Love INC growing strong

Love INC – Heartland, the INC stands for Love In the Name of Christ. Our local Love INC is an affiliate of Love INC, a national organization. Love INC started in Holland, Michigan thirty years ago. It is now a national movement with over 120 affiliates in thirty states. Our local Love INC began about four years ago.

Last year, our Love In the Name of Christ office served requests from 739 adults, and 458 children. More than 2,600 volunteer hours went into serving needs in our community. Many people received a warm coat, a handmade blanket, or their first bed. Hearts and lives are warmed in our community every day through the volunteers of Love INC.

Love INC Heartland is a neighbor-helping-neighbor organization. We partner with 18 churches, representing nine denominations in our communities. Each day, many people call for help. We direct people to agencies that can meet their needs. Love INC’s office is a clearing house directing people to help. Many times, there is not an organization in place to help for certain needs.

It is difficult for churches to know how to respond when people come to them seeking help. Love INC works with the neighbor in need and investigates to validate that the need is true. As stewards of the many gifts of time, talent and goods that are donated from our generous community, we are careful to ensure that the needs are valid before we help with our resources. The neighbor in need is then connected with the many ministries our local churches have created to help. We have furniture, clothing, bedding, back-to-school supplies, foster care kits, holiday food and gifts, and numerous other ministries in place. Our volunteers from the local churches lend a hand to neighbors that could use a hand up. We do not just give hand-outs. It is a hand-in-hand ministry designed to connect people in our community through the Love of Christ, and that’s free.

Love INC is not an emergency assistance agency, and we do not give away cash. Rather, we are designed to mobilize the church to help meet needs of neighbors. Volunteers in the churches receive a lot in return. Volunteers report how moved they were to give a child his first bed. Neighbors tell us they are overwhelmed by the love and care that they received through our volunteers. Our community is transforming through reaching out to each other. We are ready and willing to help anyone that we can, and there are no special requirements. We come in the name of Christ, and serve absolutely anyone, just as He would.

The area social service agencies have been very grateful we are here. There are so many things they cannot help with, so they call on us, and we help fill in the gaps. We are continually getting calls and letters from the grateful social workers and families who we help. All this is not possible without your donations; items such as clothing, furniture, finances, and friends make it all possible. If you would like to get involved or know someone in need, please contact our office at (763) 972-6547.

Visit Love’s Family Closet, where the clothing ministry sells clothing the second Saturday of each month from 9 -noon. Your purchases help Love INC – Heartland continue to help families. Money is used to purchase new socks, underwear and specific items needed for our families in need. Love’s Family Closet takes in new and nearly new clothing to give away to neighbors in need.

Love In the Name of Christ, Heartland serves people in Delano, Greenfield, Howard Lake, Independence, Loretto, Maple Plain, Mayer, Montrose, Rockford, Watertown and Waverly.

Love INC. is located at 343 Babcock Ave. W. in Delano. You can send donations to PO Box 143, Delano, MN 55328. Or you can reach us at (763)972-6547.

Love INC partners

Churches that currently are members of Love INC Heartland are:

Delano Assembly of God Delano

Delano Evangelical Free Church Delano

Delano United Methodist Church Delano

Faith Community Church Independence

Light of Christ Lutheran Church Delano

Lyndale Lutheran Church Independence

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Watertown

Maple Plain Community Church Maple Plain

Montrose United Methodist Church Montrose

Our Father’s Lutheran Church Rockford

Riverwood Covenant Church Rockford

St. John’s Lutheran Church Howard Lake

St. Mary’s Catholic Church Waverly

St. Paul’s United Church of Christ Delano

St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church Loretto

Trinity Lutheran Church Watertown

Village Evangelical Free Church Independence

Watertown Evangelical Free Church Watertown

Donations and contributions are welcomed.

Call (763) 972-6547 for more information.