How it started

In the fall of 1999, a group of concerned citizens from Ontario, Oregon, and surrounding communities gathered to discuss various approaches to assist people in need. They discovered that churches were operating independently of each other, and services were being duplicated with little or no communication between themselves or with existing community service agencies. Many needs went unmet and/or churches enabled people to continue in a cycle of poverty by assisting them without offering accountability.

The group prayed that the Lord would show them a better way and Love INC was the solution. Tri-County Love INC organizes churches to better serve their communities by developing several Love INC church affiliates and by strengthening existing service agency partnerships. Through our Clearinghouse, needs are met through a verification process, ensuring that the need is legitimate and manageable.

We believe Tri-County Love INC is positioned by the Lord to meet many needs represented in three counties in which we serve. As we give the Gospel in word and action, we trust the Lord to transform lives.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to mobilize the Church
to transform lives and communities.
In the Name of Christ.

Core Values

We are Christian. Everything we think, say, and is in the name of Christ
Prayer is an integral part of who we are.
We follow Christ's example of valuing the poor and needy.
We value unity of the Body of Christ.
We value transformation in the lives of people and communities.
We value churches living out the two great commandments to love God and love thier nieghbors.
We value building Christ-like relationships.
We value the connectedness of the Love INC movement.
We model excellence.
We value continually maturing in out capacity to meet people's needs.

Board of Directors

Director: Kim Wilson, CLF, Ontario, OR
President: Cherie Skogerboe, First Baptist, New Plymouth, ID
VP: Anna Reece, Lighthouse, Nyssa,OR
Treasurer: Prudi Sherman St Mathew's Episcopal, Ontario, OR
Secretary: Terry Buster, Origins of Faith Community
Jane Padgett St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Vale, OR
Kelly Weideman, First Christian Church, Vale, OR
Jim Skeesuck, First Church of the Nazarene, Ontario,OR
Pastor Joe Piper, River of Life, Payette, ID
Advising Attorney: Charles Oakes, Bethany Persbyterian
Advising Accountant: Doug Lamm
Advising Healthcare: Debbie Alexander

How Does Love INC Work?

Caring people from local churches use their personal skills and resources to help people with specific needs. Participating churches fill out Talent Tithes indicating the type of assistance they can provide.

Personal requests or referrals from individuals, churches, or agencies are received at the Love INC office by calling in, and verbal applications are completed by church volunteers. Prayer support begins with the request and continues throughout the process.

Information related to the need is verified and the situation is clarified, breaking the need(s) into legitimate, manageable pieces. We then resource the need to the most appropriate source of help, i.e., a specialized agency, a helping organization, or a participating church. We strive to resource to, not duplicate, existing services within the community.

When a partner church is asked to respond to a specific need, the church volunteer is called. Once the immediate need has been met, continued church involvement is encouraged.

If an individual or family needs additional assistance, a new request is made to the Love INC office and the process begins again.