A Cycle of Generosity and Goodness

The Love Seat is Love Columbia’s distribution center for basic essentials needed by our neighbors and a place to shop, work and volunteer for anyone who wants to see love in action. Since 2008, The Love Seat has accepted donated furniture, housewares and clothing and matched them with the needs of our neighbors in crisis or transition. In 2010, The Love Seat resale store was established to support and expand the capacity of the work.

Through the years, The Love Seat has provided:

• An average of 400 households per year with essential items they could not afford to purchase.
• Employment to over 150 people who needed an opportunity to gain work experience and build their confidence in a loving, supportive atmosphere.
• Volunteer opportunities to hundreds of community members who help process and deliver the donations of thousands of neighbors who are willing to share their belongings with others.

What you see when you come to The Love Seat is a perpetual cycle of generosity and goodness that will fill your heart with joy and show you that everyone’s skills and contributions are needed. This month, we want to highlight some of the people who make the work happen and who will tell you their lives have been changed in the process.

The Love Seat is located at 2600 Rangeline St. Columbia, MO 65202. Come and shop with us Monday - Friday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Saturday, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

Never Too Old to Volunteer

Edwina Prinster is a very young 84 year old. She started volunteering with Love Columbia six years ago and says, “The relationships I’ve formed have changed and greatly enriched my life.” 

Relationship is key for Edwina. She coached three women through our 16-week Extra Mile money management program and is still in close contact with them all. Edwina says she started financial coaching with trepidation because she isn’t great at math and had never coached anyone before. “It all worked out great in the end because the budgets were small and the women mostly needed a safe place to share their concerns and get support to take steps forward,” Edwina said.

Edwina was much more confident stepping into a volunteer role at The Love Seat. She immediately tackled the donated items that needed the most loving care. She takes great pride in scrubbing a cooking pot or pan until it shines with its original luster.

Edwina calls The Love Seat “a sacred place” where every person and donated item is lovingly brought to its fullest beauty and usefulness. She encourages everyone to volunteer, no matter how old (or young), with this invitation: “It is an oasis for one and all.”

Finding My Calling

A friend encouraged Brandon Pepper to volunteer to meet new people and become less isolated after going through a difficult time in his life. After a year of volunteering at The Love Seat, Brandon accepted a position in the electronics department. He says, “I was so on board with what they were doing, I wanted to be there full-time.”

Brandon recalls being very impacted by delivering furniture to families in great need. He felt the work was extremely important and it gave him a sense of purpose and significance to be part of it. “The thing that surprised me the most is that it's softened my heart to realize that little things really matter," he said. "And that's why I love the Love Seat so much is because we're taking literal trash and making it useful. It's just this happy cycle where the people donating to us get rid of a burden and we help someone in need rather than throwing it in the trash."

Brandon said his own life has improved through helping others. He is no longer isolated and meets new people from all walks of life everyday. “Working at the Love Seat has shown me that family and community matter and I can make a difference," he said. "I always wanted to help others, but didn’t know how. Now I’m doing it every day and it feels like I’ve found my calling. When I finally came out of my hole, I was given this great sense of purpose and belonging where now I can take the skills I was given and help as many people as possible. Even something as simple as giving them a smile or making them laugh, was everything that I was called to do.”

Opening Doors for Second Chances

Shon Haywood has been employed at The Love Seat for over two years. He enjoys picking up and delivering furniture as it gives him the opportunity to meet people he would never have met and see how resources are connected with needs in the community. “This job has been really helpful for me," he said. "I wasn't a people person, but now I am. I know how to interact with and do well with others. I ask if I need help and am able to help others.”

Shon said he has enjoyed picking up furniture in neighborhoods unlike those he grew up in. "I've really gotten to meet people who are different than me," he said. Shon also appreciates the opportunities The Love Seat provides for employment. “The Love Seat helps people reentering into society. They are always open to helping people and especially people that need second chances. This place opens doors for them. It also teaches them work ethic alongside other guys who never had jobs like this before.”

Shon shared he has never experienced a place like The Love Seat before. “It's like I’m in a big family here," he said. "If you need help with anything, you can count on people here. They’ve got a sincerity. They help you out of love.” Shon shared that he is grateful to have received a truck repair through Love Columbia so he could get to work and be able to take care of his son. He is also excited to be enrolled in programs to learn money management and how to improve his credit.

Giving to Leave A Legacy

Jenny Clark, retired physician and long time supporter of Love Columbia, has now made giving a family affair. She and her brother have donated numerous oil paintings created by their father, Dr. Joel Knapp. These beautiful, framed, impressionistic landscapes will be available for purchase at The Love Seat and at the Love Columbia Center. Jenny says the mission of Love Columbia aligns well with her father’s life of service and will be a perfect way for him to leave a legacy. Jenny, who said her dad had his own style, hopes sharing his work will encourage others to find freedom in developing their own unique expressions of their gifts and talents.

What The Love Seat Needs Most

The Love Seat receives more requests than it can meet. To expand capacity, we need:

1.       More essential furniture donations – beds, dressers, tables, chairs and sofas

2.       More volunteers to serve on a regular basis

3.       More volunteers to join the moving team to help with periodic moves

For more details email volunteer@lovecolumbia.org

To learn how to donate to the Love Seat: columbialoveseat.org/donations

The Love Seat Furniture Bank

The Furniture Bank provides donated furniture to families and individuals who are in crisis or transition. Without the Furniture Bank, many Columbians would not have a bed for their children to sleep in, a table to eat on, or clothing to wear to a job interview.

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Special Giving Opportunity | Car Savings Matching Fund

Help us drive change in our community by supporting our Car Savings Matching Fund to help low-income workers save for and purchase cars by matching their savings up to $500 and offering no-interest loans.

Your donation will be matched by a generous donor, effectively doubling your impact to help secure reliable transportation for our clients. Together, we can ensure that everyone has the means to move forward towards a brighter future.