There was a full house on Sunday, March 16th at Faith Presbyterian when Love In the Name of Christ of Greater Lennox and Turner County, or Love INC celebrated its one year anniversary.
It was a blessed event for the board of directors to see the church full of supporters from the local communities and churches that the ministry represents. A free pork loin lunch was served to celebrate all that has been accomplished this last year.
Love INC has spent their first year building strong relationships with their Partner Churches and identifying gaps in services in our local communities. This has allowed them to go back to their Partner Churches and set up GAP Ministries with their churches, meaning the church would sponsor a need that has been identified in the community. A wonderful example of this is the “Loads of Love” ministry that has grown out of an identified need, sponsored by both Delaware Reformed and Turner County Presbyterian churches. Held the last Saturday of the month, these churches assist those in need at the Lennox laundromat with paying to wash their laundry, which has become a very costly expense for those who do not have their own washing facilities in their home. Other GAP Ministries at local churches include assistance with hygiene products, cleaning products, transportation assistance, and more.
Besides Gap Ministries, Love INC also has open office hours, where volunteers assist in staffing and neighbors in need are welcome to call for assistance. We also receive many requests for assistance through emails and from our website. Many of the individuals that we have been blessed to serve are those who are working, who have young families and are struggling to make ends meet. An example is someone who normally can usually make their bills by shuffling things around, but this month they had to have four-hundred dollars’ worth of tires on their car, so they could not make their rent. We were blessed to be able to assist them that one month, and they are back on their feet again.
Another big part of what Love INC does is Referrals. There are many programs out there that people qualify for that instead of paying bills for them, we can make a referral or help them become enrolled. One example would be a mom with several children who called. She was working three jobs and was starting to get behind with bills – and she was exhausted. She needed help paying a bill. We went over what she was more than likely qualified for to get some assistance during this time so she could get back on her feet. And our coordinated help was beneficial to her and her family. referrals to other agencies for requests that are too large for us to meet, or for those needs that are beyond the scope of Love INC. Those relationships with other agencies are also an important part of the work that we do.
With their first year behind them Love INC plans to launch new classes and programming in the future that the public will be invited to take part in. The board looks forward to seeing what God has planned for the future of this young ministry, and for the communities that it serves. Thank you to everyone who has supported this ministry, not only this past year, but since its first prayerful possibility. From the initial Development Boards, to the Lennox Area Ministerial Association, from the Partner Churches and their congregations to our donors and volunteers, from our community members and neighbors who use our ministry to our loving God ( without Him – none of this would be possible ). May Love In the Name of Christ of Greater Lennox and Turner County continue to have Annual Celebrations for years to come, carrying out the mission of “helping churches to help people.”
Love INC is also excited to announce that we will be holding another Volunteer Training on Tuesday, April 8th from 5:30 p.m. to approximately 8:00 p.m. Volunteers continue to be the root of all we do at Love INC, transforming lives by meeting people where they’re at and helping them to achieve their God-given potential.
If you are interested in attending, please call 605-681-6550 or email MichellePLoveInc@gmail.com.