May/June 2017 Transforming lives In the Name of Christ through the church. A bi-monthly publication of Love In the Name of Christ—Muskegon County—2735 E. Apple Avenue Suite A L VE LETTERS Watch close for the “DOUBLE UP” days where you can get more bang for your buck! Meijer will donate $20.00 instead of the normal $10.00 match on Double up weekend. If you don’t want to shop or you don’t live by the N. Muskegon Holton Road Meijer, we would be happy to go for you. Just send Love INC a check with “Simply Give” on the memo line and on Double Up weekend, we will go and purchase the Simply Give cards for you. We have been chosen and we need your help! Meijer has been blessing local food pantries for the past 3 years with their Simply Give program. We have been the re- cipient numerous times but, being good stewards, they be- gan to share the program with others so we have not been chosen the last 4 rounds. Meijer selected Love INC for the next round from May 14 - June 18 at the N. Muskegon Holton Road Store. They then issued a challenge to raise more than $40,000.00 which is the top amount raised in the Muskegon area. During the past year we have spent $36,259.42 on food for our pantries. We have been blessed with the Meijer Simply Give program and the money that you raised over the first 5 years of the program which equaled $106,750.00. We are now OUT of Meijer Simply Give funds and need to replenish so we can continue to feed those that are hungry in our area. THANK YOU Northside Meijer!
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May/June 2017 Transforming lives In the Name of Christ through the church.
A bi-monthly publication of Love In the Name of Christ—Muskegon County—2735 E. Apple Avenue Suite A
L VE LETTERS
Watch close for the “DOUBLE UP” days where you can get more bang for your buck! Meijer will donate $20.00 instead of the normal $10.00 match on
Double up weekend.
If you don’t want to shop or you don’t live by the N. Muskegon Holton Road Meijer, we would be happy to go for you. Just send Love INC a check with
“Simply Give” on the memo line and on Double Up weekend, we will go and purchase the Simply Give cards for you.
We have been chosen and we need your help! Meijer has been blessing local food pantries for the past 3 years with their Simply Give program. We have been the re-cipient numerous times but, being good stewards, they be-gan to share the program with others so we have not been chosen the last 4 rounds.
Meijer selected Love INC for the next round from May 14 - June 18 at the N. Muskegon Holton Road Store. They then issued a challenge to raise more than $40,000.00 which is the top amount raised in the Muskegon area.
During the past year we have spent $36,259.42 on food for our pantries. We have been blessed with the Meijer Simply Give program and the money that you raised over the first 5 years of the program which equaled $106,750.00. We are now OUT of Meijer Simply Give funds and need to replenish so we can continue to feed those that are hungry in our area.
We are so blessed with the BEST volunteers around. They do not get THANKED enough for all they
do for our neighbors in need and our community. They are the unknown servants that give of their
time & talents to assist our neighbors who are trying to better their situation.
During 2016: 2956 families received food, 1091 families received personal care products, 368 babies
received items from our baby services, 284 families received items from our household pantry.
Our programming is flourishing and it’s because of the many volunteers that make this happen. From
teaching the classes to mentoring and coaching, they are working closely with our participants showing
them there is a better way, walking with them and guiding them. A core group of our participants are
now in leadership roles taking a leadership class with Melissa. Many of the volunteers working closely
with Melissa are class participants that have shown great initiative and wanting to do more to be
better connected with the mission of Love INC.
YOU are the greatest ambassadors for Love INC, we are always in need of more volunteers so we can
continue our mission of transforming lives in the name of Christ. Help us spread the word of the
great things that are happening to our participants as we wrap our services around them and their
situation. All the glory goes to God!
LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A HANDS-ON VOLUNTEER?
Project Ramp Season is here, and we are always looking for a few good
men and women to help in this vital ministry. The ramps are built in the
Spring, Summer, and Fall months - whenever we can get a crew on-site
together for a day or two.
If you have experience in the building trades industry, we can use your
expertise! Whether it’s drawing the prints, putting the prints in our CAD
software, reading prints, leading a crew, or being on the crew and
swinging a hammer, we can use you!
COMPANIES - Do you have community service projects to do? Call us!
We have a need for volunteers and donations, with 12 ramps already
waiting to be built this season.
YOU can give someone freedom!
Donate now using Mobile Cause.
Text RampItUp to 41444.
It’s that easy!
Love Letters May/June 2017
The following memorial donations were received in March & April:
In Memory of William Wikman, from Marilyn Wikman.
In Memory of Harold D. Garber, from Elaine Madison.
Thank you for thinking of Love INC as a way to honor your
loved one’s memory.
Love INC has been blessed with a generous $500
donation as a seed for a Baby Diaper Bank. Our
area parents are in need of help when it comes to
pampering the little ones’ bottoms! There is aid
for food and formula, but diapers aren’t covered
under food stamps or in area food pantries.
Won’t you consider donating to the Diaper Bank
to help it grow? Donations can be made with
diapers or a monetary donation (be sure to write
“Diaper Bank” in the Memo Line.)
Mommies, daddies, and babies will be so grateful!
Another amazing, and unexpected, blessing that
we receive at the Love INC office comes in the
form of an anonymous cash donation. As you see,
the envelope is typed, so there is no evidence of
handwriting to give away the donor’s identity, and
there is no return address. The donation is always
in cash, either $50 or $100 bills, and not less than
$250 at a time.
So, to our faithful, generous, anonymous donor -
THANK YOU, and God bless you. You are making
a difference in the lives of your neighbors!
Your donations make a difference! With your
help, Love INC offers hope and encouragement
of a better life to those in our program. Here are
a few of the things our Neighbors in Need say
about Love INC, and the change you help create:
“A community of people who help with my
family needs and the feeling of
belonging I get there.”
“There is some accountability, a hand up,
not just a hand out.
I love being able to EARN the points.”
“A chance to be self (sufficient).”
“Being able to buy food with points I earned.”
“The people and hearing about how God cares
about me, even though it is still hard
for me to believe.”
“Opportunity to grow and change.”
“New Image really helped me feel empowered
and better about my future.”
Thank you for being faithful supporters of
Love In the Name of Christ of Muskegon.
To everyone who has put this program together, thank you SO very much. I have four boys. It is so hard to make ends meet. This program has blessed me and my boys so
much, through education, community to meeting our needs. Thank you! God bless each of you!
Elizabeth
Love Letters May/June 2017
It’s teeing up to be a great relaxing day! Be sure to check out the letters that are included so you can sign up and support this great event. We have something for the golfer and non-golfer! Many crafter and vendors will be on site for their vendor fair, this free area to walk through, you can check out many of the new products out there in direct sales and home made crafts from some of our local artists. Join us Sunday, June 11, 2017—spread the word!
The Bike Barn
What a great ministry this is turning in to! Located in Fellowship Church, these gentleman takes bikes in the
worst condition and shine them back up to looking like new.
Items they are always in needs of:
Rags and Plastic Totes Nut, Bolts, Washers - we all have a junk drawer of these little gems! Any
type of bike accessories; helmets, tires, brake lines, seats, handle bars, etc...anything associated with a bike
will be wonderful.
Please drop off at Love INC and we will get them to the Bike Barn.
Thanks to Fellowship Church for
taking on this much needed ministry.
Love Letters May/June 2017
GAP Services
These are the services that fall through the cracks because there is no pantry or funding for these requests when they come through. This is why each Love INC is different, we take on the needs of our community. Right
now, these are the 3 greatest needs! Any help is greatly appreciated. If you are sending in a check, put the cause on the memo line so we know where
to apply your donation. You may also donate from your cell phone to Mobile Cause or you can donate on our website.
It has been brought to our attention that there are cancer patients out there that can’t afford the boost nutrition drink that they desperately need. A few we are working with eat from a feeding tube and all their food has to be blended. They are supposed to supplement their meals with Boost but cannot afford it. We have started a boost ministry, if you would like to support our cancer and diabetic patients along with our elderly friends, who are under the care of a doctor, you may drop off to our office on Apple Ave or send in a check with Boost on the memo line. Thank you for taking care of our friends!
Another great need and incentive are gas cards and bus passes. Our class participants are allowed to “purchase” things with the points that they earn and this is a nice perk to offer. We also have had numerous requests for gas cards for people who have been hired for employment but don’t have the gas to get to the job. This is a great blessing to have hidden away at the office when that desperate request comes in.
We have many people transitioning from homelessness, prisoners getting released from prison and fire victims having to start over. Many times, they have limited food assistance. This Box of Blessings gives them a one time blessing from our food bank where we make sure that they have the many pantry items they need to begin their new life. The box is filled with sugars, flour, oil, spices, seasonings, boxed food, personal care items, and many other special treats that they normally wouldn’t get from a regular food pantry visit.
Love Letters May/June 2017
DONATE ONLINE —
www.loveincofmuskegon.com
YOU make a difference in the lives of people in need.
Each need brought to Love INC represents an opportunity to connect with one of God’s children,
We always urge everyone to give to their home church first.
Love INC of Muskegon County 2735 E. Apple Ave. Suite A Muskegon, MI 49442 231-773-3448
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