George Lombardi, Director of the Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC) came to Columbia on October 26, 2011 to present Love INC with the Community Partnership Award in recognition of “ your contributions in support of MDOC ‘s mission to enhance public safety through your exceptional efforts to assist offenders returning to our Missouri communities.”
Cooperating with the Prosperous Journey transition house, Love INC began a pilot transitional employment program in 2010. This initiative identifies ex-offenders reentering the community who are interested in and pre-screened for Christian re-entry. These individuals are employed 20 hours a week at the Love Seat warehouse working in many jobs including furniture cleaning and minor repair, hauling, delivery of household goods to needy families, warehouse organization, and resale operations. The Prosperous Journey house provides a Christian living environment and discipleship. James Kimbro, former program director of the Phoenix Programs, an award winning addiction recovery service in Columbia, runs the house. The house manager is Johnny Bynum a Love Seat graduate!
Johnny says, “Working at The Love Seat was a wonderful experience for me. I particularly enjoyed delivering furniture to people in need. We saw so many humble people with absolutely nothing who were asking for only the bare necessities – it humbled me and made me want to continue to give back. I plan to continue volunteering as much as I can both to serve with Love INC and help others who are reentering the community.”
The Love Seat ministry is a great example of the synergy that comes with coordination. The transitional employment component helps people re-enter society while providing much needed help in our furniture ministry. Additionally, ex offenders get the chance to contribute to the communities they once hindered. The capacity building enabled by transitional employment goes a long way to increase our ability to help needy families with furniture. Selling excess furniture in the resale store using transitional employment raises funds to buy gas, insurance, rent and directors’ salaries. People are helped at many points along the cycle.
An additional surprise came a week after the DOC award. Missouri Department of Corrections director, George Lombardi was awarded the first annual Governor Mel Carnahan Public service award. The award came with an honorarium, which George split with Love INC and two other agencies. “Thank you Mr. Lombardi!” for the personal vote of confidence and for all the ways you and DOC have encouraged agencies like ours to make a difference.