Love Inc. excited about growth, expansion

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Love Inc. opened the doors to its new facility last summer, and opened the rise and thrive stores in December. Organizers are excited to about the growth.

Love Inc., is a ministry that enables churches to help people transform their lives and communities. It hosts life skills classes, mentors youth, and teaches life skills that are being put to use in their rise store which sells refurbished furniture.

“Sometimes the quality is ‘take it to the landfill.’ So we have a lot of work and effort that goes into these pieces before they make it out here, and we do that by letting the program participants come and work side by side with our craftsmen or volunteers. Some of them are really good at what they do and others are here just to learn,” said Caine Shagla, Clearing House Ministries Director.

The store is only open on Saturday, as it takes time to collect and refurbish pieces. But that’s also what makes the store so special, and has drawn volunteers in the short time it’s been open.

“Customers are coming in to look at the stuff we have for sale and they buy stuff, they find out what we do, and before they leave, they’re like, ‘Can I get a volunteer application?’ And so, that’s gone really well. We’ve got some new volunteers because of that. So that’s pretty exciting,” Shagla said.

Volunteers also have the opportunity to express their creativity. Just in time for the Black Hills Stock Show, the store has been given a midwestern flair in hopes of attracting visitors.

Inspired by the organization and its dedication to the community, Foster and Lynn Friess donated $100,000 to Love Inc. on behalf of Booker Noem.

“If anybody has been driving by and watched this building come together, it took a while and it took a lot of faith on our part, because it took quite a bit of money to make it look so beautiful. And it’s gifts like that — that $100,000 — and the many other gifts that we’ve received that we turned it over to God,” Shagla added.

Those funds help Love Inc. to operate, and as Shagla says, helps to change the lives of hurting people.