93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
Love Columbia says one in five Columbia residents live in poverty, adding that many others struggle to make ends meet. The organization’s website says they serve anyone in Columbia who is struggling to provide for their basic needs or improve their life and who wants help to create a path forward. Love Columbia co-founder and executive director Jane Williams joined host Fred Parry in-studio for the hour Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable.” Ms. Williams grew up in western Missouri’s Platte City, and she earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Mizzou, including a master’s in social work. Her first job was at Columbia’s Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and she later worked at Boone Hospital Center. She later met neighbor Pamela Ingram, who founded Granny’s House, a non-profit that has served public housing children near Columbia’s Douglass park area for more than two decades. Ms. Ingram has since passed away. Her work inspired Ms. Williams, who founded Love INC, which is now Love Columbia. Ms. Williams tells listeners that listening is important, adding that the greatest poverty is relational poverty. Love Columbia provided more than $871,000 in financial assistance in 2023, and they funded 218 vehicle repairs. Transportation is a key issue for many clients, who have older vehicles, if they have one at all. Love Columbia also provides individual coaching in five specific areas: budgeting, credit building, career/job search, housing search and life purpose. Mr. Parry and Ms. Williams also addressed Columbia’s growing homeless population:
Chance, Dawn and their children are just a few of the thousands of people who have been helped by Love INC and Love Columbia over the years (undated photo courtesy of the Love Columbia website)
