LUM
Camp 2004 Where Creativity Runs Wild
The flashlights and bug spray are packed, the pool is filled,
the horses are groomed, and in just one short week LUM Camp
will re-convene for it's 32nd annual session! Eighty boys
and girls ages 810 will be in attendance this year.
They come from families that have recently been assisted
by the Lafayette Urban Ministry. Thanks to over 250 individual
LUM Camp donors, these special young people will experience
one of the most memorable weeks of their lives.
There will be all the traditional camp activities like
swimming, hiking, campfires, morning chapel, riding horses,
sleeping in cabins, and all those great camp songs. But
this year we'll also place a special program emphasis on
the arts. Through workshops on dance, art, music, and drama,
the campers will experience a broad variety of visual and
performing arts. Twenty-five of our community's most talented
children's educators will be at camp to teach and lead activities.
Over 30 energetic and enthusiastic LUM Camp Counselors will
provide a three to one camper to counselor ratio.
LUM Camp helps children gain confidence, develop a love
of learning, overcome new challenges and to grow in self-esteem.
It provides them quality time with caring adults. In fun,
wholesome, and positive ways LUM Camp provides children
with the tools they need to be successful in life. Through
the years over 2,400 local children have participated. There's
nothing quite like it!
LUM Camp takes place during the week of June 1418
at Pine Creek United Methodist Camp in Warren County. Please
remember the children that week in your prayers. Thank you
for what you have made possible!
Camperships
still needed
LUM Camp is a very large undertaking that requires
significant financial support. Last year, the rising cost
of facilities, buses, program, and staff outpaced the financial
support from our LUM Camp donors. The LUM board has responded
by shortening camp in 2004 from a 5-day program to a 4-day
program.
We've registered 80 very special children for LUM Camp.
They would never have the opportunity to attend a summer
campmuch less a camp like oursif it weren't for your friendship
and financial support. If you've already contributed - thank
you very much! If you haven't, please know that your gift
of a full or partial $110 campership is still needed. Place
your check in the enclosed envelope and return it today.
Me?
A LUM Camp Counselor?
Volunteer counselors are the heartbeat of LUM
Camp. They instill confidence, rejoice at accomplishment,
build esteem, and support each child through the wonderful
week that is LUM Camp. It takes 24 adult counselors to fully
staff camp, but with the start of camp just one week away
we still need 6 volunteers.
Would you, or someone you know, make a good counselor?
Camp takes place during the week of June 14th to 18th. Volunteers
must be at least 18 years old, enjoy working with children,
and be available to spend the entire week at camp. A comfy
bunk in a rustic cabin is waiting for you. All you need
is the availability and willingness to have a fun week with
a great group of children. Call Joe Micon 423-2691, ext.
20 or e-mail at lum@lafayetteurbanministry.org.
Removing
suffering from childhood
by Mary Anderson, Acting Executive Director
"Suffer the little children to come unto me"
were the words written in elaborate script under the picture
of Jesus and the children in one of my early Sunday school
rooms. I had trouble connecting "suffer" with
those smiling faces and the calm demeanor of Jesus. I came
to learn that "suffer"could mean "allow,"
as in this verse, as well as the more common sense of feeling
pain or distress.
Now, so many years later, I can all too often connect
"suffer" with children, and in the context of
real pain and distress. The 2001 Yearbook: The State of
America's Children by the Children's Defense Fund offers
a bleak picture of being young in America. Each day in America:
- 10 children under 20 die from firearms.
- 1,354 babies are born to teen moms.
- 1,951 babies are born into poverty.
- 2,911 students drop out of high school.
- 4,342 children are arrested.
These are not just the problems of large cities. These
are the problems of rural areas, of small towns, of our
own cities and county. In Tippecanoe County, the Indiana
Youth Institute reports the number of CHINS (Children in
Need of Services, filed with the courts) has doubled since
1990 (from 74 to 149). Twenty percent of all our school
students qualify for free school lunches. The number of
available child care vouchers (to help low-income working
parents with child care costs) has dropped by 20% in the
last two years. Eight percent of our public school children
drop out before graduating.
But there is a contrast to this bleak picture. At Lafayette
Urban Ministry, we are actively working to change the lives
of our community's children. We are surrounded by small
successes, changing lives and lots of smiles. Thirty-five
children have participated in our Afterschool Program this
year, allowing their parents to finish their work day while
the children are in a wonderful, supervised, enriching environment.
Homework is the priority, with religious education, enrichment
and just plain fun coming after school work is finished.
Andrea Penner, who is leaving LUM while her husband pursues
his graduate studies at Notre Dame, has created an environment
where children are eager to learn, respectful of one another,
and open to new experiences. We will miss Andrea, but we
know the quality of the program will not change with new
leadership. She has changed lives just a little bit, each
day.
We are getting ready to take 75 children to LUM Camp!
They will learn all about the artsvisual, creative, performing
and so much more. But they will also learn about peace each
morning at chapel, about diversity and mediation, about
getting along and loving God's creation. They will be changed
by the experience.
Earlier this year we awarded our first scholarship through
RESPECT, our teen pregnancy prevention program. You can
read more about the recipient, Amy Baumis, on p.3. Amy's
life could have been very different, but LUM was there to
make a difference.
During this season of graduations, as parents and grandparents,
friends and relatives watch proudly as their children from
kindergarten through collegego through various graduation
ceremonies, it's important to remember those children for
whom childhood is suffering. While we watch with pride as
our "little" ones walk across that stage, we must
remember those for whom life is a daily struggle, whose
dreams are limited by their circumstance, and whose choices
are determined by their poverty. We need to work to assure
our children that suffering is not connected to childhood.
A
PRAYER FOR THE CHILDREN
We pray for the children who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes.
And we pray for those who stare at photographers from behind
barbed wire,
who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus,
who live in an X-rated world.
We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls
of dandelions,
who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money.
And we pray for those who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who don't have any rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real.
We pray for children who spend all their allowance before
Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their
food,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make
us cry.
And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move, but have no being.
We pray for children who want to be carried and for those
who must,
those we never give up on and for those who don't get a
second chance,
for those we smother with love
and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough
to offer it.
--Ina J. Hughes
LUM
to offer Clemente Course
The Lafayette Urban Ministry, beginning Sept.
6, will offer the Bard College Clemente Course in the Humanities,
a tuition-free, credit-granting course in the liberal arts
that is designed specifically for low-income people. Books
are free, and there is no tuition for the six transferable
credit hours that are granted by Bard College to those who
successfully complete the Course. Childcare, snacks, and
bus fare are also covered.
Clemente students are normally between 17 and 50 and must
express a commitment to attend and actively participate
in classes and to complete reading and writing assignments.
No high school diploma or GED is required to enroll. Literacy
at a level of reading and discussing a daily newspaper in
English is a requirement. Individual or household income
should be no more than 150% of poverty level.
The Clemente Course was founded in New York City in 1995
by author Earl Shorris, who responded to a plea from a female
inmate to learn about the "moral life of the downtown"the
culture of art, literature, philosophy, history, and tradition
that the economically advantaged enjoy. Over two dozen communities
in the US and Mexico have implemented the Clemente Course,
with graduates continuing with higher education, engaging
in civic discourse, and enhancing their careers and lives.
During the 11-week fall term of the Clemente Course in
Lafayette, writer and scholar Joy Castro of Wabash College
will teach literature Tuesdays from 6pm to 8pm, and Wabash
philosophy professor Cheryl Hughes will lead a class in
moral philosophy Thursdays from 6pm to 8pm. The fall term
will begin September 6 and end November 18.
A third faculty member will teach writing and critical
thinking every other Monday evening from September through
April, with a break in December and January. During the
spring term, art history and American history will be taught,
along with the continuation of the writing and critical
thinking course.
The Clemente project has received planning support from
the Indiana Humanities Council. The Center of Inquiry in
the Liberal Arts at Wabash College is reviewing a proposal
for partial funding. Wabash faculty members Joy Castro and
Cheryl Hughes are volunteering their time, as is local artist
and scholar Clifford Peterson. Dr. Peterson will serve as
Course Director for the fall term.
Friends of LUM can support the Clemente Course by
1) volunteering to help with snacks, childcare, or tutoring,
2) sending a gift to help pay for the cost of publicizing
this opportunity to LUM's clients through the mail, and
3) by letting low-income friends, neighbors, and co-workers
know about this unique opportunity. Applications for enrollment
are available at LUM.
For more information, read Riches for the Poor: The Clemente
Course in the Humanities by Clemente Course founder Earl
Shorris, visit www.lightweave.net/clemente/clemente.html,
or call LUM at 423-2691.
Afterschool
Program concludes a successful year
May 25th marked the final day of the school year
for the Afterschool Program at LUM. Thirty-five children
from 27 local families participated in the program this
year, receiving quality childcare and educational enrichment
from 2:455:30 p.m. each day the Lafayette Schools
were in session. The Afterschool Program, directed by Andrea
Penner and assisted by Amy Borland focused on the four character
traits of being responsible, respectful, honest and caring
this year.
Responsibility included homework timea must for two teachers
leading the program! For 3040 minutes every day, children
and 28 Purdue and community volunteers worked hard at their
schoolwork. From spelling lists to math workbooks, the homework
time was a success for all. Parents mentioned being appreciative
of having the time at home with their child without struggling
to spend time doing homework, kids improved in reading and
math assignments and scores on tests, and teachers have
started recommending us!
We worked on teaching respect as a daily reminder to treat
others as you would want to be treated. We did this in every
situation the LUM kids were inon field trips such as Louise
Jewell's Farm, the public library, the YWCA for swimming,
Purdue campus, and the favorite trips of the year to Turkey
Run State Park and the Indianapolis Children's Museumto
everyday interactions with other children, adults and those
in our community.
Being honest and caring with one another is something
that is required with so many children and volunteers in
one building! The environment of the LUM program ensures
that each child feels successful and safe. Parents have
appreciated the structure and the expectations of their
children while they are here at LUM.
The LUM Afterschool Program would not be able to run without
the aide of so many people and organizations who give of
their time and energy to plan special events for the Afterschool
childrenthank-you! The Afterschool Program will begin its
6th exciting year on August 17! To volunteer or donate snacks
for next year, please call LUM at 423-2691.
Congratulations
Amy Baumis!
At its April meeting, the LUM Board of Directors awarded
Amy Baumis with the first ever RESPECT Program Scholarship
for successfully completing the five-year teen pregnancy
prevention program. Amy has enrolled in IVY Tech and hopes
to transfer to Purdue to pursue a degree in elementary education.
Briefly
Noted
- Overnight Shelter Volunteers Needed. Help provide
safe and caring overnight shelter for the homeless in
our community. Volunteer once, or as many evenings as
you'd like. Shelter volunteers serve from 8:30pm to
7:00am (includes 5 hours of sleep). Must attend training
on Monday, June 21 at 6:30pm at LUM. Call Joyce Boehm
at 423-2691, ext. 22, or email at jboehm@lafayetteurbanministry.org.
- Supper for the Homeless. Volunteers are needed each
night to prepare the evening meal for LUM's homeless
shelter guests. Volunteers purchase the ingredients,
prepare the meal, and deliver it to the LUM shelter.
Supper is served between 9:00pm and 10:15pm. Some volunteers
prefer to prepare the meal at LUM and stay to serve
it to the homeless. We serve 50 individuals each night.
For more information, or to schedule a night, contact
Joyce Boehm at 423-2691, ext. 22, or e-mail at jboehm@lafayetteurbanministry.org.
- Did you know that the St. John's/LUM Food Pantry
is our community's highest volume pantry, serving over
2,000 individuals each month? Volunteers are needed
to work one morning each month from 9:00am to noon.
If you own a pickup truck and can lift 20lbs., we could
use your help with periodic shopping and transport of
food from the food bank. Help feed the hungry in our
community. For more information call Patti O'Callaghan
at 423-2691, ext. 17, or e-mail at pocallaghan@lafayetteurbanministry.org.
- Purdue's Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
is pleased to announce that its faculty members are
offering programs on a wide variety of cultural, artistic,
and historical subject topics. Your church has received
a directory of speakers, topics and contact information,
or go to www.sla.purdue.edu/academic/fll.
- Please remember to bring your empty inkjet printer
cartridges to LUM (525 N. 4th, M-F 8:15am to 4:30pm).
We recycle them and receive $2 for each one! We accept
every brand except Epson.
- On Sunday, June 6 from noon to 5:00pm, Steinmart of
Lafayette will offer a 15% discount to anyone from a
LUM member church. Voluntary donation boxes will be
located throughout the store for those who might like
to help support LUM's new Dignity U Wear Program.
- Clothing drives will benefit LUM clients: Two LUM
member churches will collect clothing for which Goodwill
will provide vouchers that can be given to needy families:
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Unitarian Universalist Church
Sat.
June 5, 9:30am-1pm
17 S. 7th Street , Lafayette
(Across from the library)
Church parking lot.
|
St.
Mary Cathedral
Sat. June 26 4-6pm
Sun June 27 7am-noon
Mon-Tues June 28-29, 10am-1pm
1212 South St., Lafayette
Bring clothing to the gym.
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The SEED, JUNE 2004