At Love Community Center in the heart of Rush County stands a place where compassion meets purpose: a space lovingly built by and for the community it serves.
Darilyn Bedel helps manage the food pantry at Love Community Center and remembers when the vision for the community center first took shape.
“I’d always dreamed of having a food pantry, social services, and senior support all in one place,” she said.
Darilyn Bedel has seen the Love Community Center transform from a mere vision to a multi-purpose community space servicing all of Rush County.
At the time, it seemed like a long shot. Families in Rush County had to travel long distances — to towns like Richmond, Anderson, or Greensburg — just to access basic support services. While the local library downtown was much-loved, it was aging quickly. Parents undergoing supervised visits with their children had nowhere to do so in private and often resorted to a McDonald’s or Wendy’s. The food pantry was also less accessible to neighbors.
Bedel and other board members knew bringing those essentials under one roof could enhance the lives of many community members.
“If we could bring it all in-house, that would simplify everything,” Bedel said.
So, that’s exactly what they did. Over five years of planning, countless meetings, a generous grant from Lilly and another one from Gleaners, the space had transformed into one where community members could go to enhance every aspect of their well-being: the Love Community Center.
Today, Love Community Center serves as the location for the Rushville Public Library, the Senior Center, the Rush County Recreational Center, social services and much more. It’s so vast that a way-finding sign, like you might find in the center of a town, is situated in the middle of the welcome center, guiding members to various services throughout the building.
Love Community Center was intentionally designed to promote total wellness. There’s a wait list for cooking classes, a daycare, and an indoor pool complete with lap lanes. “If we can improve the health of our community, then everybody wins,” Bedel said.
Love Community Center is elevating the health of Rush County residents in one stop.
Beyond the programs and amenities, the Rush County Food Pantry has implemented an innovative grocery-style shopping experience for neighbors. Instead of receiving a pre-packed bag of groceries, neighbors shop the pantry like a store, empowering them to pick whatever food they want — a decision that leads to happier neighbor satisfaction and cuts down on food waste.
You can feel the gratitude of having a space that’s a one-stop shop for community members in the words of Ruth Ann Weatherly, a local resident and regular visitor.
“I thought this was the greatest thing that ever happened,” she said. “It’s a beautiful space.”
Ruth Ann understands firsthand how much this kind of community support means. After four years working in the schools, Ruth Ann had to leave her job due to serious health issues, including blood clots and cancer.
With one income now supporting her household for this first time in her life, the rising cost of groceries and bills became overwhelming. “We had two incomes. Now we’re down to one. So, this helps us keep going. We love it, and that’s not just in the name,” she said.
Love Community isn’t just a name. It’s what happens when vision, trust, and heart come together all under one roof!
