Published: November 13, 2009 01:02 pm      

Local affiliate of Love Inc. would help needy

BY RUTH RICE

RRICE@TRIBDEM.COM

Love in the Name of Christ or Love Inc. will assist area churches in helping others.

Zachary Hubbard, a member of Westmont Presbyterian Church, 601 Luzerne St., is spearheading the effort to start a local affiliate of the national organization that brings churches together across denominational lines to help the needy with food and clothing, life-skills training and even transitional housing.

“I have a lot of hope for a local Love Inc. affiliate,” said Hubbard, who found out about the organization on the Internet.

“I thought this could be useful to Johnstown.”

Hubbard learned about a Love Inc. affiliate in Everett that has been around for 15 years and met with its executive director to learn more about the organization.

Love Inc. is a one-stop shop for all community resources, with local churches as the driving force.

It will serve as a bridge between people in need and willing church volunteers.

The local affiliate will serve as a clearinghouse that notifies churches of specific needs within the community.

A listing for the local office will be in the phone book and on the Internet, and a local pastor trying to help someone in need can make contact from his office.

“People who need help walk into the pastor’s office,” Hubbard said.

“Love Inc. will have a real grasp on the help available and get them to the right place to get help.

“We don’t want people off the street.

“We want to funnel them through the churches. We’re hoping they develop a relationship with the churches.”

The first stage for an affiliate is developing a database of names at area churches of individuals willing to provide services.

“This could be doing labor, packing food, driving the elderly to appointments or a carpenter patching a roof – the most basic services,” Hubbard said.

“The affiliate then moves on to a more mature level of personal relationships, fixing the problems that cause the problems.”

Volunteers might help by providing financial counseling free of charge.

Hubbard said the key to Johnstown becoming an affiliate is having representation from six different denominations.

In addition to Presbyterians, Catholics, Evangelical Lutherans, Southern Baptists and Methodists have expressed interest.

“We have five, and I’m confident we’ll get more,” Hubbard said.

“All who are on board are Westmont churches, but I haven’t received commitments yet from churches in Richland and downtown. The six can reach out to others in the community.”

Hubbard hopes to have a large downtown church as the hub of the local affiliate once it is established.

The whole concept of Love Inc. has to be approved by the session, the governing body of the Presbyterian Church, and other churches will need to seek approval from their leaders and/or their congregations.

Hubbard said the thrust of the first quarter of next year will be getting the congregations on board.

After Hubbard gets the required six denominations and applies to become an affiliate, a board will have to be appointed and an executive director hired for management and fundraising.

“We will have to incorporate and form a nonprofit and raise funds for the first year,” Hubbard said.

“It’s a tremendous amount of work, but the need in the area is great and increasing with the economy.”

Hubbard expects it will take 18 months to get a local affiliate of Love Inc. up and running in Johns-town and has set a target start-up date of mid-2011.

We’re beginning to walk, and I hope we’re soon in a full sprint,” Hubbard said.

“It’s a very delicate and slow process, with details, planning and organizing. We want to do it right the first time.”

Hubbard will not be without past experience in his quest to bring Love Inc. to Johnstown.

One pastor worked with an affiliate in West Virginia and others who have had experience with the organization have expressed an interest.

“It’s more than a concept to them,” Hubbard said.



Reaching out

Churches or pastors interested in being a part of the local affiliate of Love in the Name of Christ can contact Zachary Hubbard at zachary.hubbard@consultant.com.