The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and Ambassadors recently surprised the dedicated team at Loving Shepherd Ministries by naming them the June Member of the Month. Located at 1935 N. Main Street in Bluffton, LSM has been making a significant impact on vulnerable children around the world since its inception in 2002.
LSM was established by Ed Schwartz and Doug Isch with the mission to support the world’s most vulnerable children in reaching their God-given potential. They achieve this by creating and sustaining families, engaging the Church both domestically and internationally, and developing educational and business opportunities.
Ed Schwartz’s background as a pastor and foster parent inspired the creation of LSM. Realizing the need for an organization to assist families in adopting, Schwartz partnered with Isch, who was seeking a career in non-profit work. Together, they spent several months planning before opening their doors in July 2002.
Since then, LSM has expanded significantly. The Homes of Hope program in Haiti finds local Haitian couples to act as parents for groups of 12 boys or girls, partnering with local churches to identify suitable parents. Today, LSM operates 24 Homes of Hope and employs over 200 Haitians. They also run two schools and a post-high school campus in Haiti, as well as a for-profit business producing high-quality concrete blocks and aggregate.
In Ethiopia, LSM shifted to a family preservation approach, supporting over 100 single mothers and 250 children by helping mothers start businesses. Locally, LSM supports foster and adoptive families with counseling services. Isch explained, “Globally, we help vulnerable children through three programs: building Homes of Hope in Haiti for over 250 children, supporting single mothers in Ethiopia with business skills, and focusing on foster care and adoption in the U.S. with counseling and guidance.”
The LSM building in Bluffton serves many purposes such as an education wing, where church groups, school groups, and other visitors can tour and learn about LSM’s programs. There is an event center for guest speakers and a warehouse for supplies destined for Haiti. They also pack gospel kits for distribution to Haiti.
“Being a ministry here in Bluffton is a blessing. This community is generous, encouraging, and supportive. We’re grateful for the support we’ve received over the past 22 years and for the opportunity to help vulnerable children globally,” Isch expressed.
For more information about Loving Shepherd Ministries and their work, visit their website at www.loving-shepherd.org, contact their office at 824-9000, or visit 1935 N. Main Street, Bluffton, IN.
