In The News > Home Again; Loving God Out Loud Ministry Connects with Those in Need

Home again;
Loving God Out Loud ministry connects with those in need

TAMARA BROWNING STAFF WRITER
The State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)
February 19, 2006

Aaron Stull and his family came to Springfield from Las Vegas to help his mother only to discover that they all would need help.

The Stulls first came to Springfield in August 2003 and then again in October 2004 to help Barbara McCormick, who had back problems.

There were indignities ahead for McCormick, Aaron Stull and his wife, Tabitha, and their children.

McCormick moved in with Stull and his family in fall 2004, after she was evicted from her apartment. Then everyone was evicted from that apartment because of financial troubles.

An odyssey of homelessness continued for them that included days of walking the streets, staying at hotels and looking for help.

Eventually, they were introduced to Bobbie Hahn, founder and president of the not-for-profit ministry Loving God Out Loud, who gathered services to help the extended family. Hahn had learned that they needed a place to live through the Parent Help Line, a volunteer referral service for parents, caregivers and professionals caring for families, at St. John's Hospital (544-5808).

"I immediately started making calls to find a home for this family," said Hahn, who owns Bobbie's Wholesale Manufactured Homes and Two Sisters Mobile Home Finders.

"I met them and fell in love with their children and family," she said. "You could just see the stress of this family in their faces, and the grandma had just had surgery."

The family moved into a two-bedroom manufactured home at Forrest Avenue on April 18, 2005, with no money down, until they received their assistance check. Once they did, they made the down payment of $1,600 and paid all subsequent $250 per month payments on time. As of last November, the home was paid off.

"I couldn't express how excited I was. I was starting to get sick from being stressed so much. I have a crippled mother. I have three kids and a wife living in a little motel room," said Aaron Stull, who is a crew trainer for McDonald's on Ninth Street and North Grand Avenue.

"It feels great to actually be able to go from being homeless with nothing to actually I own my own house now."

Loving God Out Loud has helped several families like the Stulls find a home.

Local manufactured home park owners know Hahn and are aware of the ministry, Hahn said. Some homes are donated to the ministry, and some families take home ownership from a mobile home park through the ministry.

The ministry that (among other things) helps the homeless find a place to call home began in Hahn's residence more than two years ago.

It was an evening in October, and Hahn had invited some friends over for a "girls' night" that included the showing of the Christian video "Bad Girls of the Bible," by Liz Curtis Higgs. Twenty-seven women showed up. Hahn said that the group "had such a good time."

"A few days later, I received several phone calls asking me to please offer the video again so we can bring friends and family to see it, and get back together," Hahn said.

"We began carrying food and clothes to families in need. We reached out to women who had recently lost family members, and/or jobs, and single moms."

The ministry helped several families find jobs, assisted people with utility bills, groceries, Christmas dinners, toys and rides to doctor appointments and errands, plus furnished heaters this winter to those whose furnaces gave out. It has donated food to shelters.

"Loving God Out Loud is exactly what it sounds like. That's what we do with our lives. We do active service," Hahn said.

"The ministry was going to be called Hands and Feet Ministry initially because, basically, we are working with our community - people who have needs."

Barbara McCormick, who lived with her son's family at their Forrest Avenue home, received her own donated two-bedroom manufactured home at Northbrook Mobile Home Community in north Springfield. The ministry paid the back lot rent for McCormick's home as well as one month's lot rent.

"We had to fix all her busted pipes and toilet. We donated a couch, towels, sheets and other necessities for her home," Hahn said.

Mike McClain and his 18-year-old daughter had moved from Memphis, Tenn., only to end up living in the basement of a Springfield truck driver's home. Hahn met McClain through a friend from her church, First Assembly of God. McClain and his daughter now live in a two-bedroom manufactured home, also in Northbrook Mobile Home Community, that was donated. There are benefits to having a place of their own, McClain said.

"Don't have his rules to follow ... and I've got windows ... (my daughter) has her own space," said McClain, who works full-time as a carpenter. He also donates his time to help other tenants as his way of giving back.

Rhonda Carter of Decatur soon will have a manufactured home in the Park Ridge Mobile Home Park in Springfield thanks to homes donated to the ministry. Carter's home will need refurbishing.

Carter had moved to Decatur to care for a cousin who was dying from cancer. She and her husband, Jeff, plan to move to Springfield because their jobs are here. Rhonda works in home health care with the elderly, and Jeff works in heating and air conditioning.

"It's been really a difficult time trying to find a place," Carter said. Three of her children, ages 13, 14 and 15, and a grandchild, 6, will live at the home with her and Jeff. Carter's 22-year-old daughter and 2-year-old grandchild also will receive a home in Park Ridge.

"Thank God for the ministry and that there's people out there willing to help us," Carter said.

Hahn said that Loving God Out Loud helps others to share the hope of the Gospel and the salvation that has brought freedom to many.

"This kind of freedom brings goodness to a people who need to know God and his goodness and to know that they can have a second chance," she said.

"It is our duty as part of the church to show people God's love, to love God out loud with our lives, not just by what we say, but by what we do."

Rita Monkman-Tarr, executive director of Contact Ministries, said the homeless shelter for women and their children is looking forward to working with Hahn in providing homes for homeless people.

"We're trying to identify another family who would work with this program, and also talking about working with them even with some of their other programs," Monkman-Tarr said.

"I'm very excited about it. This is a wonderful program to have here in the community, actually putting people right into the homes and then still being able to help provide them with services."

Loving God Out Loud is supported through donations and fundraising. The ministry could use office space, food donations and gift certificates, and home store gift certificates.

The ministry also is seeking locations at which to sell raffle tickets for a fundraiser. The prize is a $2,000 vacation package (seven nights in a one-bedroom condominium that sleeps four; the winner chooses from more than 1,200 resorts), plus $1,000 spending money.

The drawing will be held at 5 p.m. April 15 at the new location of Royal Oaks Nissan, 4801 W. Wabash Ave. Tickets are available at Royal Oaks Nissan at Cook Street and Dirksen Parkway.

Proceeds will go primarily to the moving and refurbishing of manufactured homes and to keeping the ministry going. The ministry also is pursuing a grant.

Want more info?

• WHO: Loving God Out Loud.
• WHAT: A ministry devoted to helping others.
• WHEN: Meets evenings every second Monday of the month (open to the public); next meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 13; mentorship classes will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 9 and 23, April 6.
• WHERE: Monthly meetings at the Crisis Pregnancy Center, 1220 S. Seventh St.; mentorship classes at the iWorshipCenter (formerly First Assembly of God Church), 130 W. Carpenter St.
• MORE INFO: Visit www.lovinggodoutloud.com. Donations may be sent to Loving God Out Loud, P.O. Box 151, Springfield, IL 62705.