Newsletter
The SEED, July 2003
LUM
Camp 2003 All About Ag!
Seventy-four children
along with 31 counselors and staff gathered during the week
of June15th, at beautiful Pine Creek Camp in Warren County,
for LUM's annual overnight summer camp program. This year's
theme Camp All About Ag!
The children are from families who've recently received emergency
financial aid from LUM. Camp included swimming, horseback
riding, hiking, singing, arts, crafts, and plenty of great
camp food. Each day brought new friendships and fun experiences.
Every morning began with chapel. This year we studied Peace.
We talked about God's vision of a peaceable kingdom. We discussed
ways to work for peace within ourselves, between our neighbors,
within our communities, and among nations.
Over 25 outstanding child educators from Purdue and Greater
Lafayette led agriculture-related program activities. There
were sessions about agronomy, ag-engineering, global positioning
technology, gardening, animal husbandry, antique machinery,
and even a giant John Deere combine demonstration! Each child
gained a new appreciation for the agricultural bounty of our
nation and left camp with exciting dreams about careers in
agriculture.
It's amazing how much the campers learned and grew during
the week. LUM Camp was easily the most important week of their
summer. The friendships, great memories, growth and development
they experienced, will last their entire lives.
Through your support of LUM Camp you shape the futures of
these young people in direct and meaningful ways. Thanks for
making LUM Camp possible!
LUM
Camp 2003 Fun Facts
Number of Campers: 40 boys, 34 girls
Ages of Campers: 8, 9, 10 years old
Number of Counselors/Staff: 31
Number of Program Leaders: 25
Favorite Food: Pine Creek Pizza
Best Camp Song: "If I Weren't a LUM Camp Counselor"
Best Grace Before Meals: "Brown Cow"
Best LUM Camp Activity: All of them!
Financial
Support Still Needed
A
combination of lower than expected fundraising income, and
significant increases in the cost of Pine Creek Camp, has
resulted in an estimated $7,000 deficit in the 2003 LUM Camp
Fund. If you've already contributed to LUM Camp Thank
you! If you've been meaning to contribute but haven't yet
gotten around to it, please know that your help is still needed.
Place your gift in the enclosed envelope and designate to
LUM Camp. Thank you!
Harmful
change in policy by Joe Micon, Executive Director
Drive past the
Lafayette Urban Ministry office (4th and Cincinnati) any weekday
morning at 8:00am and you'll witness long lines of families
facing eviction, utility disconnect, or prescription drug
emergencies. They're waiting to ask LUM staff and volunteers
for emergency financial assistance. You'll see another group
of families the next day, and the next. Monday through Friday...
week after week...
Part of the explanation
is obvious. More families in Greater Lafayette are feeling
the sting of job loss and job reduction brought on by our
lingering national recession.
But part of the
reason is less obvious.
Last March the
Lafayette Salvation Army stopped seeing families in need of
rent, utility, transportation, or prescription drugs on an
emergency walk-in basis. Instead, Salvation Army applicants
are given an appointment three or four weeks in the future.
With no other place to go many of those families come quickly
and directly to LUM.
LUM has absorbed
much of the Salvation Army's emergency financial assistance
caseload and as a result the numbers of families we'll help
this year will rise by approximately 15% over last year, from
1655 to 1956 -- that's almost 300 more families.
Because of the
recession we're also projecting lower Centralized Emergency
Fund revenue. The net result means significantly smaller aid
checks having less impact upon critical family emergencies.
Emergency financial
assistance to local families and their children has been a
hallmark of LUM's mission to our community. We take it seriously
and do it well. When there's a problem in the system we work
closely with our colleagues and partner agencies to resolve
it.
In recent weeks
we've met with local and regional Salvation Army officials
and spoken to United Way officials. We've shared our concerns
about the new "appointment based" application procedure
at the Lafayette Salvation Army. We explained the harm it
is causing as well as the increased caseload responsibility
that has been shifted to LUM. Unfortunately, we've left those
conversations frustrated that little if anything will change,
and the feeling that we've lost a valued partner in providing
emergency aid to local families.
It's clear that
during this time of economic downturn, individuals with legitimate
and desperate need are falling through our community's social
safety net. It's disappointing that the Lafayette Salvation
Army, through its change in policy, has exacerbated the problem.
As a friend of
LUM's Centralized Emergency Fund, you need to know about the
challenges facing our clients, staff, and volunteers. Please
respond generously to LUM's upcoming August Centralized Emergency
Fund solicitation letter. Share LUM's urgent need for Centralized
Emergency Fund dollars with your church or club.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003* |
| LUM's
Emergency Assistance Caseload |
1,555
|
1,604
|
1,655
|
1,956
|
| Emergency
Assistance Expenditures |
$93,661
|
$102,028
|
$117,599
|
$112,834
|
| LUM's
Assistance Per Household |
$60.23
|
$63.61
|
$71.56
|
$57.68
|
|
*(projected based on 6/30/03 data)
|
Summer
Lunch at Bridgeway Apartments
Up to 60 children
per day have been participating in LUM's Summer Lunch program
at Bridgeway Apartments in Lafayette. The program provides
well-balanced lunches for neighborhood children and operates
between June 2 and August 15.
Summer is always
a difficult time for working families. Not only do children
stop receiving free lunch at school, but they put increased
demand upon the contents of the household refrigerator as
well. LUM's lunches are prepared each morning by volunteers,
then transported to Bridgeway for distribution to the children.
This is LUM's 12th year of summer lunch for hungry children
in our community. Help defray lunch costs...
Over 2,800 meals
will be provided this summer at no cost to the children who
receive them. Your help is needed to defray the cost of the
food, drinks, sacks, napkins and condiments. Send your check
to LUM in the enclosed envelope and designate your gift to
LUM's Summer Lunch Program.
Thank you!
2003
LUM Open Golf Tournament
Saturday,
September 13 -- Coyote Crossing
What: A
great afternoon of golf, food, fun, and prizes for both skilled
and unskilled golfers!
Why: To
benefit the Lafayette Urban Ministry Emergency Homeless Shelter
Where:
Coyote Crossing Golf Course, 25 East 500 North, West Lafayette
When: Saturday,
September 13, 2003
Time:
12:30pm Barbecue Lunch
1:30pm Shotgun Start
5:00pm Putt Off
5:30pm Barbecue Supper
Cost: $360/foursome,
$ 90/golfer
There will be
great prizes, awards, and friendly competition among LUM member
churches for the coveted LUM Cup Trophy (currently held by
St. Mary Cathedral)! Mark your calendar and plan to participate
in this great late summer tournament. Registration forms will
be included in the August SEED newsletter. Or call Joe Micon
at 423-2691.
Shelter
meals needed
Calling all cooks!
The Homeless Shelter is in need of meal providers. If your
group is looking for a project that will reward their spirit,
the shelter is the place to call! Meal providers are given
the option of dropping the meal off or staying to help serve
the guests. The meals can be as simple as a soup or stew or
as grand as you'd care to make it, but plan to feed about
50 people. If you or your organization would like more information,
please call Joyce Boehm at 423-2691. Other shelter needs include
razors, foot powder, toilet paper, and drink mixes.
Hunger
Hike 2003, An annual event to help feed the hungry
Participating
is fun and easy...
- Collect sponsors
and donations
- Bring the
money with you on Hunger Hike day
- Organize
a group of friends, family or co-workers
- Make a donation
to "Hunger Hike"
What happens
on Hunger Hike Day?
1:00pm Registration
at Riehle Plaza
2:00pm Hunger hike begins
3:30pm Party time!
Why help the
Hunger Hike?
When you participate
in the Hunger Hike, you help the Lafayette Urban Ministry
and Food Finders Food Bank to feed the hungry in our community.
You also help St. Thomas Aquinas Center feed hungry children
and adults in Haiti.
To register,
volunteer, or donate to the Hunger Hike, call Patti O'Callaghan
at 423-2691, ext. 17, or visit the LUM Hunger Hike website
at: www. lafayetteurbanministry.org/hike.html.
Thanks,
PEFCU!
Vicki Orem of
Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU presents LUM
Director Joe Micon with a check for $1,000 to be used to support
LUM's Emergency Homeless Shelter. PEFCU employees created
a cookbook (PEFCU Family Favorites) and sold 500 copies
for $2 each. Thanks friends!
Briefly
Noted
LUM
unveils new website.
Everyone is invited to visit the new LUM website! Sporting
a new design and a new domain name, the LUM website will be
a useful tool to the community, providing up to date information
about LUM programs and activities. The previous LUM website
was created by volunteers, and LUM is greatly appreciative
for their help. Now, however, the website is being handled
by LUM staff, which will make it easier for us to keep it
up to date. In addition, we hope to make the website more
interactive. During Summer Camp, for instance, photos
were loaded onto the website while camp was still in session,
allowing parents to see pictures of their kids while they
were still at camp! We will post the SEED to the website
as soon as it is published, and also we will add legislative
alerts from our Policy Director Patti O'Callaghan. Plans are
underway to post Hunger Hike registration materials to make
it easier than ever to participate and donate! So,check out
the new LUM website you'll find it at www.lafayetteurbanministry.org.
Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
In keeping
with our new web domain name, LUM also has a new e-mail address!
The main LUM e-mail address is lum@lafayetteurbanministry.org.
Staff members' e-mail addresses will also reflect the new
domain name. It will take some time to make the change on
all LUM publications, but in the meantime any e-mail sent
to the old addresses will still get to us!
Thanks for
the inkjet printer cartridges (Keep 'em coming!) In the
last SEED we announced a new fund-raising activity
collecting inkjet printer cartridges for recycling.
In just a month's time enough cartridges were donated to result
in a check for $80! We appreciate your support and hope you
will keep bringing in those cartridges! As a reminder, we're
collecting used inkjet printer cartridges (not laser cartridges)
any type except Epson. Please place your used cartridge
in a plastic bag and bring it to LUM during our regular business
hours. LUM receives $2 for every cartridge we recycle
a good thing for both LUM and the environment!
Many thanks
to the Unitarian Universalist Church and St. Mary Cathedral!
Both congregations recently sponsored clothing drives which
resulted in many clothing vouchers which LUM staff will distribute
to low-income families who visit our emergency assistance
program.
St. John's/LUM
Food pantry Shopper/Driver. Looking for some quality time
together with your pickup truck? Shop for food and transport
it from the food bank to the St. John's/LUM Food Pantry. Once
a week or once a month -- you decide! Contact Patti O'Callaghan
at 423-2691, ext. 17, or pocallaghan@lafayetteurbanministry.org.
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