Love INC-- Helping churches help people

YAKIMA, Wash. -- With pencils, paper, pens and book bags, they're spreading the word of the Lord.

That word is being coordinated by a Christian nonprofit organization in Yakima whose mission is to help churches help people.

Love INC (Love In the Name of Christ) is a clearinghouse of local churches, ministries and agencies. It helps pool resources, screen clients and link people in need to places that can provide services.

"Our whole mission is to mobilize churches to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ," said Dawn Golladay, executive director of Love INC's local chapter.

There are short-range goals -- making sure a family has food or distributing school supplies to needy children at the beginning of the school year -- and long range ones-- not only filling a pressing void but also helping people progress out of poverty situations.

The idea is that one church by itself can't deal with all the multifacets of poverty. When churches work together across denominations, community needs can be better met, Golladay explained.

This is how it works: people in need -- clients -- are referred by churches, social agencies or case workers. Next, clients telephone Love INC to explain what they need, whether it's blankets, children's clothing, shoes or gas for the car.

Love INC volunteers -- about 20 rotate shifts --take the information, then a staff member (the local office has Golladay and a half-time employee) researches to see if the need is legitimate. If it is, the client is referred to a social agency, food bank, church, medical clinic or wherever the need can be met.

"We hope this leads to a personal relation with Jesus," Golladay explained." The volunteer asks, 'Can we pray with you about your situation?'"

Whether the client is affiliated with a church or not-- and the majority aren't, according to Golladay -- Love INC will help. "We give to anyone," she emphasized. "If you close that door, how are you going to share God's love?"

Freda Mitchell volunteers at Love INC two mornings a week. "It's my way of contributing and being able to serve the Lord," she said.

The most common request Mitchell fields is from people needing furniture, she said.

Founded in 1977 and based in Minneapolis, Love INC has 150 affiliates in 30 states. Washington has 11 and Wenatchee is the only other site in Eastern Washington. Together, they help more than 1 million people in need each year through more than 9,000 partner churches.

The local office opened in November 2007, with Golladay, who is 63, becoming executive director a year later. In the last two years, Love INC has aided 2,000 families in Yakima and the Upper Valley.

Golladay pointed out that need is high throughout the area. For instance, in Yakima County, 28 percent of children under age 18 live below the federal poverty level, which for a family of four is about $22,000. That's nearly double the statewide rate of 15 percent.

Homelessness is also a factor in poverty. Earlier this year, a survey identified 1,191 homeless people living in the county.

Nearly 40 churches partner with Love INC, sponsor ministries or help with funds. Some of the ministries set up through Love INC address personal hygiene, where toiletries are given to people in need; linens, where bedding is distributed; baby supplies and family clothing for cold weather. Love INC also helps coordinate volunteers for the extreme weather shelters in the winter.

The organization is governed by a seven-member board of directors representing different local Christian churches; its $60,000 budget is funded entirely by donation. "We rely totally on churches," said Golladay. "We receive no government or state money."

Love INC helps coordinate a free school-supplies distribution to needy children. Interested churches give out the supplies to children who live nearby as the school year begins.

Members of Bethel Church of the Nazarene on Mead Avenue have distributed school supplies for the past two summers. Last week, they gave away 200 backpacks filled with pens, pencils and paper to children during a church carnival.

"We're trying to reach out to neighborhood children," explained the Rev. Jason Johnston of Bethel Nazarene.

Although much effort and energy goes into fighting poverty in Yakima, there still are many unmet needs, Golladay lamented.

For instance, Love INC doesn't help people pay rent or utility bills. They refer people to other agencies for that assistance.

Beyond that, the biggest, hard-to-fill need is for laundry and cleaning supplies because they can't be purchased with food stamps, Golladay said.

So Love INC volunteers have come up with a recipe for making detergent. Bags of the homemade detergent, with the recipe written on it, will be given out to clients.

Requests for children's beds also exceed the supply. "It breaks my heart that so many kids in the Valley sleep on the floor," Golladay said.

An integral part of Love INC's function is to verify that the person seeking help genuinely needs it. That takes research and time. Because of those constraints, Love INC is not an immediate emergency resource.

"If someone calls and says they're out of gas and needs it in an hour, we can't help," Golladay explained. "It takes us one or two days to verify."

Volunteers ask the client's permission before any verification begins. If the person is fabricating a story, that often comes out at that point.

To determine the veracity of what the person says, a staff member telephones landlords, employers or other agencies to get more information.

A common scam is for someone to say he or she needs money for a bus ticket to travel to a relative's out-of-state funeral. To check on the story, the Love INC staff member calls the funeral home.

Golladay said that because Love INC meticulously verifies people's requests, the agency has developed a solid reputation in town for determining genuine need.

Carrie Martin, a part-time employee at Love INC, noted, "Those people we can help, the ones who are legitimate, it's very rewarding."

Golladay has her sights set on developing more partnerships with churches as well as establishing a "relational ministry" to help people in chronic need make lasting changes in their lives. That would involve training church members to mentor people in need and setting up training programs on skill building, such as budgeting, growing a garden or developing spiritual support.

"We're aiming for that. That's where the transformation in lives comes," she noted. "The need to help people in poverty is widespread."

* Jane Gargas can be reached at 509-577-7690 or jgargas@yakimaherald.com.

Love INC

WHO: Love INC (Love In the Name of Christ)

WHAT: Works together with churches across denominations to meet needs of people in poverty

WHEN: Volunteers field telephone requests at 509-453-0214 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

WHERE: Suite C, 402 W. Washington Ave.

ALSO: Love INC National President Robert Odom will be the guest speaker at the organization's annual banquet, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18, at West Valley Church of the Nazarene, 7109 West Nob Hill Blvd, Yakima.

For reservations, more information or to donate to Love INC: call 509-453-2942 or go to loveincyakima.org.