Love Rockford offers essential resources to community members
Now in its fifth year, this event brings food, clothing, and mental health resources to people in the community who are in need of physical, emotional, or financial support.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - One local non-profit organization makes a difference in the community, offering essential resources to those who need it most.
Now in its fifth year, this event brings food, clothing, and mental health resources to people in the community who are in need of physical, emotional, or financial support.
“It’s a really wonderful event,” said Libby Knopp, Jeremiah Development volunteer.
Knopp is one of the 90 volunteers that help out to make the Jeremiah Development Love Rockford event happen every year.
“The residents that come in and take part in it are truly grateful for the services that we can provide during the day. Any food, lunch, haircut, advice, flu shot, COVID testing,” Kopp said.
Event organizer Calvin Culpepper says the fifth annual event provides residents in need with physical, emotional, and financial support.
“They all out here kinda helping them, instead of them going to five different places during the week or month, they an come down here one day and get to talk to five or six different entities and that’s a good thing, so it helps them out institutional wise,” Culpepper said.
Culpepper feels the pandemic makes it even harder for people to get the resources that they need.
“People have needs and we are so glad that we’re able to be part of that, that enrichment in their lives,” Culpepper said.
Knopp says she participates every year because it’s a rewarding experience to help those in need.
“I think watching the gratitude that is expressed by the participants,” Knopp said. “They’re all so happy to receive any services we can provide them. They’re so receptive to all of it, it’s a really wonderful event and I would hope that the community side would hear about it, as opposed to just the neighboring area.”
Culpepper says he hopes to offer an event like this to people monthly, not just on a yearly basis. That way people can always have the resources they need to get through whatever they might be dealing with.
The even is currently organized by Jeremiah Development and three local Rockford churches, however, Culpepper says organizers look to possibly expand the event in the future.
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