Lots of organizations give “stuff”. Very few organizations are bringing caring, loving, trained Christians alongside individuals whose most basic need is for someone to love them and to ultimately share Christ with them.

The role of Love INC is not to replace the Church but to help churches distribute their skills, gifts, resources, and love to communities in need – In the Name of Christ.

Please meet Beth, through the words of the Clearinghouse Coordinator. Beth’s story is one where you will see the beauty of how the local Church coming together to invest in one person has made a world of difference in her life.

When you work with a client long enough, they become like family. That’s how it is with the client I’m going to tell you about today.

When I started training in the Clearinghouse, Beth was the first call I made. It was a follow-up call for going to the Personal Care Ministry at Faith Presbyterian Church. We spoke for about 45 minutes. She was grateful for all she had gotten, but then went on to complain about multiple things in her life and the things she didn’t get from us.

This pattern continued month after month, for a long time.

As we formed a relationship with her, we began to notice changes. She started attending the Transformational Ministry classes (which eventually turned into Journey INC) we offered online due to the pandemic in 2020 and she started getting to know people in those classes. The classes had a lasting impression on her. By attending Boundaries, she started putting boundaries in her life with her adult children and others. She also learned to respect other people’s boundaries.

With Putting Your Past In Its Place, she started healing from past hurts and realizing that her actions affect those around her and vice versa. She started having the conversations with her family that she needed to.

Because of Faith and Finances, she started making smarter financial decisions. Since she took that class in 2021, she has not taken one payday loan. She used to get one at least a couple times a year just to be able to pay her bills. She started paying her property taxes quarterly so she wouldn’t get stuck with a high bill.

Beth is on disability and doesn’t have much left over each month. She has back problems and can’t work too much because of that. After learning better financial practices, she began to work to build savings. She got part time jobs here and there as she could. She also sold items she didn’t need anymore to bring in more income. She was able to use her savings when a few health emergencies came up, instead of asking for help.

Recently however, Beth ran into a situation she could not handle on her own and she called Love INC. Her septic tank was full and she couldn’t flush her toilet. The only money she had was what she saved for her property tax and she really didn’t want to dip into that. She still had to pay her electric bill too. She didn’t know what to do.

Thanks to the generosity of Love INC’s donors and churches (that’s YOU!) Beth was able to get her septic emptied, which was a huge stress relief. She called to express her thanks and tell us how good God is. Because not only did you help her, she was also able to sell a few more items and pay her electric bill.

When I called Beth for her permission to share her story with you, I asked if she had anything she wanted to communicate to those who made all of this possible in her life. She said, “You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. I struggled to ask for help for a long time, and was afraid to admit I couldn’t do it by myself. God is there and you are not alone.” She added, “I am grateful for the challenges in my life because otherwise I wouldn’t be a happy person. I’d be bored.”

Sometimes Beth still feels down and needs some encouragement. That’s when she goes to the Personal Care Ministry at Faith Presbyterian Church. Even more than the stuff she gets, she just needs a smile and a hug from the ladies there.

Over the last six years, Beth’s life has been touched by volunteers from First Presbyterian Church of Wildwood, North Lake Presbyterian Church, Fairway Christian Church, Faith Presbyterian Church, Grace Tabernacle, First Baptist Church at The Villages, Tri County Baptist Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, and Hope Lutheran Church. She has received help from the Furniture and Appliance Ministry and the Personal Care Ministry at Faith Presbyterian Church. She has worked steadily with staff members and volunteers alike who listened, loved her, and walked alongside her.

God has truly been working in Beth’s life. In the four years I’ve been in the Clearinghouse, I’ve seen her go from a very negative and depressed person to someone who has joy. She still struggles, but she’s continuously seeking to better her life. She wants to draw closer to God and is starting to form that relationship. I’m hoping she will start going to church soon, so she can experience the joy of being a part of the Church in an even deeper way.