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George
We received a call from *George who was helped by Love INC’s firewood ministry previously. He is disabled and lives on a small, fixed income. He shares a home with another gentleman who is also disabled and they had struggling to keep up with heating costs and had already been helped by Energy Assistance to pay off a delinquent electricity bill. We were able to provide George (and his roommate) with a cord of wood the heat the home.
Getting moved
We received a call from a woman who was moving into hospice and needed our help. She had no money to pay for movers and was in great distress over the situation. Love INC was able to round up five volunteers from four different churches to help her with the move and to ease her mind. She received a bible from the movers and one also assisted here at her new residence organizing her room..
John and Judy
John and Judy heard about us from their church. They moved here from out of state after making a bad real estate deal and John losing his job. They are homeless but found some temporary housing through a Portland pilot project. The initial request was help finding a job. Our intake volunteer was able to refer them to partner church Lake Grove Presbyterian Church and their job counseling program. We also referred them on to a volunteer from Mt. Park Church who will help them with the Love INC budget counseling program. With help from these volunteers and programs, we pray that John and Judy will soon be rebuilding their lives.
Help Reading
A caseworker referred a 96 year old woman who is partially blind to Love INC for help relocating a viewer to her new home. Volunteer Del Hildreth was able to pick up the viewer and deliver it to her. She can now enjoy a little reading.
Ron
After being referred by Clackamas County Adult Protective Services, Ron called us for help with moving. He is a 78 and lives on Social Security benefits while trying to start up a golf supply business. He is moving because he has been harassed and physically beaten by people in his area. We were able to locate two volunteers to assist him with packing up his belongings.
Oregon City Manor
We received a call from an employee from Oregon City Manor, a shelter for the mentally disabled. They had a new man coming in and no bed for him. We were able to help them with a twin bed. This organization has called on us in the past and we have been able to help them on several occasions.
Carrie
Carrie called looking for gas vouchers. She was living in her car with her 12 year old son and dog after being kicked out of her apartment by her angry husband. We were able to refer her to DHS where she received a gas voucher and applied for a domestic violence grant and food stamps. She unfortunately was unable to receive a DV grant because her husband wasn’t considered dangerous. We lost contact with Carrie for several months until she contacted us again, this time for help with furniture. She’d gotten housing and was ready move in. Love INC was able to help her with many necessities and furniture to help her with her fresh start.
Kate
After fleeing domestic violence, Kate was referred to Love INC by her caseworker for help furnishing her apartment. Kate didn’t have much to set up her home for herself and her 2 year old son. We were able to provide beds to sleep in and a couch to sit on.
Belinda
Belinda (not her real name) called in requesting a ride home from the hospital after she had a lumpectomy. The hospital would not allow her to take the bus home and she had no other transportation. Intake volunteer Raejean Kuhnau of Trinity Lutheran Church began to call volunteers who signed up to assist with transportation and was able to connect Amy Hayes of Reformation Covenant with Belinda. Something as simple as a ride can truly make a difference.
Grandmother
A grandmother was referred to us by her caseworker after receiving custody of her 4 grandchildren (1, 2, 3 & 7) from out of state. She was in desperate need of everything. We were able to assist her with diapers right away from our diaper ministry at Victorious Faith Family Church. We then put the word out for the items she needed and, in time, we were able to provide her with cribs, a playpen, a potty seat, a booster chair and a high chair through direct donations and the baby gear ministry at Faith and Life Free Methodist Church. Together, seven women from five different churches came around this family to provide them not only the physical items they needed but also the emotional support they needed too. The grandmother was also given information about churches she could connect with in her area. We were able to let her know about the Zion Lutheran Church annual rummage sale and she was able to come and do some shopping herself for other items she needed for the kids.
Tammy
Tammy (not her real name), a young, single mother of four, called in for help with child care. She had recently given birth to her fourth child prematurely (32 ½ weeks) and he was in the hospital with breathing problems. The father was not around and she was having a difficult time trying to split her time at home and the hospital. At home, she has an 8 year old, a 5 year old and a 9 month old who has Downs Syndrome. RaeJean Kuhnau from Trinity Lutheran Church took the call and after verifying the need, found a volunteer who was willing to assist her with child care a couple of times a week. It has been a big relief to Tammy to know she has a reliable, Christian woman to help her in her time of need.
Amy
We received an email from a caseworker about an urgent need for help in November, 2006. Amy, a mother of four boys, was beginning her third Chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer and needed help with cleaning and childcare. Betsy Packer, who responded to the email, found two women from Oregon City Evangelical Church to help her out. Amy wanted to do as much as she could herself, but found that after treatment it was just too much to handle. One of the women, Vickie Marquardt, took the need to her women's bible study and they decided that two volunteers would go out each week to clean and another group would prepare and take meals to her on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It was also decided that on Chemo days the women would stay with the children, make them lunch and remain with them until they went down for naps. It is now August, 2007 and the two women remain in contact with Amy and occasionally help out with childcare.
Joe
Joe (not his real name) was referred to Love INC by John Free, a member of our partner church Oregon City Evangelical. He was living at home with his mother and sister, helping to support the family. His mother works at Kentucky Fried Chicken and he works as a day laborer in construction. Their main need was a bed for Joe who was sleeping on the floor. Since the family spoke very little English, John Free acted as the interpreter and also handled a majority of the intake. It was discovered during that process that they needed a dining room table, chairs and a bicycle for the 5 year old girl. Sue Kasting from our partner church Trinity Lutheran worked with John Free and the family throughout the intake process, verified the needs and coordinated the deliveries. She even donated a table and chairs to the family! John Rizzo from Prince of Life Lutheran picked out and delivered a bicycle to the girl on Easter day. John Free volunteered to pick up the table and chairs from Sue and a twin bed, sheets and blankets from the Furniture Warehouse, which is managed by Zoar Lutheran Church in Canby. This family received not only the gifts of furniture and a bicycle but also an opportunity to see the love of Christ in action as Christians from four different churches worked together to be the hands and feet of Christ./p>
Karen
Karen (not her real name) who is pregnant and the mother of two recently left an abusive husband. She had to leave without taking many of her belongings. She was referred to us by her caseworker at the Department of Human Services for assistance. She currently receives food stamps and Social Security Disability benefits but was unable to afford a bed. She had been sleeping with her two children in one bed. After verifying the need with the caseworker we were able to provide a double bed set along with sheets and blankets.
Special needs
We received a request for help from a family who have two special needs children of their own and had just accepted 4 three year old foster children (2 boys, 2 girls). They asked for a bunk bed set and one large dresser or two smaller dressers. We had an extra long bunk set but after measuring the room twice they concluded they could not squeeze it in. Neither could the dresser need be met as all in the warehouse were gone or promised. Office volunteers from Clarke’s United Methodist Church and Trinity Lutheran Church put the word out on their prayer chains in hopes someone might be able to help and a bulletin was sent to all of our partner churches asking for help for this family. Meanwhile we were able to refer them to our partner church Foothills Community to pick up clothing for the children. While there, the family was invited to return for worship services but unfortunately they declined due to the difficulty in attending with 2 autistic children and 4 3-year olds. Eventually a trundle bed and two small dressers were located and the family was able to pick it up at the furniture warehouse along with sheets and blankets. At last conversation, the family was doing very well.
Rachael
A referral from The Volunteer Connection brought Rachael (not her real name) to Love INC. She lives in a retirement home and was moving from one unit to another and needed help. Volunteer and Board Member Betsy Packer from Prince of Life Lutheran was able to connect her with Minden and Claire Tooze, a mother and daughter from our partner church Reformation Covenant, to help her with packing and moving. Through conversation, it was discovered that Rachael was feeling lonely and really missed having a church family. An invitation was extended to come to services and it is clear that a relationship is beginning to develop between all involved. If for some reason Rachael is unable to attend Reformation Covenant then they (mom and daughter) will help her connect another church in her area. What a wonderful gift this woman has received through the kind act of these two women. Not only did they assist her with her move, but they reached out to help lift this woman up and out of isolation and move her into the arms of God’s family.
Ed
Ed (not his real name) is an elderly man who is recovering from a stroke and needs a wheel chair ramp. He and his wife were given our name from an online “Home Repair Program” and were hoping we could help them. We confirmed that they had limited resources and the need was real. Volunteer Bill Long from Oregon City Evangelical Church scouted the project and once we knew what had to be done we were able to recruit Ed’s home church, Estacada Seventh Day Adventist and a parochial high school, Portland Adventist Academy, to work on the project. The church had people who could direct the students in their efforts. This job was completed and Ed is very happy to be able to get in and out of his home without assistance.
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