King Charles' honour for Northern Ireland woman who founded of Helping Hands Healing Hearts ministry in the Philippines

Claire Gina Goudy Henderson is the founder and executive director of Helping Hands Healing Hearts, which provides support for children in a variety of crisis situations.

Claire, a past pupil of Lurgan College, went to the Philippines in 1998 to spend six months working in Philippine Outreach Center’s children’s home in Subic Bay. She ended up spending almost three years there, but she didn’t realise at the time that this would become a consuming passion and a potential lifetime’s work.

"I came 25 years ago supposedly for six months, to meet the needs of vulnerable children but God had different plans and now I’ve been here for more than half my life,” she said.

"This award goes to me but truthfully, Helping Hands Healing Hearts Ministries Philippines Inc is absolutely a team effort. It takes each staff member, each child, each volunteer, each donor, each partner organisation, our charity shop in Dollingstown, each prayer warrior, and each church that stands behind us to make it happen. it truly does take a village to raise a child!”

Claire expressed her thankfulness to all those who have supported her work.

"To my parents, thank you for believing in me! To my kids, thank you for always supporting me. To my home church – Moira Pentecostal Church – and my Pastor / Kuya Jason, thanks for always being there for me.

"Thank you King Charles for this awesome honor and to whoever nominated me, I thank you! Excited to come receive it in person in London sometime soon.

"To the King of Kings be the glory.”

Helping Hands Healing Hearts Ministries, Philippines Inc was set up in September 2002 and initially based in a hospital in Olongapo City where Claire and some volunteers cared for sick and dying children, their siblings and their parents.

After initially setting up the ministry, Claire worked alone for six months until she was sure that it was viable and sustainable. She then began to employ local people who also had a heart to help sick children.

Over the years the ministry has continued to grow and adapt to changing needs and circumstances.

The ministry now runs a children’s home and a children’s recovery unit in Baguio City, where Claire’s dedicated team of more than 40 full time workers care for the medical, emotional, and spiritual needs of broken, abandoned and hurting children. So far she has found ‘forever families’ for over 50 orphan children. Her favourite saying though is, “we are not raising orphans, we are raising sons and daughters.”

Claire has two biological children of her own and three adopted ones as well.

The newest development for Helping Hands, Healing Hearts are plans for a children’s village. There is also a care in the community programme which pays for children’s medical needs and operations and so far hundreds have received help in their homes or nearest medical facility without the need to travel to the Helping Hands, Healing Hearts site.

Claire plans to be in Northern Ireland during part of August and September, visiting supporting churches and sponsors, including speaking in her home church Moira Pentecostal Church on Sunday evening, August 27.