Love INC Heart of the Hills ministry growing

By: 
Esther Noe
On Feb. 28 community members gathered at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church for the annual Love INC Vision Lunch. 
Love In the Name of Christ is a national organization that helps churches work together to assist the surrounding community and create a culture of service. Their mission is to “mobilize local churches to transform lives and communities in the Name of Christ.”
Through the efforts of Natalie Cutler and an implementation team, Love INC Heart of the Hills (LIHH) began a little over a year ago, bringing the resources of Love INC of the Black Hills to Hill City and Keystone. Although it began with congregants from St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Community Lutheran Church and The Little White Church, congregants from Lighthouse Assembly of God, Our Savior Lutheran Church and the First Congregational Church of Keystone have since joined. 
To start, LIHH hosted classes on “When Helping Hurts.” Now participants from six area churches have completed the class and another class began March 6 at Community Lutheran Church.
Two gap ministries were also started in Hill City including a Linen and Kitchen Ministry and a Clothing Exchange. 
Pam Kaubisch said the Linen and Kitchen Ministry was started by Lighthouse Assembly of God in Hill City and works in partnership with a similar Love INC ministry in Rapid City. 
Lighthouse Assembly of God serves as a drop-off location where people can donate gently used or new linens such as towels, sheets, pillows, comforters, blankets, throws, pillowcases, mattress pads, shower curtains or small rugs as well as kitchen gadgets. 
These donations are then sorted and brought to Rapid City. If a caller indicates a need for these types of items, the Rapid City team will put together a package that best suits their request. If needed in Hill City or Keystone, participants can pick up the package at Lighthouse Assembly of God, connect with a local Love INC member and have someone pray with them. 
Donations can be dropped off at Lighthouse Assembly of God  Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 1-3 p.m. 
In August the youth group from The Little White Church ran the first Community Kids Clothing Exchange at the Hill City Center. Community members were asked to go through their closets and donate gently used clothes that they no longer needed. 
After sorting the donated clothes the youth group invited community members to come to the clothing exchange and pick out clothes for the new school year at no cost. 
“We hope this can be an annual thing that our community can count on,” said Abby Cutler, who helped come up with the idea for the clothing exchange. 
Another thing Gwen Collins is hoping to bring to LIHH is a driving ministry. Collins recently moved from Colorado where she volunteered at another Love INC location that had a driving ministry. As part of this volunteers would give rides to those who needed to get to doctor appointments or other such things. 
When Collins came to Hill City she thought this would be a great ministry to introduce. At this time, the driving ministry is still in the planning stages as details like insurance, driver qualifications, safety for drivers and volunteers, building a volunteer base of drivers and fundraising for gas money are discussed. However, anyone interested in helping organize such a ministry can contact a LIHH member for more information. 
Meanwhile, Shantell Davis and her family are volunteering with Love INC of the Black Hills’ furniture ministry. This ministry accepts gently used furniture which they then refinish and refresh for participants in need. Participants can get furniture from this ministry in exchange for hours of service. 
Davis’ family serves by picking up the donated furniture and delivering it to Rapid City or by delivering furniture to participants who completed the intake process. This, Davis said, allows another chance to build relationships with participants through loving conversation and prayer. 
After all, the purpose of Love INC is to “walk alongside people in their journey to wholeness through mutual service, education, friendship and prayer.”
According to Natalie, LIHH is trying to position itself to assist participants. That way when someone calls with a material need, Hill City has ways for them to participate alongside trained volunteers. 
“I think that’s what I love the most about Love INC. It’s a volunteer organization,” said Mary Larson. “Volunteers are the backbone of every organization but especially Love INC, and we always need volunteers. We are a relational ministry with many facets so there are many ways to get involved.” 
Those in the Hill City and Keystone area can call the Love INC of the Black Hills number at 605-718-5683 for assistance and someone from Hill City will follow up. 
LIHH also has an intake/phone volunteer training at The Little White Church March 9 at 6:30 p.m.

User login