A Graduate Connects
During the holiday season, we received many calls from neighbors looking for assistance in various ways. But, we also received a lot of calls from neighbors looking to serve in their community. In one day, Love INC was able to be a part of four distinct connections between neighbors.
One specific need was a mother looking for assistance with clothing and food for her family and Christmas gifts for her 2-year-old and 4-year-old kids.
Love INC was able to provide food and clothing through the food pantry and resale shoppes, but since our Community Christmas event had passed, Christmas gifts were more challenging to assist with.
Not more than 30 minutes after this mother left our office, a graduate of Love INC’s Life Skills Program called and wanted to donate toys for a 4-year-old. She was moved by how much the Life Skills Program transformed her life and wanted to give back. It was a blessing for her to be able to give back to the program that gave her so much, and to the mother who needed Christmas gifts for her kids.
A Family Connects
Just before Christmas, we received a call from a woman who was living with her daughter and three grandchildren. One of the children was only one month old, born prematurely and still in the hospital.
Facing financial hardships, she reached out to many places for assistance with Christmas gifts before Love INC but was unsuccessful. The same day she called us, we connected with a man who was looking for families to bless during the holidays. In the past few years, he had delivered gifts and food to the homeless in downtown Grand Rapids. Due to his current health conditions, including chemotherapy treatment and COVID-19, he was unable to make the trip to Grand Rapids.
This gentleman used Love INC as his connection to bless his community.
The day before Christmas Eve, he was able to bless the grandmother with a special gift for each of her family members. Love INC connects.
A Local Church Connects
We always hope to involve the local church in all that we do, because of their eagerness and deep desire to partner together to love their neighbors well. This is so evident with one specific church community.
In November, we received a call from a Hospice Care nurse who was inquiring about resources for her client. Her client was dying of cancer and her teenage daughter was trying to take care of expenses but had recently lost her job. We connected the family with a local church, who was able to meet the family in person. The church delivered a Thanksgiving meal and provided a Christmas tree and all the decorations, all while forming a genuine relationship. Love INC was able to come alongside them both and provide Christmas gifts and a meal for the church to deliver.
The church continues to walk alongside this family and the nurse that reached out on their behalf, because of the courage to reach out for help and the courage to say yes.
