Contact: Tammy Benker Swanson, Love INC, 612-872-8008, 952-239-6333 cell, tswanson@loveinc.org

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- Robert Odom, president of Love In the Name of Christ, Love INC, a national nonprofit that unites churches to meet the needs of the poor, has announced the urgent need to raise $1 million in funds by year's end or the organization's headquarters will be defunct.  While Love INC had a banner year of growth, opening a record number of 16 new affiliates and bringing its total presence across the United States to 156 communities in 30 states, donor support has not kept pace with demand.

Love INC's mission is to mobilize the church to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ.  The organization works across denominational lines to serve the poor in areas of food, clothing, shelter, life skills, health care and family support services.  Love INC is unique in its approach in that it strives to bring the poor out of poverty through caring relationships that transform lives in the name of Christ.

"As the economy continues to struggle, there is an entirely new demographic of people who are in poverty.  They are the new poor.  This growth in demographics has required that Love INC step up to meet more needs," said Odom.  "We are answering God's call to help the poor; however new affiliates mean a greater need for funding at the headquarters." 

Love INC was spun off from World Vision in 2003 and has been a separate nonprofit based in Minneapolis since that time.  Each Love INC affiliate is its own 501c3 and is self-funded.  Love INC's headquarters starts new affiliates and provides affiliate support, training and program best practices throughout the life of the affiliate.  It relies primarily on individual givers to meet its annual budget of $1.6 million. 

"We are desperate for major donors who believe in the call to bring the church together in communities across America to help those in need," continued Odom.  "When an affiliate has an impact on its community, other nearby communities also want to open an affiliate so that they can bring the church to the center of its community.  That is what the church is called to do and that is why we have grown.  We need givers who feel called to support this mission."

Odom states that the organization has trusted God's provision; however, the need is urgent for other Christians to step in and be generous givers to allow the headquarters to stay open.

Founded in 1977, Love In the Name of Christ brings churches together across denominational lines to help the poor with immediate needs such as food and clothing, to longer-term responses such as transitional housing programs, health care and life skills training.  Love INC meets more than one million needs each year through 156 affiliates in 30 states, representing a network of more than 9,000 churches, 7,000 community-based organizations, and 300,000 volunteers working to serve the poor.  For more information visit www.loveinc.org or call 1-800-777-5277.