Love Thy Neighbor began in December 2012. Karen Jones was part of the inspiration for this project and LTN partnered with Descending Dove Ministries. Once a month they provided a hot meal, Christian fellowship, and groceries to take home. LTN has evolved and became a non-profit in 2015. In 2020, just like everyone else, they had to adjust. They had to stop the hot meal program and indoor fellowship, but they never stopped serving the community. They held an additional 5 pantries in 2020, and now in 2021 the pantry is open every Sunday. No one is turned away.
The number of families who come on a weekly basis has grown. They now offer order ahead and utilize mobile pantry for homebound clients. They have 14 refrigerators and freezers. The newest one was obtained through a grant, it’s a glass front. Last year, a giant chest freezer was donated and is well utilized. They receive food through the generosity of local residents via collection bins in the county, USDA, the Fredericksburg Food Bank, and through the generosity of Food Lion, Walmart and Wegman’s.
They have a vision for the future of their community service. They want to start a job referral program and have classes and counseling to help people get out of the situation that brought them there. They need more space.
YOU CAN HELP. Love Thy Neighbor needs a new home. They need a minimum of 12,000 sq. feet, ideally 16-17,000. It needs to remain centrally located in King George as they serve families from King George, Fredericksburg, surrounding counties and Southern Maryland. They are currently exploring every possibility. Do you have a space big enough or do you have a piece of land to donate? Are you able to donate money or your time to a great organization that practices what it preaches?
Don’t wait, do it today!
Matthew manages the warehouse and tracks and rotates supplies. Becky is a mom homeschooling her daughter, she and her daughter volunteer during the week to organize and stock tables for Sunday. Sharon is retired from KG School system and wants to help in the community. Each volunteer has their own reason. Support for their mission comes from many different organizations in the county and people like you.
“Helping meet the nutritional, emotional, and spiritual needs through the generosity of ‘neighbors helping neighbors’ throughout King George and surrounding communities.”
Want to make a difference in our community, volunteer a few hours here!