2010 Annual Report Help for Today; Hope for Tomorrow. Love In the Name of Christ of Eastern Carver County

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1 2010 Annual Report Help for Today; Hope for Tomorrow Love In the Name of Christ of Eastern Carver County

2 From the Executive Director.. Love INC of Eastern Carver County experienced a fulfilling year in We continued to rejoice in keeping our focus squarely on being the hands and feet of Christ in our community. We provided a record number of opportunities for volunteers from the 20 partner churches to reach out in practical ways, and show love to our neighbors in need. I want to recognize and say thank you to the following who helped make this such a successful year: Our hundreds of caring volunteers Many who donate products throughout the year Those who provide financial support Our partner churches that work in close collaboration Our pastors who truly believe in and support this ministry 2010 was certainly a year of growth at Love INC. Not so much growth in new ministries, but rather using our established Gap Ministry infrastructure to meet needs more efficiently : FurniShare more than doubled in growth this year, helping createhomes for hundreds of people C.A.R.E. (Community Auto Repair Effort) a partnership with Lehman s Garage and Bobby & Steve s Auto World expanded to continue helping people gain reliable transportation allowing them to get and keep jobs The Bike Shop provides a fun and healthy activity for kids and necessary transportation for some adults All other Gap Ministries have also grown, a number of them more than doubling in volume. That represents hundreds of tubes of toothpaste, jugs of laundry detergent, new sets of bedding, rides to the doctor, and thousands of diapers (!), each one faithfully donated and provided with love Enjoy reading through this Annual Report and celebrate the work God is doing in our community. Sincerely,

3 Love INC Service Ministries as of One goal of Love INC is to provide opportunities for individuals to reach out and help their neighbors in practical ways. The goal is to have every church in the community be involved inmeeting peoples needs. That can be done by: Hosting a gap ministry Joining with other churches to support their gap ministry Service Ministry Wheels of Hope Providing rides to doctor visits, food shelf, and other important appointments in the community Who is Responsible Individuals from several area churches Managing Your Money 8-week class on personal finance to help people make changes for the long Community Church Saturday Connection Serving residents of WayburyApartments in Chaska one Saturday a month helping with chores, sharing lunch and building relationships Employment Assistance Personal coaches to assist individuals with job searching resume preparation, interview skills and networking Community Thanksgiving Dinner Volunteers from many Love INC churches welcome individuals andfamilies to a festive Thanksgiving Sonshine Ministry With love & prayer, personal cards and care baskets are sent tofamilies in need to offer encouragement C.A.R.E. Community Auto Repair Effort Assisting with critical auto needs. We would welcome additional local partners to join this effort. Individuals from several area Angels Catholic Johns Lutheran Olivet Lutheran Church by Lehman s Garage, Bobby & Steve s Auto World

4 Love INC Gift Ministries as of Kitchen Essentials Plates, cups, silverware, cookware The River Church Personal Care With Love Soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc. Bethel Fellowship Church Build-a-Bed Single beds and bunk beds Valley Evangelical Free Church The School Locker Outerwear and school supplies for kids Discovery United Methodist Church FurniShare all Love INC partner churches Providing used furniture & appliances Clean Sweep Household cleaning supplies St. Victoria Catholic Church The Linen Closet Blankets, sheets, pillows, towels Chaska Moravian Church Clean the Clothes & Dishes Waterbrooke Fellowship Church Laundry detergent and dish soap Baby Sleep & Ride Car seats and cribs St. Hubert Catholic Church The Birthday Shelf Birthday party supplies & small birthday gifts St. Hubert Catholic Church Baby Diaper Ministry Living Christ Lutheran Church Diapers and baby wipes Clothing and More Blessed Bee Thrift Store, partner Clothing, household goods, gift cards for gas and groceries

5 New and Expanded Ministries New Bed Building Ministry is Launched Donations of twin beds had not been keeping pace with the growing demand for beds from our FurniShare ministry so Valley Evangelical Free Church decided to do something about it. They decided to put their hearts, minds and hands together and launched Love INC's newest ministry, Build a Bed. Coming up with a suitable design that provided ease of construction, low cost, and safety was the first challenge. But, thanks to ingenuity, perseverance, and skill they now have plans that work well. In mid-december a crew of men and women gathered to build 4 sets of bunk beds and 6 twin beds. Donated mattresses were added, and blankets and sheets were provided from Love INC's Linen Closet ministry at Chaska Moravian Church. It's exciting to see members of our partner churches reaching out and using their talents to love people in the name of Christ. New Partner Enables Expansion of C.A.R.E. Ministry Reliable transportation is one of the most challenging needs for many of the people we serve. Lehman s Garage has been our partner in this ministry since 2009, providing free labor for car repairs. In a real answer to prayer, Bobby and Steve s Auto World joined us this year to provide additional support. Funds raised at our Giving Hope banquet allow us to assist families to get car repairs at a much reduced price.

6 The FurniShare Story Begins 2008: Realization that furniture was urgent need and the biggest gap in our area Many displaced from homes needed both furniture and assistance moving Do you take furniture donations? Numerous calls came in each week wanting to donate furniture Started meeting needs by volunteers using personal vehicles to pick up and deliver items same day 2009: Need for expansion of FurniShare program accelerates Economic situation worsens, and as word gets out about FurniShare, donations and requests for assistance both increase Vision launched to obtain truck for the ministry Chanhassen Rotary Gala raised $20,000 to fund purchase of truck Teams are organized to do multiple pickups and deliveries in a day, but needing to do same-day donations limits service Vision launched for Warehouse/Storage space to receive and stage furniture

7 The FurniShare Story Continues 2010: Warehouse Opens Gracious donation of warehouse space in Chanhassen provided by Exlar Corporation With increased capacity dedicated management is needed Volunteer Warehouse Coordinator comes on board 30+ hours/week: Marilyn Cornman Assesses needs, manages inventory, schedules pick-ups and deliveries Marilyn Cornman, working with some of her more than 50 regular volunteers

8 FurniShare Blesses Our Neighbors Initially, 4 churches provided a moving team one Saturday/month St. Victoria Catholic Church, Valley Evangelical Free Church, St. Johns Lutheran Church, Westwood Community Church To meet the increased need, volunteers are now recruited from across the Love INC church network In 2010, volunteers delivered furniture to 293 families Some funds raised from our Giving Hope Banquet were used to purchase an enclosed trailer that will allow us to expand the ministry

9 The Bike Shop Love INC partners with A Better Society to sponsor the Bike Shop, which provides refurbished bikes, along with helmets and locks to children, youth and adults Families hit hard by our current economy were invited to call Love INC and request an appointment to get a bike! On May 22, Love INC combined with A Better Society and Westwood Community Church to hold a Bike Day 47 children and adults received bikes More than 40 volunteers assisted with fixing and fitting bikes. A local business, Stafford Family Realtors, generously donated proceeds from a recent fundraiser that enabled us to provide helmets as well More than 30 additional people requested bikes, so a second BikeDay was held on June 19 th

10 Fundraising Events LOVE Banquet February 11, 2010 Pastor Joel Johnson volunteered to spearhead a committee to plan the firstever event and committed Westwood Community Church to host banquet Theme: LOVE! Food catered by BUCA de Bepo, served by more than 75 youth volunteers from partner churches Program included music by Joel Hansen, comedy and inspirational message by Bob Stromberg of Triple Expresso Churches recruited Table sponsors and invited friends Total attendees: 225 Goal of raising $25,000 was set; response of $34,295 received Many unfamiliar with the work of Love INC became new friends, equipped to spread our message to their own churches and circles of friends

11 Giving Hope Banquet Fundraising Events November 12, 2010 Board of Directors hosted the event at the new clubhouse of Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska Food was catered by Hazeltine More than 260 people attended, including 17 pastors

12 2010 Giving Hope Banquet Music by Sarah Renner and Elements lifted us up with their unique blend of jazz, soul, and gospel music, and her message of enduring hope Speaker: Irv Cross, former NFL player and Executive Director, Love INC of Roseville, shared his personal story about the power of encouragement and love More than $70,000 was donated, including $5,000 from a Silent Auction

13 Reaching Out through Community Events Praise Festival and Chaska River City Days More than 500 people attended Love INC s first Praise Festival and Community Breakfast on Sunday, July 25 th. Praise bands from 7 churches played on an outdoor stage for 3 ½hours as breakfast was served by more than 70 volunteers Prayer Breakfast On Thursday, May 6 th, more than 150 people from throughout our community gathered atthe Chaska Community Center for fellowship, prayer and inspiration Music was provided by partner churches and Southwest Christian High School; Prayer was led by five of our community pastors John Crudele inspired us to be used as God s instruments to bring hope and love

14 Reaching Out through Community Events Workout and Turkey Dinner Deliveries 50 people came to St Johns Church the Saturday before Thanksgiving to get in a workout, donate a turkey, or pack and deliver groceries to fix a full Thanksgiving dinner for neighbors in need. Thanksgiving Dinner Love INC sponsored a Community Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by St. Johns Lutheran Church. Over 300 people were served, including 100 volunteers. All expenses for the dinner were covered by donations. Christmas Dinner and Gifts Volunteers gathered at Westwood Community Church and Valley Evangelical Free Church to package, wrap and deliver Christmas Dinner and small gifts for 114 local families. A Christmas CD and a blessing prayer was included for each family.

15 Making a Difference in 2010

16 From the Executive Director and the Board OurBoard of Directorsexists to give direction to the activities of Love INC and ensures the good stewardship of the gifts we have been entrusted with to fulfill our mission. We are grateful for the dedicated individuals who serve us in this capacity. Goals established by the Love INC ECC Board of Directors at the end of2009 provided focus for the year. I am thrilled and humbled to report what we accomplished in these areas: Goal 1: All of our churches will support a GAP ministry At the beginning of the year, 14 out of our 18 partner churches hosted or provided support to a gap ministry By the end of 2010, 15 of our 20 churches participated with gap ministries New partner churches are considering commitments for the future Goal 2: Implement a plan to assure Love INC s long-term financial stability We held two successful fundraising events that established a foundation we can build on in future years Funds raised allowed us to reach $100,000 in assets to provide a prudent operating reserve Individuals continue to provide our greatest source of financialsupport, including key donors who gave more than $5,000 during the year Partner churches increased their budgeted and regular giving that supports our ongoing operational expenses 5 businesses and service organizations became new supporters of Love INC Goal 3: Develop and implement a Love INC communication plan aimed at the community in general as well as families in need Publication of an e-newsletter was initiated, with bi-monthly issues throughout the year Online registration capability was created for events, increasing convenience for participants and enabling receipt of electronic payments Customized brochures and communication vehicles were developed for targeted groups to communicate our message in relevant and meaningful ways Presentations were given to a variety of business and community organizations A professional quality video was produced that is being used to share the vision of Love INC Goal 4: Engage youth of the community in significant ways in which they have ownership Youth groups from multiple churches have participated in single day Love INC projects Student members from Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) participated in service projects Individual students from various high schools in our service area have been involved in service opportunities

17 Gifts Received and Used 2010 Revenue TOTAL REVENUE $196, Expenses TOTAL EXPENSES $141,984 INCREASE IN NET ASSETS $54,565

18 Partner Churches as of Dec Chanhassen Bethel Fellowship Church Discovery United Methodist Church Iglesia Ministerios Renacer Living Christ Lutheran Church St. Hubert Catholic Church Westwood Community Church Victoria Lake Auburn Moravian Church Mount Olivet Lutheran Church St. Victoria Catholic Church Waterbrooke Fellowship Church Chaska Chaska Moravian Church Guardian Angels Catholic Church Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer New Life Assembly of God River Alliance Church Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church Valley Evangelical Free Church St. Johns Lutheran Church Carver St. Nicholas Catholic Church West Union Lutheran Church Board of Directors: Chair Bob Roepke, Jeff Burzinski, Sarah Carlson, Sue Edwards, Mike Fahey, Mike Fortner, Joe Hoppe, Paul Karpinko, Mary Montieth, Dave Pokorney, Greg Snow, Russ St. John Staff: Doug Peterson, Executive Director Mary Morley, Clearinghouse Coordinator Love INC of Eastern Carver County 1600 Bavaria Rd., Chaska, MN (952)