Love Columbia Launches ‘Love Force One’ to Tackle Urgent Community Needs
COLUMBIA — A new initiative by Love Columbia, called Love Force One, aims to mobilize volunteers to assist individuals facing urgent needs, particularly related to housing crises. Founded by NASCAR legend Carl Edwards, the program is designed to respond to local disruptions, or "mini-disasters," within the Columbia community.
As Jane Williams, the executive director of Love Columbia, explained, these urgent needs often arise from personal upheavals that can significantly impact residents’ living situations. Currently, Love Force One has 36 active volunteers and seeks to expand to 100, encompassing various skills and flexible schedules.
“We welcome electricians, carpenters, and plumbers, as well as individuals who can assist with cleaning and organizing,” Williams noted, highlighting the diverse opportunities available for volunteers.
The program has already completed three missions, helping residents like Monica Crews, who, during an emergency, received assistance from 16 volunteers. Crews described the experience as transformative, involving families from different local churches coming together to help her organize and deep clean her home. This collective effort emphasized the community’s spirit and support during difficult times.
Crews remarked, “It’s definitely something that is very much needed… sometimes the emergency piece of it is not recognized until it is too late.” She expressed gratitude for the support received and continues to share her progress with the volunteers.
For those interested in volunteering, applications are available at lovecolumbia.org/loveforceone. Further information on Love Columbia’s services can be found at lovecolumbia.org.
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