WS Chronicle

The Love Community Development Corporation (LCDC), 3980 N. Liberty St., is a local nonprofit that seeks to help the community in multiple ways.  Not only do workers assist with clothing and food, they also are helping individuals find employment.

The nonprofit was established on April 26, 1999, in High Point by Pastor Angeline Sumpter and moved to Winston-Salem in 2006, according to the LCDC website.  Sumpter says during a conversation with a friend she explained how she always wanted to have a building to perform community service out of.  Weeks later, that same friend contacted Sumpter to inform her she had a building for her, which brought her to Winston-Salem.

The owner of the building held off from selling it until Sumpter was able to raise the necessary funds.  She was able to raise enough to get the building in 2005 and hit the ground running with helping the surrounding community.

“When I got here, I rode around the neighborhood and did some research and saw that it was in need of some attention,” Sumpter said.  “I just love community service and it has really become part of who I am.”

According to Sumpter, Love Community Development Corporation assists close to 2,000 people per month with the services they offer to the community.  She says she has people come from all over the Triad area and beyond to come in for assistance.

They have partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank, Target and Food Lion to provide food for those in need.  Sumpter says it was imperative for her to include protein in the food packages the LCDC gives away because she knows that is part of a balanced diet, especially for the children.  The food pantry is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-4 p.m.

“Everyone gets tired of canned food. It will feed you and make you full, but you really want more, so we try our best here to provide meat here every week,” she said.  “We try and make sure we give them a variety of food, which is why I appreciate Food Lion and Target so much.”

Their clothes closet is designed to help people find clothing for purposes such as job interviews and attending church.  Many of the articles of clothing are donated from local churches and the community.

“We have people back there that are dress savvy to help people pick out what looks good and what doesn’t look good,” said Sumpter. 

Over the years, they have received so many positive responses from the people they assist,  Sumpter says, and those they have helped with employment are very appreciative of their help.  The JobLink assistance is available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It is a joy to my heart and it makes me feel like I’m accomplishing what God put me on this earth to do,” Sumpter said when asked about how it makes her feel to help the less fortunate.  “That’s one of the reasons why I named this place the Love Center because love is at the center of what we do.

“God has no one to show his love to the world but us,” she said.  “And we can’t show it with talk. It has to be done with action.”

Sumpter lives in the city of High Point but travels to the nonprofit building daily.  She says she really is indebted to the faithful volunteers who donate their time to keep LCDC running.  She says she incorporates the Word into their work because she knows that’s where they get their blessings and strength from.

Sumpter wants to continue to expand the reach of the LCDC by feeding people on a daily basis.  She also wants to start an afterschool program for kids that center on math and the sciences.

For more information about the programs the Love Community Development Corporation provides or wish to volunteer please call (336) 306-8119.