2 Kings 4:9-10. In that verse the prophet Elisha was traveling through a particular region and a wealthy man and woman built a room on their roof with a bed, a lamp, a chair and a table because they wanted the Man of God to have a place where he could rest. That is what we want to do. Provide a place of rest for the weary.”

Jarrett says that Hand of Hope now has a showering facility for those who are in need.

The Micro House has only been functional about two weeks and Jarrett himself stayed in the dwelling overnight to give it a trial run and make sure everything was OK. He said it was a time of quiet reflection for him.

“If you just find yourself needing a few hours alone, just you and God, the Micro House is also a good place for that.”

Jarrett said of course their main concern is safety for everyone, so there are some guidelines in place for staying at the Micro House.

“It is a single person dwelling,” he said. “Of course no drugs, no alcohol and no smoking inside the Micro House. This is for the occupant’s safety as well as the safety of those at Hand of Hope. The area is monitored by security cameras as well. There is a showering facility inside the Hand of Hope that can be used during the day when volunteers are present.”
Jarrett says the vision is to build more Micro Houses on the site. Each building costs about $2,000 to construct.

“We had a lot of help on this one,” he said. “A lot of the supplies were donated, Norbord donated OSB and sub floor materials and a local contractor, Tony Turner donated the vinyl siding. Wesley Herrington donated the air conditioner and Koby Worley donated the metal for the roof. We are very grateful.”

Jarrett said building a Micro House would be a good community service or church group or youth project. He said they are happy to accept all donations, whether they are monetary, supply, or time.

Anyone interested can find out more about helping build a Micro House by contacting the Hand of Hope at (229)417-5000.

“If we do what we are supposed to do by God people will get help here. This is just another way to help,” said Jarrett.