Love Columbia holds open house for Walnut St. location
COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)
Love Columbia, a social services organization in Columbia held its grand open house event at its E Walnut St. location on Saturday. Community members came together and listened, as the organizers talked about the impact of the organization.
Love Columbia opened its doors as "Love INC" of Columbia in 2008, and was founded by Jane Williams and Pat McMurry. In 2021, the organization decided to become more apart of the city and changed its name to Love Columbia
The organization purchased its downtown location in 2021 for $3.05 million. The building is 22,000 square feet, Love Columbia occupies a little over 12,000 of it and share the extra space with another non profit organization. Williams says its gives three times the space than they had before.
"We're just grateful right now for everyone in Columbia who supported us to us this far. We're really overwhelmed with the community support and we just look forward to many many more years of matching people needs and resources in the community," Williams said.
Between 2021 and 2022 the organization says its been able to serve 500 more families and engage 200 more volunteers than the previous year. Williams says now with the bigger building, and more volunteers stepping up, they can now offer more programs like their Vita Tax Service, and Healthy Homes and Tables.
Love Columbia currently offer various services from helping people write resumes, learning how to budget their money to assistance with housing. Love Columbia says it primarily serves low income or people who are struggling to make ends meet, however, the organization says anyone who is in need can contact them for help.
"It's very gratifying to me that we've been able uh just serve so many families, we hope to serve even more and that we've been able to do it by using local resources," Williams said.
Myria Key, a woman who uses Love Columbia's services, shared her experience with the organization. Key was introduced to Williams when she was 12 years old.
"We just kind of connected just kind of connected and have grown our relationship since then, she's definitely been a light in my life for sure," Key said.
Key later used Love Columbia's Extra Mile and Jobs for Life program.
Key said the programs taught her how to be smart with money and market herself in the workforce, things she says she didn't know before.
"It definitely um you know helps be a foundation for your life," Key said.
Love Columbia said they are also looking for donations from the community with a goal of raising $1,000,000. The organization says the money will go towards buying the building of their furniture bank called Love Seat.
Love Columbia currently has close to 350 volunteers but is open to more help from the community.
To volunteer or if in of need help, call Love Columbia at 573-256-7662 or go to the website lovecolumbiamo.org for more details.
