WHO WE ARE

We serve anyone in Columbia who is struggling to provide for their basic needs or improve their life and wants help to create a path forward. Many of the people we serve have nowhere else to turn. Often, they are under great stress and facing multiple challenges. Without intervention, many of their situations would become quite dire and result in a negative domino effect such as eviction leading to homelessness or unaffordable car repair leading to job loss.

Everyone needs hope and someone to accompany them on their journey. As one of our program participants said, “You believed in me until I could believe in myself.”

Leadership Team

Board Of Directors

President | Carson Coffman

Vice-President | Brent Beshore

Treasurer | Ryan Lidolph

Secretary | Melissa Murphy

Past President | Dave Cover

Patrick Cox

Greg Deline

Lindsey Drinkwitz

Dan Hlavac

Richard Kiley

Beth MacLellan

George Norman

Ranita Norwood

Rose Williams

The work of Love Columbia would not be possible without our incredible team of staff, committed to loving our neighbors forward.

Our Mission

Our History

Love Columbia opened its doors as Love INC of Columbia in 2008 to coordinate the efforts of churches and volunteers to help our neighbors in need. We established a clearinghouse to assess and verify needs and developed programs to respond with a relational, developmental approach that would promote self-sufficiency and flourishing.

Our founders are Jane Williams, a social worker and community organizer, and Pat McMurry, a local business owner who had worked for years with pastors and large scale multi-church events. They brought together key church and business leaders who were eager to respond strategically and collectively to identified community needs. Since 2008, Love INC has continually developed and grown this wholistic model of love and assistance in Columbia. Our response team has grown from a dozen churches and a few volunteers to a community network of over 80 churches, dozens of business partners, hundreds of volunteers and 40+ staff.

In 2020, we responded to the pandemic by serving more people than ever before and finding ways to engage over 100 volunteers. We particularly responded to the families with children and individuals with disabilities who found themselves newly homeless due to the pandemic.

In 2021, we took several significant steps to plunge our roots deeper into our local community. We became Love Columbia and moved our core services into the Love Columbia Center at 1209 E Walnut. We also moved The Love Seat, our furniture bank and resale store to 2600 Rangeline. Both relocations greatly increased our accessibility and capacity to serve more people and engage more volunteers.

In 2022, we served 2,200 households and engaged over 400 volunteers.

Our Impact

  • "The day before I reached out for help, I spent a lot of time crying and feeling like nothing I was doing was helping me reach my goals. These last few days you've truly lifted so much stress of my shoulders, and I am truly grateful."

    - Love Columbia Client, Tamisha

Item 1 of 4

Without The Love Seat, many Columbians would not have a bed for their children to sleep in, a table to eat on or clothing to wear to a job interview. Many others wouldn’t have a “second chance” at employment or a supportive environment to reset their careers.

All of this is made possible because of generous donors, volunteers and shoppers!