Loving Care Early Learning Center

The Loving Care Early Learning Center in Holdrege, in Holdrege, Nebraska has evolved into the largest and most highly respected childcare provider here in our region. With an efficiently run, fully-compliant operation since 2005 Jessica Russell turned her Christ-centered program into a full-blown, privately owned “Center” seven years ago, serving 55 families and their 85 children – limited in enrollment only by the size of the leased facility available to her. Due to needs of the church leasing space to the Loving Care program, Jessica was informed that her lease would not be renewed after December 31, 2025.  With no other compliant facility available for lease or purchase in our community, the Lord provided a temporary location with reduced capacity at the local Methodist Church in town as a stop-gap measure, but the only long term choice left, was to pursue construction of a new facility.

It was precisely at this point in the story that the Lord prompted GCI to join Him in a complex and challenging process to help meet this community crisis head on! In the past 17 months, Jim & JoAnn have partnered up with Jessica to:

1. Initially bring the Loving Care Center in under the nonprofit umbrella of Global Connection International to allow them to begin raising funds through local agencies and businesses for the new $2,000,000 facility.
2. Produce a set of floor plans and exterior drawings for the proposed 6,120 SF facility and arrange for its construction at a reputable, factory-built facility,
3. Establish a comprehensive construction budget & projected timeline,
4. Facilitate the cash purchase of a premier, commercial construction site on the main highway running north and south through town.
5. Begin building a great relationship with a local builder who we have now hired as the general contractor for the project, secure civil engineering services, local special use and  building permits from the City of Holdrege.
6. Help compose articles of incorporation and by laws, organize a board of directors, and acquire nonprofit status of their own with the State of Nebraska and the IRS for the Loving Care Early Learning Center.

Jim now serves as secretary of the board of directors, and Jessica has asked him to see the transition process through by serving as the Director of Communications and Project Oversight until the additional $1,500,000 is secured and the project completed. The Lord has given our entire team a quiet sense of unity and affirming assurance that He will complete what He clearly invited us to join Him in starting. Our prayer is that when He does, the story will ignite a fire under the pots of other ministries and churches throughout this region as they watch Him supply every need in ways beyond our ability and expectations!