HANCOCK COUNTY — It’s been 20 years since Love INC of Hancock County was founded to combine the efforts of local churches to help those in need.
Now approximately 500 families are assisted each year by the nonprofit — Love In the Name of Christ of Hancock County — based at 630 N. State St. in Greenfield.
On April 12 the nonprofit will celebrate its success at its annual Love Thy Neighbor Banquet, held at Mt. Comfort Church in Greenfield, where guests can enjoy live entertainment and a meal catered by Smokin’ Barrel Barbecue in New Palestine.
Love INC’s executive director, Debra Weber, said photos and memories from the past 20 years will be showcased at the event.
The nonprofit’s website shares a graphic showing how a network of more than 30 churches throughout Hancock County work together to address a variety of needs, from furniture and clothing to help with rent and utility bills.
Individual churches take on the responsibility for a given area. Faith Baptist Church oversees the furniture ministry, for example, while Calvary Baptist Church manages handyman services.
Weber oversees the clearinghouse at Love INC’s headquarters where a team of volunteers man the phones, processing requests from the public and collaborating with churches for assistance.
Love INC of Hancock County was first incorporated in the summer of 2004, thanks to former Hancock County resident Scott Getzin.
Getzin is credited for bringing the Love INC concept back from a trip where he’d seen the power of collaboration among churches at work in another city.
He brought the concept back to Greenfield and was able to get the nonprofit running with the help of local churches and volunteers.
The nonprofit was started with the help of five charter churches: Bradley United Methodist, Brandywine Community Church, New Palestine United Methodist, Park Chapel and Family Worship Center, which has since been absorbed by another church.
Brenda Rodgers, who now works as an administrative assistant at Park Chapel Church in Greenfield, was hired as the first executive director in 2004 and served through 2014.
“I’m just so happy to see how it’s continued to thrive and find its place in the community,” said Rodgers.
“It was exciting to grow the organization from scratch. I couldn’t have done it without the help of a lot of the board of directors and faithful volunteers who could see the vision and work towards that goal,” she said.
Love INC’s board secretary, Fred Feister, said it’s amazing to see the spirit of collaboration among local churches who share one collective goal to love thy neighbor.
“I have to tell you it’s the most impressive organization when it comes to helping our neighbors in need,” said Feister, who first joined the nonprofit as a clearinghouse volunteer about five years ago.
“It really does a great job of taking care of the regular folks who find themselves in a situation where they might need a little extra assistance,” he said.
For years Love INC operated out of the office space over a Greenfield dental office until the nonprofit moved into its current headquarters — a historic home near downtown Greenfield — in July 2018.
The organization has had four executive directors over the years. In 2014 Rodgers passed the role on to Jim Peters, who served three years before retiring in 2017.
He was replaced by Karla Whisenand, a beloved staff member who passed away after a lengthy cancer battle in 2023.
She handed over director duties in 2020 to Weber, who first joined the organization as a clearinghouse volunteer and later joined the board of directors.
Weber said it’s a blessing to lift up individuals “in the name of Christ,” as the nonprofit’s name implies.
“I love working here because I know true transformation comes through a relationship with Christ,” she said, “but we will help anybody regardless of religious affiliation or whether they go to church or not. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in jail or don’t go to church, we know that everybody who calls us is loved by God, and we want to give them hope.”
HELPING HAND
Weber fondly recalls the many families she’s seen helped by the ministry during her time with Love, INC, those who have been lifted up at perhaps their lowest point by strangers who feel compelled to share God’s love with them.
“We certainly want to give people hope even when situations seem hopeless. And that’s really the best part of being able to work here, to build relationships with people and to give them that encouragement,” she said.
Weber recalled one particular family who was particularly down on their luck during the COVID pandemic. Both parents had lost their jobs, and every daily member had contracted COVID.
The parents attended the Faith and Finance program offered by Love INC in hopes of getting back on their feet.
“They were way behind on their rent. They had both been working, both been laid off, they had all had COVID. They hadn’t saved up or been spending their money wisely, so they came to the program and were able to get a better handle on their finances. They also started eating their meals at the soup kitchen, and were able to save up a couple thousand dollars and get out of the hole they were in,” said Weber.
“That’s just one example of how Love INC impacts lives,” said the director, who hasn’t heard from the family since they got back on their feet.
“If we don’t hear back from them that means they don’t need us anymore, which is really the outcome we want,” she said.
She recalled another individual who had trouble paying for car repairs, so Love INC collaborated with a church and local business to get his car fixed, which enabled him to get back to work.
Weber said the clearinghouse is the heart of Love INC. “That’s where we receive all of the requests for assistance and get a chance to start our initial relationships with these individuals and listen to their stories and assess their needs,” she said.
Then nonprofit then reaches out to its network of local churches for help, whether it’s through donations of hygiene and household items, clothing or furniture, handyman services or financial help.
One church oversees the installation of wheelchair ramps.
Love INC also offers its Faith and Finance program to teach financial skills, and sometimes partners with the local Purdue Extension office to teach life skills like cooking, vehicular maintenance, money management and home repairs.
“It’s really one of those organizations that doesn’t just help but people in need but teaches them how to avoid getting in those situations again,” said Feister, who lives in Greenfield.
“That’s the really neat thing about the organization,” he said.
While Weber said Love INC is blessed to have “an army of volunteers,” the organization could always use more people to help answer phones and process requests for help.
Volunteers are also needed to run errands and help with marketing, she said.
For more information on how to help, or to purchase tickets to the Love Thy Neighbor Banquet, visit https://loveinc-ghc.org or call (317) 468-6300.
The banquet is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, April12 at Mt. Comfort Church, 3179 N. County Road 600 West in Greenfield. Tickets are $50 each or $350 for a table of eight.
