What we believe

Poverty isn’t just material

A lack of physical resources, such as money or housing, does not fully define poverty. Poverty is systemic and rooted in multiple issues: relationships, addiction, self-esteem, mental illness, lack of access to resources, childhood circumstances and abuse. Individuals can have a poverty of being, impacting every part of who they are. Therefore, in addressing poverty we must do more than just address the physical needs.

Relationships are key

We believe that relationships are the first steps in addressing poverty. Relationships impact us on every level. Having people who support us, cheer us on, correct us and mimic life for us is an invaluable resource. Relationships focus on the individual, seeing them for who they are and addressing their needs from a place of knowing instead of assuming. Relationships level the playing field between individuals, and the journey out of poverty becomes an effort shouldered together instead of walked alone.

People are not statistics

Every person experiencing poverty is exactly that: a person, with a story, a personality, a heart and mind, a history, hurts and pain, skills and abilities and needs, all different from the next person. No one person is the same, therefore no one tactic will work in addressing poverty. Who each person is and what they uniquely need are essential in the equation.

Jesus matters

Who Jesus is, His life, death and resurrection and the way He lived His life, serving and loving the poor, outcast, orphan and stranger serve as the lifeblood of our ministry. We believe that the best way to change our city is to be like Jesus in every way: to live the way He did, serve the way He served and give our lives to the work of God’s kingdom.

Justice
matters

The Bible calls us to fight for justice in the lives of the poor and outcast. So what is justice? True justice exists when an individual is completely free to be exactly who God created them to be; free from bondage and captivity, free from oppression, free from mistreatment and free from prejudice. We are called to stand between the oppressed and the oppressor, making sure that they get the chance to live the life that God created them to live.

Ownership
matters

The Hub believes that rebuilding dignity, value and worth in the lives of the poor is essential in their transition out of poverty. The Lovewell Center and Purchased: Not for Sale function as earning and participation based ministries, teaching the value of earning and giving a platform for individuals to learn how to participate in their lives changing. We believe that every person is created with abilities, skills, talents and the innate desire to create and participate in life. The Hub is committed to seeing the poor become exactly who they are capable of becoming.

Poverty affects everything

Poverty is a systemic issue, therefore it causes systemic problems and can affect every area of a person’s life and a community. Crime, hunger, unemployment, homelessness, drug related crimes and issues, dropout rates, incarceration rates, sexual exploitation and sex trafficking are all systemic issues driven by poverty. When a community has a significant poverty population, they will see an impact in many areas of their community.

Restoration changes everything

When God restores a person, he gives them back more than they lost and restores them to a better state than when He found them. The restoration of God is not merely physical, but impacts every part of who we are. Restoration returns someone’s freedom, their future, their destiny and gives the things necessary to become who God created us to be. Restoration puts a life back together physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.