About Gentle Hands

About Us

Over the last 15 years Gentle Hands has been a ministry dedicated to helping the urban people of the Philippines. Over 5,000 babies have been born at Gentle Hands since it began in the bottom level of Denie and Dennis Heppner's home in St. Ignatius Village.

Their medical outreaches have extended over several areas of the Philippines from the Northern Mountains to Smokey Mountain in downtown Manila, as well as into other countries such as Myanmar and India. Since the ministry began in 1990, it has branched into churches, Bible studies and in September 2000 an educational program was started.

In 2003 a short-term rehabilitive care facility for children was started which replaced the birthing clinic in 2005. Gentle Hands is licensed by the Department of Social Welfare of the Phiippines to care for and assist the reunification or adoption of these children.

Evan & Charity Graff

Evan and Charity are serving in the Philippines in children's social ministries. They also direct the Gentle Hands ministry to the poorest class of society. Started in 1990 by Charity's mother, Gentle Hands employs a staff of 15 and has frequent short-term missionaries that come from all over the world to lend a hand.

Charity moved from Canada to the Philippines with her missionary parents in 1987. She was involved in music ministry with her father in the Philippines before pursuing educational studies in Canada and the US. She and Evan were married in Canada and lived there until God opened the door for their present ministry.

Dennis & Denie Heppner

The Heppners are Canadian missionaries who have been in the Philippines since 1987. Dennis has served as a missionary evangelist in various parts of Asia, teacher, director of LIFESCHOOLS of ministry, superintendent of West Asia, and pastor of five congregations. He currently pastors Church of God Makati, a growing fellowship of about 1500, which he planted in 1998.

Denie began Gentle Hands Ministry as a result of her involvement with midwives who ministered to mothers and babies from society's poorest class. Begun in 1990, Gentle Hands Clinic focused on maternal and child health care for the urban poor women. After 15 years Gentle Hands had helped raise the awareness of good prenatal health care in Metro Manila. Many other clinics have opened in the past number of years. Just over 5,000 babies have been born through the ministry of Gentle Hands, with the good news of Jesus' love presented to their mothers.

History

Gentle Hands began as a birthing clinic in 1990 and quickly changed the face of childbirth in the Philippines. Founded by Dennis and Denie Heppner, GH grew and over the course of 10 years, saw more than 5000 babies born. In 2003, the time came to shift to the rescue and care of abandoned, injured, neglected, and dying children.

Charity and Evan Graff (the Heppner's oldest daughter), started an educational foundation for street boys in 2000. Teaching in the garage of their home and under bridges where the poor lived, they taugh many ten and eleven year olds to read and write in their own language. In 2003, they took over the administration of GH. Soon GH was licensed and registered under the Department of Social Welfare and Development and were able to process adoptions both locally and internationally.