Love INC (in the name of Christ) is a non-profit organization and part of a nationwide movement helping churches and community partners come together to make a difference in the lives of individuals and families.
The organization helps those in the community who have had tragedies or setbacks of some kind, providing love and support and finding whatever ways they can help.
Adrienne Alvarado, Executive Director of Love Inc, has been rebuilding the organization locally for the past two years, building relationships, helping people, and making a difference in Madera.
She is now ready to have, what she calls a Grand Re-Opening of Love INC, because they are reviving it.
The celebration will be August 11, and will begin at 4th Street Church, 222 N. N Street, at noon, and then the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be later at Love INC’s new location at the old Teco building at 880 S. Pine Street.
The organization is not new to Madera, but it was dormant for about 12 months. A few years ago, the director retired and the operations slowed down without the needed leadership. Alvarado was asked to be director, and she graciously accepted the task.
“When we opened our doors to start assisting clients, it was definitely a leap of faith,” she said. “Our national office said, ‘You are not ready.’ But Madera had already been used to the concept of Love INC.”
She explained that the organization’s assistance often begins with a referral through Community Action Partnership Madera County (CAPMC), or through the Rescue Mission.
“Madera is quite special in a lot of ways and I knew that we would have the support of the community, and the support of the other organizations to be able to open our doors and be able to assist clients without our being fully funded,” she said. “We weren’t even sure what we were going to do and how we were going to start the process.
“I like to hit the ground running. It’s the only way you learn sometimes, so we had to learn by starting and we were not going to get that hands-on experience and until we did so,” she said.
Alvarado wasn’t sure how Love INC operated under the prior administration. She was not given much information about how things were handled, and she said they had been disconnected with the national office while they were dormant.
“To be honest,” she said, “I wasn’t really familiar with the organization. I didn’t even know Love INC existed.
“When I came in, I had to reestablish that connection. I highly relied on National and their tools and their resources to wrap my mind around the concept of what Love INC is.”
The board members from the original Love INC remained, and a few were added. Mattie Mendez of CAPMC came on the board the same time as Alvarado was hired. Mendez helps with the interviews.
“Our president is Ryan McWherter of the Food Bank. Our treasurer is Sally Bomprezzi, and our secretary is Pastor Jim Garrison,” she said. “We also have Mattie Mendez, and Heather Betts, Pastor Josh Blair from Central Valley Church, and Pastor Lance Leach from Valley West.
Along with the organization, Alvarado has opened a thrift store that also helps clients with supplies and other needs a bit, and also helps with funding.
“The thrift store is kind of my side hustle,” she said. “When we started taking on clients, a lot of the needs involved women coming out of the mission or families with infants or with kids who needed help with clothing or shoes.”
Love INC, along with its thrift store, is now located in the old Teco building, helps clients by building partnerships with other organizations in Madera. Churches and other thrift stores help supply the needs of the clients.
“I put myself in my client’s shoes all the time,” Alvarado said. “So, if I’m coming here and I’m feeling vulnerable and emotional, it’s hard to share what I’m going through.”
When a person in need comes to Love INC, the information is recorded and then it is determined how Love INC can help. Alvarado explained that she tries to avoid sending them to different places to get what they need.
“Most of our clients are referral-based. We are very blessed to work with the men who are in the rehabilitation program at the Madera Rescue Mission. They have helped us tremendously with our furniture ministry, picking up donated furniture, dropping off donated furniture, and furniture to families in need,” she said. There are also many church referrals.
The four main partnering organizations are CAPMC, Madera County Food Bank, The Madera Rescue Mission, and Workforce Development.
Alvarado has volunteers who help in the thrift store and also with the clients.
“We just actually took another leap of faith, and Deborah has been volunteering here for over two years, since the day I got the job,” she said.
Deborah Cole is the connection Center Coordinator, and she works every Saturday. Three other volunteers come in and help throughout the week, and other volunteers help from time to time.
The thrift store is open to the public every second Saturday of each month. This helps to provide additional funds for the nonprofit.
“So, we just want to let people know that we are here. We are ready to serve our community first and foremost. And God has been doing great things with the little resources that we have right now. And we’ve been able to. be a blessing to the community and to invite them to be a part of it,” Alvarado said.
“You know, Love INC is just a name. We’re just an organization. But without the hands and the feet, like Jesus says, without the hands and the feet, we can’t move and we can’t operate,” she said. “So, we want to invite individuals, businesses, churches, to say that they want to be a part of blessing families and just restoring hope in any way that we can.”
The ceremony for the Grand Re-Opening of Love INC will begin at 4th Street Church, with lunch provided and the guest of honor, Dan Walker, from national headquarters. He’ll be speaking at 2 p.m., and then the ribbon cutting will be in front of Teco’s.
Alvarado has requested RSVP (559) 536-3496 by August 5, to make sure she has enough food for all attendees.
“God has plans for us. He sure does. His plans are not our plans. His ways are not our ways,” Alvarado said.
For more information about Love INC, or to make a donation, contact Adrienne Alvarado at (559) 536-3496.