Mission: Love Thy Neighbor's mission is to support and promote life changes with education in life skills and encourage sustained growth through mentorships and supportive, caring relationships. This means that, not only do we transform lives within our community, we do it as a community- a local community of people who care. Love Thy Neighbor partners with local churches, government and civic organizations, area businesses, and caring individuals to meet needs and make our community stronger. We aren't working just to transform a situation for our neighbors in need. While we do provide help with immediate needs, that is only the first step to changing the trajectory of that person's life. Love Thy Neighbor truly changes lives by providing classes and Bridge Ministries to create an environment of stability and positive change that will last a lifetime. We are dedicated to serving the less fortunate in our community regardless of faith or lack thereof. To make this a reality, Love Thy Neighbor provides classes open to anyone in need. The classes give people the tools they will need for success as well as emotional and spiritual support to encourage transformation in situations that many find difficult. All of our classes directly benefit children and families in our community. These classes make our communities stronger, changing the pathway of lives rather than simply providing temporary solutions.
All of the help we provide, be it classes or access to our Bridge Ministries, is available regardless of faith or lack thereof and free of charge.
We do realize that people may not be able to concentrate on the big picture when they have needs that require immediate attention. To that end, Love Thy Neighbor provides assistance with these needs as well through our Bridge Ministries. Our Bridge Ministries include Crib Ministry, Hygiene Pantry, Care Kits for Kids, Adopt A Family Christmas Program, Household Appliance Ministry, Transportation, and Automotive Ministry, and the specific Bridge Ministry for which we are requesting assistance- our Durable Medical Equipment Loan Closet.
Target demographics: Our Core Beliefs We believe that our neighbors are defined as any person in need. We believe in not duplicating services that exist in our community, instead working together with local churches and community agencies to strengthen the social safety net for our neighbors in need. We believe that respect, care, support, and accountability are the basis of a loving relationship with our neighbors. We believe that our neighbors often have multiple needs, not just financial or physical ones and we believe a caring Christian connection will help meet some of those additional needs. We believe in the power of forgiveness as an important aspect of making real change and promoting personal change over time. We believe in the power of Christian grace-you receive more than you think you deserve and seek to live this out in our programs. We believe that accomplishing our goals is a result of strong partnerships with local churches and community partners.
Geographic areas served: Grand Traverse County
Programs: HYGIENE PANTRY - Providing basic hygiene products for those on a tight budget.
CRIB MINISTRY - Providing new cribs to expectant families and layette set for the new baby.
TRANSPORTATION MINISTRY - Provides gas cards for out-of-town medical appointments and minor automotive repairs for people working or going to school full-time.
ADOPT-A-FAMILY CHRISTMAS PROGRAM - We connect families in need with Sponsors that provide Christmas gifts for their "adopted" families.
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT LOAN CLOSET - Providing medical equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, or bath chairs (and so much more) to "borrow" for as long as there is a need.
CONNECTIONS COUNSELORS - Provide assistance with referrals to appropriate resources for crisis needs.
HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE MINISTRY - Provides assistance in replacing broken household appliances with used or refurbished items.
CHANGE PARTNERSHIP - This program provides a supportive goal-oriented process with ongoing education for true personal growth and transformational change.
My youngest son is 8 years old. Through Christ's miracle, he was born despite a 10% chance of survival. He had a cystic hygroma in utero and was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. He has severe cognitive delays, but is a little boy who strives to have fun like other children. Nicholas has severe hypotonia due to the Down Syndrome. He can't walk far, he is still trying to learn to jump and we wanted for him to have a bike so he could be like the other kids. However, his bike would need to be a three wheeled special needs bike. We have Children's Special Healthcare to help offset some of the costs that our insurance doesn't cover. However, to get this bike you must ask at least 3 agencies for help cover the cost. Love thy neighbor stepped up, and because of them our son now can ride a bike like other children, get exercise and work on his core strength. Thank you Love Thy Neighbor!
The scope of help that Love Thy Neighbor provides to help community members through challenging times in their lives is above and beyond others. Giving a hand up and not a hand out is the driving principle that this organization stands for in helping people make real changes to their lives. Kudos to LTN.
Love Thy Neighbor is truly a gem in our community!! It helps so many people, from free classes to cribs to durable medical equipment. Our director, Tony Nelson is a wealth of information. If you have a need call 231-941-5683.
