Psalm 5:3 is a powerful reminder for why we pause and are grateful. When we “wait expectantly” for God to respond to our cries for help, we have seen hope delivered to over 800 families we served.
Turning cries for help into hope delivered is what we do. It’s more than meeting a physical need. Sometimes knowing you’re not alone in your pain gives a person that extra strength to keep on.
Compassion is contagious. We had a customer waiting in the checkout line behind a client getting provisions for their family at our partner Trending Upward Thrift Store. Moved by what the customer overheard and witnessed the customer interjected and offered to pay for extra provisions. The client family was overwhelmed as they now could afford Christmas gifts for their children.
Compassion is something we all can afford. It’s a moment of kindness, it’s a pause to be aware of need and respond. It’s setting asi sake of others. The Lov has been running with compassion at high RP year.
The distinguishing marks of Love INC are:
Christian compassion.
Delivery to client’s doorsteps. Meaningful relationships with clients.
Other elements that have made 2023 special to leverage Love INC to serve needs better has been:
Increased collaboration with partner agencies.
Increased engagement of current partner churches.
Grooming new church partners to join the Love INC partnership.
Increased donor engagement by new donors and increased giving by existing donors.
New partnership developed with Trending Upward Thrift store. Strong clergy leadership postured to bring hope and transformation to this community.
Without our church partners, volunteers, donors and staff the Love INC “engine” wouldn’t run at all. If compassion is our fuel, then it’s people who are the cylinders. We are looking forward to this year going from a small work truck to loud muscle car!
Al Norby Executive Director
Uniting the Faith Community to pool
Compassion and resources, delivering hope to neighbors in need.
Our Vision is to see lives transformed. We seek to be a meaningful community partner that creates collaborative infrastructure to compassionately gift people with daily essentials.
We seek to meet physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in Carver County, Minnesota. It’s the difference between offering a hand up, versus a hand out.
Love INC Carver County works diligently to nurture relationships within our communities to assist in identifying unmet needs that emerge.
Our Partner churches transform those unmet needs into tangible goods that are hand delivered with compassion, dignity and hope to the members of our community in need of these resources.
We also work as part of a greater network. which includes government agencies, schools and other nonprofits. They not only refer clients to us to access our services but also accept referrals from us. This helps ensure that the right level of care is given to each individual.
A call for help. A person in need calls or emails the Love INC Help Line and requests help.
Compassion. A Love INC staff or volunteer listens with care to identify all of the caller’s needs and determines how we can best provide care.
Hope. “Gap Ministries” are mobilized to deliver the needed living essentials we are able to provide directly to the clients.
Community. Love INC staff and volunteer's follow-up with clients to encourage, care and offer further support or referrals as needed.
From 2022 we took on 154% more new clients over the previous year, which equates to 151 new households. We had 53% maintenance growth.
From 2022 to 2023 we have added 193 new families which is a 182% growth We continued to maintain a 51% increase of families utilizing our services.
Looking forward to 2024, if we maintain the same pace we can look to take on an additional 247 households, serving a potential 1000 households over all.
Love INC is not a financial support organization. We help support our client families through everyday goods such as personal care items and cleaning supplies. In doing so we are able to save our client families on average 394 a year. This frees up funding for necessities such as electrical bills or food, or even the unexpected expenses even financially stable homes can find challenging to cover such as a furnace repair or medical bill.
$623,683
Revenue Partner Churches Donors & business sponsorship County Funding Fundraisers
$333,936
Product Value
Donated through the churches, private citizens and local businesses.
$434,880
Volunteerism Value Gap ministry Event Gaps FurniShare Store
Helpline
$583,653
Expenses
Costs associated with running the Helpline and FurniShare.
In 2023 Love INC of Carver County was able to return every revenue dollar back into the community at a return value of $1.23.
Expenses
Impact
Love INC of Carver County is a small but mighty organization with minimal paid staff. We contribute our success to the thousands of volunteer hours and donations that make what we do possible. We act as the bridge between those in our community with the means to give and those that need help. Together we create a sense of equality and belonging to all residents.
By filling the following needs, Love INC is able to deliver hope, compassion and a sense of belonging to Carver County residence
GAP MINISTRY
Baby Care
East: St. Hubert Catholic
West: Oakwood Community
Bike Ministry
Meadow Spring
Birthday Shelf
East: St Hubert Catholic Church
Build-A-Bed
Valley Evangelical Free
Cleaning Supplies
St Victoria
DETAILS
Once in a lifetime ministry for baby furniture.
Deliver bikes, helmets and locks to adults and children.
2023 IMPACT
27 Vouchers Filled 5,800 in product delivered.
Clothing
Promise Church
Trending Upward
Diaper Ministry
Living Christ
Lutheran
Furniture
East: FurniShare
West: Furniture Depot
Birthday gift and party fixings for children 1 - 16.
Wooden bunk beds made for children, including mattresses
Cleaning supplies available to families every other month.
Available every 3 months for families to shop instore.
Monthly supply of Diapers and wipes for each child in need
Once in a lifetime ministry for furniture.
$ $
$
31 Vouchers Filled 6,200 in product delivered.
628 Vouchers Filled 15,700 in product delivered
10 Vouchers Filled 3,000 in product delivered.
265 Vouchers Filled 9,275 in product delivered.
327 Vouchers Filled 3,960 in product delivered.
232 Packs of diapers 6,960 in product delivered.
118 Vouchers Filled 46,100 in product delivered.
Gas & Food Cards
Love INC
Supplying gas and food cards to qualified families.
Kitchen Ministry
Crown of Glory Lutheran
Loads of Love
East: St. Hubert Catholic Church
Linen Closet
Chaska Moravian Church
Mattress
East: FurniShare
West: Parkside Church
Personal Care
East: Mount Olivet Lutheran - West Campus
West: Trinity Lutheran
Towel Ministry
East: East Union Lutheran Church
Vacuum Ministry
Lake Auburn Moravian
Winter Wear
East: Discovery United Methodist
Once in a lifetime ministry for small appliances & kitchen supplies.
Monthly supply of laundry & dish products.
Once in a lifetime ministry that supplies bedding and pillows.
Once in a lifetime mattresses and bed frame if needed.
Monthly supply of personal care items.
Once in a lifetime supply of towel sets.
$ $ $ $ $ $
237 Vouchers Filled 7,860 in product delivered.
54 Vouchers Filled 12,150 in product delivered.
325 Vouchers Filled 11,375 in product delivered
52 Vouchers Filled 6,500 in product delivered.
16 Vouchers Filled 21,900 in product delivered
Once in a lifetime vacuum cleaner.
Once a year supply of winter wear
$ $ $
325 Vouchers Filled 27,785 in product delivered.
58 Vouchers 4,640 in product delivered.
46 Vouchers Filled 4,600 in product delivered.
46 Vouchers 14,720 in product delivered.
Several times through the year we host special events for our Love INC families These events help our families with extra expenses around the holidays and the new school year. It also allows us to share our Christian culture and values.
EVENT MINISTRY
Easter
East: Mount Olivet
Lutheran West
West: Faith Lutheran
School Supplies
East: Westwood
West: Trinity Lutheran
Thanksgiving
East: St. Victoria
West: St. Joseph
Christmas
East: Mount Olivet Lutheran West
West: Parkside
DETAILS
Supplying Easter baskets to children.
A shopping event for children to pick out backpacks and supplies.
Turkey and all the sides provided to prepare a Thanksgiving Meal
Gifts provided in a shopping event or through the wish list and delivery.
OUTCOME
75 Families
8,575 in product delivered.
552 Students
48,576 in product delivered.
300 Families
24,000 in product delivered.
772 Participants
$ $ $ $
32,960 in product delivered.
Love INC Carver County has partnered with 30+ churches in Carver County Through these partnerships we are able to supply products to our clients and offer faith-based community opportunities.
Chaska
Chaska Moravian Church, Christ Victorious Lutheran Church, Church of the Guardian Angels, Church on the Hill, Crown of Glory Lutheran Church, Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer, Meadow Spring Church, Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church, St John’s Lutheran Church, The River Alliance Church, Valley Evangelical Free Church, Westbrook Community Church
Chanhassen
Discovery United Methodist Church, Lakeside Covenant Church, Living Christ Lutheran Church, St Hubert Catholic Church, Trinity Hill Church, Westwood Community Church.
Carver
St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, East Union Lutheran Church
Cologne
West Union Lutheran Church
Victoria
Mount Olivet Lutheran Church - west campus, St. Victoria Catholic Church, Waterbrook Fellowship Church
Waconia
Faith Lutheran Church, Freshwater Church, Oakwood Community Church, Parkside Church, Promise Church, St. Joseph Catholic Community Church, Trinity Lutheran Church
We have a strong belief that working with other organizations within our community helps blanket our clients with support. This community wide support structure ensures that all members of the community get what they need in order to live a dignified life and feel that they are wanted. Our Helpline gives and takes referrals from other local organizations such as social workers, schools & local food shelves. Many local communitybased organizations such as the Rotary Club of Chanhassen and the Dandy Lions of Waconia help fundraise, make donations and host drives.
Jim
Bob Chatmas - Vice Chair
Paul Turek - Treasurer
Chuck Warta - Member
We
