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Hello to everyone,
Denise, the CMC of New Faith Community Church, asked me for some reports to give to her church. I pass this on to the rest of you so that you too will share with others.
We are in the midst of helping a senior couple. 5 churches, a business, and an agency are currently working together to help this couple get back on their feet. They called us, on a referral from the Hope House where they had stayed a few months ago. Recently, their 95 Buick broke down with major engine repair problems. John was not working due to health reasons, and Jane was the only source of income. She was in the middle of leaving one of her part-time jobs to go fulltime with another part-time job. They called Love INC the week after Christmas in need of transportation. With the help of volunteers from 4 member churches, we were able to make a working schedule for Jane's transportation needs to and from work. At the first of the year, we partnered with Senior Services and their new transportation program. They were able to begin taking Jane to work while our volunteers still brought her home. We were still concerned with the broken vehicle and what it would take to get it going again. The diagnosis was a new engine at the cost of between $1,500 and $2,000. Now, before we had time to get discouraged, God stepped in. A volunteer knew an individual with a business that would tow the vehicle and put in a working engine for cost of $650. The church John and Jane had been attending came forward with $500 and the rest was found in a loan though the DAV which John will take responsibility for. At this time, the vehicle has been towed and is being worked on. John and Jane have continually expressed their gratefulness to Love INC and all the volunteers for their willingness to give so generously their time and resources. We can truly say that this couple has been encouraged and Loved In the Name of Christ!
This is one report of many. Our office is currently in the position of gifting a donated vehicle to a single mother of two who we have helped through budget counseling, moving assistance, and childcare. We continue to work with the Hope House on temporary childcare issues to encourage participation in the Survival Skills for Women class. We have assisted past individuals in a variety of ways and continue to look ahead as we press on. Being a new program, we have some growth to make. There are a couple areas we need to focus on at this time. We need more people to sign up to be available when the call for help comes and, our response time as we network for help on an individual. Everyone's quick response to a call really helps. A missed opportunity to help is a missed opportunity to love someone in the name of Christ.
In loves grip...
Brenda Rodgers
Love INC-ghc
...because God is love.
brenda@loveinc-ghc.org
Our First Love Letter:
After our first article was printed in our local newspaper in December introducing Love INC to the community, a woman wrote a letter to the paper explaining her needy situation.After reviewing the letter, we felt that we needed to respond to this request by faith.
Lisa was newly confined to a wheelchair, and needed her furniture rearranged so that she could maneuver around her house. After many conversations and a personal visit, it was determined that there were many things that we could do for Lisa.Our initial goals included winterizing her home (to reduce heating bills), replacing a broken electric stove and hooking up her clothes dryer.Most importantly, we took time to listened.Lisa shared: “I was so depressed because I felt like nobody cared and there was no hope of anything in my life getting better.”
Through a cooperation of volunteers from three different churches, we spent just a few hours in her home.We were able to accomplish even more than our initial goals.Some house cleaning was done, trash hauled off, a door handle was fixed, and the sheets on her bed were changed.We also shared with her how she could apply for heating assistance.Two schoolboys, who were serving out of school suspension, came to help as well and learned some valuable life lessons.
A few days later, we received a card from Lisa, she wrote, “This is a thank you Christmas card to my new friends at Love INC.Your kindness will never be forgotten.When you came into my home you changed my life for the better.I want everyone that helped to know how much it meant to me.”
Several months later, while keeping in touch with Lisa, one volunteer was deeply touched to learn that Lisa has a new outlook on life. She is working on becoming an advocate for people in wheelchairs. Her health is getting better and she is hopeful about her future. One of the boys that help that day was so touched that he stops by to check on her and makes sure she is okay. He even mowed her yard this past summer. Also by helping Lisa, it energized the volunteers by truly understand the meaning of sharing the love of Christ through serving the needy.
Is it amazing how the Love of Christ changes the heart of those he touches directly and indirectly…Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!!
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