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Abilene's Love And Care Ministry Expanding In 2017

(Abilene Reporter-News file photo) Love and Care Ministries Mission Thanksgiving in November of 2012.
(Abilene Reporter-News file photo) Love and Care Ministries Mission Thanksgiving in November of 2012.

 

Abilene’s Love and Care Ministries has worked for more than twenty years to help the Big Country area’s poor and homeless population. Love and Care served growing numbers of people last year and expects to see even more homeless people in need in 2017. 

 Mark Hewitt, founder of Love and Care Ministries, is asking Abilene residents to keep the poor and homeless in mind this holiday season because the success of Love and Care depends on Abilene’s continued support of ministries like his. 

“Whether a person gives $5 or $500, or clothing coats blankets or sleeping bags, we need all of the above because it’s only going to increase in 2017,” Hewitt said.  

The “it” Hewitt is talking about – Abilene’s homeless population. Hewitt says Love and Care expects to serve even more poor and homeless in the upcoming year. 

“Just walking in Love and Care, we’ve seen 1500 people. That number will probably increase in 2016, we’ve seen a lot more people.” 

Hewitt said 80 percent of the people love and care serves are working poor families. These families are trying to survive every day, and more than just meeting physical needs, Love and Care is invested in relationships with their neighbors. 

“I’ve been doing this for 22 years. The ultimate goal is not just to give someone a sandwich. We don’t just go off the basis that we hope they come in and get something to eat and they’re good. It’s all about building relationships, it may take years to help change someone.” 

For the last nine years, Gregory Thad Oxford, or Bonez for short, has been coming to Love and Care. Once a homeless alcoholic, he’s now off the streets working as a dishwasher and van driver for Hewitt, helping others in situations he’s familiar with. 

“The first time I met Mark Hewitt, he comes out of his back office and I drink some liquor that I had stolen,” Bonez said. “He looks at me and said Brother you don't have to live like that. And and instead of running me off or calling the police or anything, he just made me feel loved and let me know that there is another way out.”

Earlier in November, Love and Care received 11 trailers of clothing, canned food, coats, blankets, sleeping bags at their biggest fundraiser of the year, Mission Thanksgiving. 

“Abilene is the buckle on the Bible Belt,” Bonez said. “A lot of churches are actually trying to do the right thing and help feed the hungry and clothe the naked and in the process there they are in creating an environment where more homeless people can come in and survive. So there are getting to be more homeless people because of all the people that really care.”

So after 20 years in Abilene, Hewitt’s work is expanding. Love and Care opened another ministry in Merkel and just a month from now, they’ll be opening one in Clyde.