“Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothed you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”  MATTHEW 25:37-40 NIV

Hope Cares is the name of the outreach ministry at Living Hope Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Massapequa, NY where Rev. Dr. Patricia Rickenbacker is the senior pastor. In the vision Dr. Rickenbacker received from the Lord 33 years ago, Living Hope would be a “ministry of inclusion reaching out to those on the margins of society…” and be known as the “The Healing Community.”

Under the umbrella of Hope Cares, are sub-ministries catering to the holistic health and welfare of people and families.  HAT (Health Awareness Team), providing  educational information on various health concerns (breast cancer awareness month, blood pressure screenings, etc.); MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) that trains lay people and professionals to rightly identify if a trauma-induced situation is caused by a mental health issue or a spiritual one, so the proper treatment/referral can be applied; Substance Abuse Prevention, offering educational resources to help save a life (narcan kits); Myers House, giving assistance to single parents with infants and children. 

Hope Cares seeks to be an oasis, a reservoir of resources. referrals and services to aid in the time of need.  Contact Deacon Diane Mercer, Ministry Leader @ 516-421-1598 for more information.