Love INC hoping to expand its services
Love In the Name of Christ of Greater Holmes County needed a new home and found one next to the Love Center near Millersburg. While connecting with area churches has helped the organization grow quickly in its first four years, the next move will be to usher in the talents and possibilities of working with area businesses. There will be a breakfast titled Partnering in the Marketplace on June 11.
Since its inception four years ago, Love INC has generated a relationship with many area churches, which has allowed it to reach out into the community throughout the Greater Holmes County area.
Love INC has been able to connect with area families who needed guidance and direction in creating a better life for themselves.
With that goal in mind, Love INC is now preparing to take another step in its evolution with its upcoming Partnering in the Marketplace gathering on June 11.
Partnering in the Marketplace is an invitation to area business owners and community leaders to join in the mission of Love INC to make better lives for families in need of financial and emotional support.
The event will be a breakfast at Comfort Suites in Berlin in the conference center from 7-8:15 a.m. Love INC has partnered with ProVia, Troyer Country Market, Comfort Suites, Keim Lumber and AloNovus in developing the event, and those businesses also have committed to the larger picture of seeing Love INC continue to grow to meet its full potential.
While the event is free, Love INC is asking those wishing to attend RSVP by Wednesday, June 5 by calling 330-473-6017 or emailing loveincofghc@gmail.com so a count may be obtained.
The event will be for networking, learning about opportunities for businesses through Love INC, addressing local needs and how people can help others in need.
A number of area business partners will share their testimonies of their connection with Love INC and how giving to others benefits everyone.
Love INC board member David Miller was attending a national meeting and heard about how one community is working with businesses to create opportunities. He said he knew immediately this area was perfect for that type of connection.
“The marketplace here has already been involved to a certain extent, but we have a chance to learn from others and to take Love INC to the next level through connecting with the marketplace,” Miller said.
For more than four years, Love INC has made its mantra “mobilizing the local church to transform lives and communities.” The hope is that those words will now be expanded to include area businesses that have captured the Love INC vision.
“When individuals catch the vision of what we have going on at Love INC and then take it back into their workplace, they can create an opportunity for the entire business to make an impact on the community,” said Vicki Conn, Love INC executive director.
Conn shared the Love INC story and dreams of the future with people at recent symposium in New hiladelphia hosted by ProVia.
“I think that opened up a lot of people’s eyes as to what we are doing and how they can help, and it generated some excitement about how they can help make an impact,” Conn said. “It also created an avenue for us to share the many needs in our area, and this breakfast is a way of continuing that ongoing discussion as to how business people and businesses can play a big role in bettering family’s lives.”
Conn said the transition to working with Christian businesses is an obvious next step in the growth of Love INC. She noted having people take their Christian walk into the workplace is natural, and with so many businesses around the area being faith-based, the opportunities to reach out and connect with community families in meaningful ways are many.
She said one of the reasons they are putting forth the breakfast is they believe business people will bring some new perspective and new ideas into how Love INC can make an impact in greater Holmes County.
“It’s about community development and bringing our resources and ideas together,” Conn said. “God has been stirring us to go deeper and deeper into our community. Our hope through this is that it sparks ideas on how businesses can use their assets, abilities and skills to further God’s kingdom.”
While people can use the breakfast to network and share ideas, one of the key moments will be from 7:31-7:46 a.m. when there will be a presentation from Love INC in which they will share their vision and hopes of the future on how those in the marketplace can make a difference in people’s lives.
“Marketplace persons are busy, and our reception is designed to allow them to stop on their way to work but hopefully not miss that presentation,” Miller said. “I know that so many persons and businesses in our local marketplace affirm the values of the church, and they’re involved in ministries themselves.”
Miller said a primary example is providing meaningful and sustaining employment. He said this is a form of ministry, saying one of the purposes of Love INC is to prepare and support individuals so they can become good employees.
“Businesses and individuals have been generous donors over our four years of operation,” Miller said. “But we envision increased collaboration with marketplace services and support to enhance the hands-up rather than the hand-out approach of Love INC.”
Miller said this marketplace reception is another way to say thank you to the many businesses that have been a positive influence on Love INC and its clients and have helped Love INC grow beyond what Conn ever imagined it could be in its early stages.