Laura and James Ritchie’s vision of helping the less fortunate began 10 years ago in Charlotte, North Carolina. They would gather with friends or just go by themselves to provide food and love to the less fortunate.

They moved to Austin, Texas in 2013, where they continued to serve people as much as they could with the resources and finances they had. A couple of years later, they met friends with the same hearts that loved to give their time and resources.

In October of 2018, Laura and James were attending their local church when their pastor’s words sparked a vision for Laura to take their ministry to the next level. They were taught from the Bible to love one another (1 John 3:11). After hearing their pastor put it in a different context (Love One and Then Another), a vision was born. After much research and conversing with other charities, Lighter Loads Ministries came to light.