Nancy and Chris Cady move a donated table into the Furniture Ministry warehouse Saturday, Oct. 24. The couple started the non-profit in Columbia after Hurricane Katrina. PHOTO BY MATT CLOUD
COLUMBIA — Earlier this year, Karen Robinson was trying to cobble together enough money to rent an apartment.
The 51-year-old school bus driver and single mother had sold her home in Columbia so she could move to New Mexico to be with her mother. When the situation abruptly changed and Robinson ended up staying in Columbia, she was short of funds.
That’s when Love in the Name of Christ (Love INC) and The Love Seat furniture ministry stepped in to help. They not only covered a deposit, but also provided a dresser and a bed for Robinson’s 9-year-old daughter, Sarah, as well as a futon.
“It’s like in the old days,” Robinson said. “When I was brought up, churches and people would get together and help somebody that had a need. It didn’t matter who you were, what your race was or your income. They would help.”
Love INC is a national organization with a Columbia affiliate that provides churches with an opportunity to work together to help those in need though a variety of ministries.
It began in Columbia 18 months ago, and since then, the organization has been able to serve more than 1,000 people and had more than 7,000 volunteer hours logged. In October, The Love Seat was launched to provide basic furniture — tables, chairs, mattresses and sofas.
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