Tim is a long time resident of Anchorage.  He grew up here and went to Dimond High School.  He and his wife have lived here their entire married life of 11 years.  But six of those years, Tim spent in prison.  Tim was recently released from incarceration and was ready to pick up the pieces of his life again.  He had so much going for him.  His wife had waited for him to get out, and they were still together.  She had a job, so they had an income.  His church was sticking by them and welcoming him back.  But the bills were stacking up.  Tim couldn't get a job and the resources he looked into were not available to him.  

 

Tim pursued every avenue he could think of.  Looking for financial resources, he was blocked because what his wife earned kept him from qualifying for assistance. But even with her income, they still had far more going out than was coming in.  Tim was going through Cook Inlet Tribal Counsel and using their computers to look for employment.  A counselor worked with him there.  The counselor did what he could to help Tim him find a job, but his prison record kept him from getting interviews.  For four months this went on.  At the end of that time, their resources were exhausted.

 

"We literally didn't have the two dollars to get on the next bus," Tim explained.   And the bus was the only way for him to get around.  Tim needed transportation for meetings with his probation officer at least once a week, plus other groups he was required to attend.  He didn't know where to turn.  It never occurred to him to go to his church for help.  But a friend from their church, Chapel By the Sea, saw their dilemma and told Tim's wife about the ministry of Love INC.  The friend recommended to her that Tim give Love INC a call. 

 

They made the call together.  "When I went to Love INC, we were at the end of our rope. We were completely broke." The volunteer he spoke to first made him feel completely comfortable and was very encouraging.  So was the volunteer who got him a bus pass. Perhaps a bus pass doesn't seem like that much of a help, but it was all that Tim needed to move forward.  The fact that he no longer had to worry about the bus schedule allowing him to make a round trip on one ticket  helped in the job search so much that he was able to get an interview.  The interview led to a job.  And what a great job it was.   As it turned out, that four months wait was God's timing.  Tim got a job where he not only loves the work, but he also gets along with everyone there.  "There was no way I could do this on my own.  When no one else was helping me out, Love INC came and helped me out.  We are very grateful for the help we received.  We want to give God the glory."