Love of Staunton Waynesboro and Augusta

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS - Church Relations & Development Our primary ministry focus is to mobilize churches to change lives and communities. To be certain we are fulfilling and expanding that focus we must periodically meet with area pastors and churches for feedback from partnering churches and to establish relationships with non-partnering churches, encouraging them to become partnering churches. During 2023, we made 17 presentations of the ministries of Love INC to church congregations and 6 presentations to other community organizations. These presentations are opportunities to educate even more people about our ministries and how they impact our communities.Community Missions This activity is a natural extension of our work to mobilize churches and to provide opportunities for church members to become actively involved in local missions work. The Director of Relational Ministries intentionally works with churches, both partnering and non-partnering, to set up such mission opportunities, generally based on needs within the ministry and on the types of volunteers coming from each specific church, such as age, physical abilities, experience, etc. Because of these volunteer teams, Love INC is able to expand activities, better organize our Donation Center, and other similar service improvements. During 2023 we were blessed with 9 such teams, providing services in both of our stores and in the Donation Center. Approximately 21 students and 14 adults participated in volunteer activities such as painting, building shelves, sorting clothes, delivering products to neighbors in need, cleaning large and small kitchen appliances, vacuuming sofas and chairs, cleaning wooden furniture, organizing donated products, cleaning vehicles that are donated to neighbors in need, and putting together products to be given to neighbors on a voucher basis. This aspect of our Community Missions activity also provided staff with opportunities to model Christian living while working with the participants. Also falling into this program is our relationship with the Community Service program of the local courts systems. During 2023 we accepted 15 people from this program who performed a total of 425 hours of community service through this Love INC ministry.

CHANGE YOUR LIFE CLASS - Through this program, participants have the opportunity to earn vouchers redeemable at specific locations for a variety of products and services, including gas for vehicles, haircuts, oil changes, paper products, personal hygiene products, and more. These essential items help meet basic needs and alleviate financial burdens, empowering participants to focus on their personal development and well-being.Within Love INC we have embarked on an innovative initiative to offer classes with rolling enrollment, providing greater flexibility and more opportunities for individuals to engage in our programs. We have observed a significant increase in engagement and retention rates among participants. In 2023 there were twenty classes offered during the three sessions with a total enrollment of sixty six during the year. Through careful evaluation and feedback mechanisms, we have been able to measure the impact of offering classes with rolling enrollment. Quantitative data, such as enrollment numbers and participant retention rates, indicate a clear positive trend, highlighting the effectiveness of this approach in meeting the needs of our community. Additionally, qualitative feedback from participants underscores the value and appreciation for the flexibility and accessibility afforded by our programs. The implementation of rolling enrollment for our classes represents a pivotal step forward in our mission to serve and empower individuals within our community. By prioritizing flexibility, accessibility, and personalized learning experience. We remain committed to continuously refining and expanding our programs to better meet the evolving needs of our community and further our mission of Mobilizing the church through love, compassion, and transformation.

THRIFT STORES - We operated two retail stores. Both Thrift Stores play a crucial role in providing a significant revenue stream to support all of our ministry efforts. Through the sale of donated items, these stores generate funds that enable us to carry out various outreach programs, support individuals and families in need, and advance our mission of compassion and care.