L’il Loves answers the call in 1 John 3:18
As long as I can remember being a Christian, God has put in my heart a passion to help those in need. Wether it is helping to feed the homeless at the shelter or preparing homeless kits to keep in my car so I can hand them out when I go down town, the underserved of society are always in my thoughts. My heart breaks when I drive through a city and see homeless persons under a bridge in a tent. In fact, for the longest time, I have had the desire to start a food pantry at my church. However, the timing never seemed to be right.
Then there was a pandemic and a call to leadership in the church that would give 
me opportunity to help make things happen. I thought with so many people on hard times, because of the pandemic, now would be a good time for a food pantry. So I brought the idea to my pastors and they were immediately enthusiastic for this type of ministry at our church. Then one of the pastors mentioned that our Children’s Outreach Director had been floating a similar idea, but for babies. I recognized immediately that this was the direction God wanted our church to go.
me opportunity to help make things happen. I thought with so many people on hard times, because of the pandemic, now would be a good time for a food pantry. So I brought the idea to my pastors and they were immediately enthusiastic for this type of ministry at our church. Then one of the pastors mentioned that our Children’s Outreach Director had been floating a similar idea, but for babies. I recognized immediately that this was the direction God wanted our church to go.
One month, dozens of emails and a couple of meetings later, L’il Loves Ministry was born. A ministry designed to help underserved families with babies. Not just a pantry, but a free boutique where moms or dads in need of baby items can come and get a weeks worth of baby supplies including diapers, wipes and formula, plus personal care items.From the very beginning this ministry has been bigger than I could have imagined. I knew there was a need in the community after a pandemic filled year, but what I didn’t know was the need in my church for something to rally around. When we decided to start this ministry, financing was discussed. The decision was made to make the ministry 100% donation driven. From the very start God provided funds to create the boutique. Donations of money and supplies started pouring in from the congregation. Everyone was interested and so many wanted to know how they could help.
The Little Loves ministry was also designed to hold two give away events each year. So, for the last six months we had been collecting donations for our first event. We had collected so much stuff that we were running out of room to store it. The event date had arrived, we had signs made, and volunteers ready (30 to be exact). I thought ok, this is great, but is it really going to make a difference. I most certainly would have been happy after the first two young women walked in the door that morning a half hour before we were ready to start.. In fact I thanked God for them. My dream of an awesomely successful day was to see 20 families come through the door on our first Bless Day event. God brought 21. His answer to my question as to wether this ministry was going to make a difference was loud and clear. YES!
I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve an amazing God and to be a part of a church body with great leadership and amazingly generous people. Let me not forget the incredible out pour of support from community organizations.
