We wanted to wrap up our 40 stories by asking you this: Will you join the neighborhood? However you choose, will you stay connected to Love Your Neighbor and find a way to give back? Maybe you refer a family to our Life Skills Program. Maybe you donate or purchase...
As Christians, many of us grew up learning the parable story, The Good Samaritan. If we had to quickly recount the main lesson out of this story it would probably be something like, “be a good neighbor” or “be nice to others.” This is an easy lesson to agree with,...
Recently, a Life Skills Leader shared her journey with someone who joined the Life Skills Program. “Dallas called in January while living in his truck. He parks in various places in Grandville and sometimes rents hotel rooms. His boss told him to call Love Your...
Jon and Kerrie were looking for a way to serve that would make an impact. “We first got involved with Love Your Neighbor because we were searching for a way to give back locally to help combat poverty in a Christ-focused way. Love Your Neighbor was the clear winner....
Dear Love, How can I begin to thank you for the gifts you have given my family? Maybe if you knew a little about us you might see all that you have done. My husband and I met in high school and through rough times and celebrations we married at the end of college. We...
I heard about the Life Skills Program through Habitat for Humanity. They suggested I join this program to help me budget my money and to be able to afford a house of my own. So I did. After a long journey with Habitat, I didn't end up getting the house. But they...
I think God has a sense of humor. After 4 years of college and 4 years of teaching, I found myself working part-time at Love in the summer months for some extra income before my first baby arrived. (I had never even thought about working in non-profit). I was tasked...
First in, last out. That’s what I think about when I think of Jason DeJongh. He was Director of Operations but that title doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of his contribution to the ministry of Love Your Neighbor. When I began in 2014 as the...
Cindy was experiencing heartache and a lack of community in her own life when she got connected to Love Your Neighbor. As a retired teacher, she used the skills she had and taught one 4-week class at the Tuesday night program in Grandville, close to where she lives....
Jon has been a volunteer with Love's Life Skills Program for more than 20 years. 20 years! The Life Skills Program can only function with dedicated volunteers who are willing to help with childcare, meals, classes and peer supports (walking alongside others...
Diligence. Careful and persistent work or effort. Similar: attentiveness, perseverance, earnestness, tenacity, zeal, dedication, commitment, care. If you’ve taken a tour at Love Your Neighbor or witnessed the inner workings of campus, you may have recognized this...
One of the ways that psychologists measure emotional and mental health is called the 5-factor model of personality. Along with DISC and StrengthsFinders and the Meyers-Briggs, this test finds a way to quantify what makes up someone’s personality. For...
Genesis 1:27 says “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” I love this verse for two reasons: It shows that we (ALL of us) were created in the image of God, and that God created us...
At the end of 2020, our leadership team got together and reflected on what values we see being lived out through Love Your Neighbor. A common value we see lived out is collaboration. Working together, we value every contribution. We thought about...
Jer Swigart & Jon Huckins state in their book Mending the Divides “peacemaking isn’t a reaction to conflict; it’s a way of life. That said, conflict is an everyday reality that requires everyday peace… Our discipleship invitation is to be everyday...