Desiring to grow closer to God and discover his plan for her life, Barbara came to Love INC of Metro Tampa, FL looking to serve. What started as a simple step into volunteering, however, quickly became something more.
While serving in the Help Center, helping with mailings, and assisting transformational ministry programs, Barbara was also navigating significant challenges at home. Between searching for consistent employment and facing uncertainty around housing, she worked to reconnect with and rebuild her relationship with her teenage daughter. Yet even in that difficult season, she didn’t wait for her circumstances to change. She chose to serve right in the middle of them.
As relationships formed, opportunities followed. Through connections within the network, she found employment. At the same time, as she leaned deeper into the community, she became more than a volunteer—she became a pillar within the community.
Not because everything was easy—but because her faith was growing. Her willingness to serve, even while walking through her own challenges, became a reflection of her trust that God was still at work.
Today, Barbara continues to move forward—working, growing, serving, and strengthening her relationship with God. Her journey is still unfolding, but her direction is certain.
Long after the bill is paid or the immediate crisis has passed, Love INC partner churches keep showing up—building relationships, offering encouragement, walking through setbacks, celebrating progress, and reminding volunteers and neighbors like Barbara that they don’t have to walk alone.
Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer someone in the middle of a hard story isn’t a quick solution.
