Our Team

Annette Macias

Executive Director

Annette is honored and excited to be a part of the Love INC ministry. She is an active member of Yosemite Church and has enjoyed being one of the worship leaders there for several years. Being a part of the Christian community for over thirty years has allowed her to develop connections and relationships of which she is delighted to bring to this ministry as your Executive Director. Along with her husband, Rick, they had the privilege of owning Christian Connection Bookstore for sixteen years.

“We were grateful to continue this ministry through Hope Christian Stores for six years where I was manager. We serve a God who asks us to love both in word and deed. We are not just meeting the physical needs, but we are here to meet spiritual needs as well. We are sent out to bring hope and Love in the name of Christ.”

Julie Belloli

Clearinghouse Coordinator

Julie has two grown daughters and a grandson. She has attended Yosemite Church for the past 11 years, volunteering and having the privilege to work in Care Ministry. During this time God has grown her heart and opened her eyes to the needs of others around the local community. Being a lifelong resident of Merced she has seen many changes in our city with the needs of the population increasing. 

“I am excited to come on board as a part of the Love INC team and to continue serving those in the community in a new capacity.”

Jim Haeflinger

Furniture Driver

Jim has attended Creekside Church for the past 9 years. He is on staff as their Facility Manager. Jim is thankful for God answering his prayer and opening the door to work in the Love INC furniture ministry. He enjoys working with the Men from the Mission and encouraging them and hearing their stories.

One of Jim’s favorite thing is to see how excited and surprised the children are when they receive their beds. Jim is grateful for each new day and for the Love INC Family.

Board Members

Mark Seivert

President

Mark has been involved on many board over the years including Red Cross, Merced Food Bank, Merced Breakfast Lions, and community Foundation of Merced County.

He wants to provide his skill set to help Love INC to continue to help those in need in our community. Mark grew up in the Catholic church, spent many years at Yosemite Church, and currently is helping plant a new church, Atwater community Church, in the McSwain/Atwater area.

Sheila Quall

Vice President

Sheila was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Maryland. She accepted Christ as her savior while in her sophomore year at the university of Maryland, and was active in Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship. She met her husband Bob during her senior year when he was working in Virginia. The later moved to Santa Barbra where she received her teaching credential.

They moved to Merced in 1970, and she stayed home to raise a family of three children. She then returned to teaching for 20 years, working in special education. She is volunteer tutor for adult literacy program at the Merced County Library, at CASA, and a mentor for the Fresno Pacific University special-education credential program. She and Bob are active at Central Presbyterian Church, and have led medical mission trips to Kenya and other African countries every two years since 1994.

Sheila and Bob have been married for 53 years, and enjoy spending time with their families, including seven grandchildren. They love to travel whenever possible.

Sheila looks forward to being a part of Love INC’s mission to share the love of Jesus and practical and meaningful ways that enable people to make positive life changes and grow deeper in the knowledge and experience of God.

Kathy Wyman

Board Secretary

Kathy was born and raised in Merced. Her family left for a few years because her father was in the Air Force. They lived in Hawaii and New Jersey. She had one son, Kristopher. She now has fur babies, 2 dogs and 4 cats. She retired from Merced County Office of Education in 2012.

She attends Yosemite Church and she was re-baptized as an adult. She currently is one of the Yosemite Church’s Grief Share leaders and she also is part of Yosemite Church’s Crisis to Community group. Kathy also participates in the Yosemite Church Food Pantry.

Kathy started volunteering at Love INC in the spring of 2017 and is one of the leaders in the Love Plus classes that Love INC offers. She is also a Love INC board member. She states, “I am very honored to be a Love INC volunteer. Love INC does so much for the people in our community. I also strongly believe in the Love Plus program, which assists people to become productive and caring individuals.”

Kathy Borgwardt

Treasurer

Born at Castle Air Force Base, Kathy has been in the area all her life. She is married and has two grown children as well as two grandchildren. Family is especially important to her. Being raised here herself and raising her family here has allowed her to see all the growth and changes the region has gone through.

Kathy is a bookkeeper by trade. Her skill set, love of puzzles and numbers, along with her compassion for others, she hopes will bring an enrichment to the board.

While she sits on the board, her husband Don is also a great contributor as a volunteer at Love Inc. Seeing the true nature of Love INC along with its heart and love for people is why she has wanted to join and see if she can be an asset to the growth and giving that they accomplish every day in the community.

Allen Huddleston

Board Member

Pastor Allen Huddleston was born in Merced, California to Frances and Thomas Huddleston. He married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Huddleston, in 1981 and the two have been married for 42 years. Together, they have one son, Allen S. Huddleston II, a daughter in-law, Sati Huddleston, and one grandson, Teegran Allen, who keeps a smile on his face constantly, He is a proud grandpa!

Under his leadership, the St Matthew Baptist Church has partnered with love Inc. and started a Shower Ministry for our homeless brothers and sisters at St. Matthew Baptist Church. 

He is excited about the opportunity to serve on the Love INC board. He believes it’s another part of the vineyard that God called him to work. He accepted the opportunity to serve as a board member for Love In The Name Of Christs because it affords him the opportunity to share Jesus Christs while blessing those in need. The work that Love INC is committed to is needed in our community. We are literally the hands and feet of God. Lives are being changed by the commitment of Love INC. He considers it a blessing to play a small part in the changes.

Corky Schroeder

Board Member

My name is Alvin (Corky) Schroeder. I have lived in Merced County all my life where I was raised on a dairy near Winton and attended local schools. I attended a small Mennonite Church with my family and received Jesus as my Lord and Savior as teenager and have been active in local churches in the greater Merced area. I have been married for 51 years, raised three children, and have 4 wonderful grandchildren.

I served my community as a vocational teacher for 26 years. I now serve as an Elder at the Hope Church in Atwater. I have also spent the last year and a half using my spiritual gifts as a board member with Love INC of Greater Merced. This has been good experience as I have had an opportunity to serve those who are in need.

Eric Swenson

Board Member

Eric is currently serving his third term on the Love INC Board. In the past he helped start the Love Plus Ministry and served as treasurer. Currently Eric leads the homeless shower ministry. His family attends Gateway Community Church in Merced.

Eric is married to his lovely wife Diane and will soon be celebrating his 43rd anniversary. His two children, their families, including 4 grandchildren, all live in Merced. Eric enjoys playing pickleball and considers himself semi-retired with full retirement planned for
2025.

Hub Walsh

Board Member

Hub Walsh is currently the Vice Chairperson of the Love Inc Board. Hub’s volunteering with Love Inc  Board and furniture ministry is because of his support of the church ‘s service to the less fortunate of our community. Hub was raised in a christian family who were active in church. Hub’s father was in the US Air Force and thus moved often. Hub has been married to Rita Arzamendi Walsh for forty three years. Rita is presently a kindergarten teacher.  Hub is a father of two and grandparent of three. Hub and Rita are actively engaged in their church, Creekside Evangelical Free, as well as supporters of a variety of faith based community organizations.

Hubert (Hub) Walsh is a presently a partner of Walsh Cassady, & Walsh , a consulting firm focusing on organizational and community solutions in an ever changing world.  He spent 43 years in community service in Merced and Madera Counties. He was Director of Madera County Social Services for almost a decade, and had 25+ years of service with Merced County Human Services. Additionally,  Hub Walsh has almost two decades of elected government service in Merced. He was the City of Merced Mayor and City Council member, as well as Merced County Supervisor, District 2.

Manny Souza

Board Member

Manny Souza a sinner saved by the Grace of God through the blood of Jesus! Thankful to be able to share the saving knowledge of Jesus to the greater Merced Area through serving on the board of Love INC! Sharing the blessings God has trusted to me in the hope that my neighbors may see and experience the same Salvation that God has given to me! I am excited to be a small part of God’s work in Merced as we work to build and exhort the work of the local churches.

Rob Mansfield

Board Member

In January 2017, Rob answered Jesus’s call. With renewed and restored hope, faith, and love in Jesus. He is on staff at Gateway Church as the Connections Coordinator. He is found weekly at the homeless shower ministry,  preaching the gospel through labor and emotional comfort.

Rob and Rosie Mansfield have been married since 2001. They met and married in Mexico City and lived there for five years before coming to California. They can be found throughout Merced walking and enjoying time with their ESA fur babies, Karmito & Chiquita, in their free time.

Rob looks forward to sharing all that Jesus is to those in darkness. Looking for those who desire change and helping them connect to Jesus and His co-labors that help provide it.

Our Volunteers

Cindy

Volunteer

In December 2020 my family and I were exposed to Covid. My husband tested positive and my sons and I were negative. With my boys and I in quarantine for two weeks and my husband in self isolation it was pretty tough. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping yet and I hadn’t  even started on Christmas gifts.

So I began to pray Psalm 107:19 over my home. It says in the psalm , “They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction.”

Meanwhile when I was covering my family in prayer, God was already working.

Love inc & Yosemite Church came together with boxes filled with everything we needed plus  more. It wasn’t just normal boxes, they were filled with meats, cheeses, yogurts, bread, toilet paper and so much more! Everything my family needed.

They even put a gift card to help buy Christmas gifts to put under our tree, because we had none. No one knew exactly what we needed but God knew and went above and beyond those needs.

While filling my fridge, I felt such a relief and with this overwhelming peace I knew everything was going to be OK. My family was going to eat and even have a little something to open on Christmas day.

I thought to myself, gosh I’m on the other end, because you never know what it feels like to be in dire need and have those needs met in such a scary situation. So after that thought, the desire rose up in me to serve others the way I was served.

How can I not give back and help Restore hope in others how my hope was restored. Love in the name of Christ was my answer. I didn’t want to wait for a need or situation to arise. I wanted to serve others now and Love INC is a ministry that helps  others in helpless situations every day. I wanted to be a part of that.

In January when everyone was well and back to normal, I thought,  “ You know what? I have the time…I have the desire….and I have the calling!”

That’s when I contacted Bre and expressed my desire.  She was so happy to hear from me and welcomed me and didn’t overwhelm me. She worked around my time and schedule to come in and serve.

Now everyone gets a little nervous starting something new you know? New place, new faces, I hope they like me…. But they welcomed me, and they were so kind, and so excited to meet me and have me there.

They made me feel so good. I was making new friends and locking arms with people who had the same calling all while helping others.

Filling out the application was quick and easy. It helps them get to know me and my gifts and desires so that when I go out and serve they won’t put me in a place where I’m not confident or uncomfortable.

My time there since has been so fulfilling.

It says in Isaiah 58:10 “ …. and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday.”

This is a place where I can let my light shine.

Susan Avelar & Don Borgwardt

Furniture Coordinator & Home Visits

Alex

Volunteer

My name is Alex. In 2019 my kids were put in foster care by their mother. Unfortunately, I started drinking and ended up homeless, due to my poor decision making.

I found myself looking for an opportunity to find a positive environment for my children, so I moved from Massachusetts to Merced. I tried everything I could to get my kids back in a stable home environment, and that meant I needed some furniture. I contacted Love INC and after a conversation, they helped me get the furniture that my family and I needed. I wanted to volunteer because I believe in service work, and when you help others, you help yourself.

I called Love INC and they needed some help in the furniture ministry, which is my career background so I began volunteering to help deliver furniture. My experience has been amazing!

I can honestly say that I didn’t find Love INC, Love INC found me! My children are back home with me, I am now an usher at Yosemite Church and I am so grateful to God!

Join Our Team of Volunteers

Our Partner Churches

Christian churches from across at least six denominations partner together to form a Love INC. Within these partnerships, Love INC serves as the scaffolding upon which greater growth is possible. However, it is the Christians in these churches who model Christ’s love and answer God’s call to serve. Working together as the body of Christ, we can best love and serve our community.

Calvary Assembly of God

Calvary Baptist Merced

Calvary Chapel of Merced

Central Presbyterian Church

Christian Life Center

Church Women United

Creekside Evangelical Free

First Baptist Church

Gateway Community Church

Kingdom Ranch Ministries

Merced Bethel Seventh-Day Adventist

See All of Our Partners