Newsletter
The SEED, June 2003
Excited
about LUM Camp!
The campers are registered, the program is planned, and the
countdown to LUM Camp 2003 has begun!
Approximately 80 boys and girls, ages 8-10 will be in attendance.
They come from families in our community where the basics
of food and shelter are never a sure bet. For them, finding
the money to pay for a quality summer camp, like LUM Camp,
is little more than a dream. But thanks to the Lafayette Urban
Ministry, the children will enjoy an entire week of learning,
growth, and new friendships - the kind that can only happen
at summer camp!
There will be morning chapel, swimming, horses, hiking, crafts,
sports, singing and campfires, sleeping in cabins, and plenty
of great camp food!
Our
theme this year is "Camp All-About Ag!" The
children will experience real farm animals, crops, and giant
farm equipment! They'll be introduced to the many different
kinds of ag-related professions, and they'll see farm equipment
operate as it did 75 years ago!
LUM Camp equips children with the tools they need to be successful
in life. With the guidance and support of caring LUM Camp
counselors and staff, the children will meet new friends,
learn new skills, conquer new challenges, gain respect for
others, grow in confidence, and build greater self-esteem
and personal pride.
LUM Camp takes place during the week of June 15-20 at Pine
Creek United Methodist Camp in Warren County. Please remember
us that week in your prayers. Thank you for what you have
made possible!
Annual
Fund Campaign almost there!
The Lafayette Urban Ministry is just $2,393 shy of meeting
its 2003 Annual Fund Campaign goal of $60,000. As of May 23,
$57,607 has been pledged or contributed.
LUM's Annual Fund Campaign takes place each year during March
and April. Proceeds are used to support vital LUM programs
such as the Homeless Shelter, Afterschool Program, Jubilee
Christmas, and Emergency Financial Assistance. Joe Micon,
LUM's Executive Director, hopes LUM's donors will come through
in the days ahead to put the Annual Fund Campaign over the
top. "It's a real testimony to the generosity of LUM's
donors that we've come so close to our goal. But the recession
continues to stretch our programs and resources thin. This
year more than ever, it's important that we reach or exceed
our goal."
So far LUM's Annual Fund Campaign has received monthly or
quarterly pledges, or one- time gifts from 245 contributors.
If you've been meaning to contribute but haven't yet gotten
around to it your help is still needed! Place your
gift in the enclosed envelope, or send a note telling us how
much you'd like to pledge each month or quarter. We'll provide
you with return envelopes and periodic reminders about your
pledge. Questions? Contact Joe Micon at 423-2691 ext. 20,
or email lum@wintek.com.
On behalf of each child and family touched by your generosity,
please accept our heartfelt thanks.
Afterschool
Program finished terrific year!
May
30th marked the end of LUM's Afterschool Program for another
academic year. Thirty-six children from 24 families participated
in the program during 2002 - 2003. They received homework
help, edu- cational enrichment, religious education, arts,
crafts, and enjoyed recreational activities. LUM's Afterschool
Program provided a safe and stimulating en- vironment for
children while their parents finished their workday.
May
30th marked the end of LUM's Afterschool Program for another
academic year. Thirty-six children from 24 families participated
in the program during 2002 - 2003. They received homework
help, edu- cational enrichment, religious education, arts,
crafts, and enjoyed recreational activities. LUM's Afterschool
Program provided a safe and stimulating en- vironment for
children while their parents finished their workday.
May
30th marked the end of LUM's Afterschool Program for another
academic year. Thirty-six children from 24 families participated
in the program during 2002 - 2003. They received homework
help, edu- cational enrichment, religious education, arts,
crafts, and enjoyed recreational activities. LUM's Afterschool
Program provided a safe and stimulating en- vironment for
children while their parents finished their workday.
Providing emergency
financial assistance to individuals and families facing eviction,
utility disconnect, health care, transportation, employment,
and food shortage emergencies has been a hallmark of LUM's
mission to our community. Last year we directly aided 1,738
families with a total of $117,599. LUM has been involved in
this work a long time and we do it well. So when there's a
problem in our community's emergency assistance social safety
net, we're usually the first to notice.
Emergency
Assistance Concerns
by
Joe Micon, Executive Director
Providing emergency financial assistance to individuals and
families facing eviction, utility disconnect, health care,
transportation, employment, and food shortage emergencies
has been a hallmark of LUM's mission to our community. Last
year we directly aided 1,738 families with a total of $117,599.
LUM has been involved in this work a long time and we do it
well. So when there's a problem in our community's emergency
assistance social safety net, we're usually the first to notice.
Signs of trouble
have been building over recent weeks and months. ·
- Our daily caseload has significantly increased.
- LUM's yearly
emergency fund expenditures
have been rising, but
because of our high caseload, the amount
of our average emergency
assistance check has declined.
- St. John's/LUM
Food pantry usage is rising.
- The number
of homeless men and women
using LUM's shelter has
increased.
If
you've driven past the LUM office around 8:00am any weekday
morning, you'll see long lines of people waiting for help,
and few if any parking places for staff and volunteers - because
the lot is already full.
Those of us close to the situation have our theories as to
the causes.
- A lingering national recession resulting
in lost jobs in our state and
community
- Unemployed
workers drawn to our
community looking for, but unable to
find work
- High poverty
and childhood poverty
rates in Tippecanoe County
- Recent changes
at the Salvation Army
from a "walk-in" intake
system to an "appointment based" intake
system
- Continued
refusal by local township trustees
to budget and expend adequate
poor relief dollars to local families
especially during an economic
downturn.
Whatever the reasons
for the increased demand upon emergency assistance resources
in our community, it's clear that there's a problem. Before
an adequate community-wide response can be fashioned we need
to better understand what's going on.
To
that end, LUM will be spending the next few weeks gathering
longitudinal caseload and expenditure information from churches,
non-profit, and public agencies in our community who provide
emergency financial assistance to children and families. Lory
Lewis, LUM's intern from the Indiana University School of
Social Work is conducting the research. LUM will release the
information and several recommendations to the community by
late summer.
It's clear that
individuals with legitimate and sometimes desperate need are
falling through Greater Lafayette's social safety net. How
to mend and enlarge that safety net so that it is adequate
to meet the unique needs of working and unemployed families
is a discussion whose time is long overdue.
Please share
this concern with your neighbors and with members of your
congregation. Feel free to contact me if you'd like additional
information or further insight. Most of all please begin to
think about how our community might best respond to meet the
growing needs of those in our community who have critical
shortages of food, shelter, and health care.
LUM
teaches teen girls self-esteem, life skills
The RESPECT Program
continued on a positive note this year with six girls participating
in the bi-monthly activities and lessons. This year the focus
was on the abstinence-based curriculum "Choosing the
Best Path." Lessons included looking at the emotional
consequences, risks, and pressures of being sexually active
as well as boundaries, making the choice to be abstinent and
skills to be assertive in relationships.
The highlight
of the year is always the opportunity for the girls to participate
in the Baby Think It Over Program. This program allows each
girl to take home a battery operated and programmed baby doll
for the weekend to find out what it is really like to have
a child. This gives the girls an amazing opportunity to see
what a big responsibility a child is and how a child would
impact their lives. All the girls came back knowing that now
was not the right time to have a baby and wanting to wait
for many more years.
The girls really
enjoy being together in a group where they can share freely
and enjoy each other's company. Dessert nights, movies, painting
pottery at "All Fired Up," and Canadian Night were
some of the favorite social times from the past year.
What a great
impact this program has on six wonderful teenage girls in
our comunity!
New
Volunteer Possibilities
LUM Camp Counselor.
Must
be at least 18 years old, enjoy working with children,
and available to spend the entire week of June
15 20 onsite at Pine Creek Camp in Warren County.
For more information or an application contact
Joe Micon at 423-2691, ext. 20, or lum@wintek.com.
Shelter
volunteer. Must
be at least 18 years old and able to serve from 8:30pm
to 7:00am at the shelter. Volunteers receive approximately
six hours of sleep during the night.
Duties include guest check-in, food service, and light cleaning.
Why not attend one of our next shelter volunteer
training sessions to see if this opportunity might
be right for you or your group? Two training sessions
are scheduled -- June 2 and June 23 from 6:30pm
to 8:00pm at the LUM shelter. For more information
contact Joyce Boehm at 423-2691 ext. 22 or
email at jboehm@wintek.com.
Let's
Do Lunch volunteer. Help
prepare lunches at LUM and/or serve children at
Bridgeway Apartments. 10:00am to 1:00pm. LUM's Let's
Do Lunch Program operates from June 2 - August
15. Set your own schedule. Volunteer as much or
as little as you'd like. This is a great volunteer opportunity
for youth, high school, college students, or
even seniors. Contact Patti O'Callaghan 423-2691 ext.
17 or email at pocallaghan@wintek.com.
Mark
Your Calendar
Saturday,
September 13
LUM Open
Golf Tournament
Coyote
Crossing
12:30pm
registration/lunch
1:30pm shotgun
start
Sunday,
September 21, 2003
Greater
Lafayette Hunger Hike
Rhiele Plaza
1:00pm registration
2:00pm start
Thursday,
November 27
Greater
Lafayette Community Thanksgiving Meal
Central
Presbyterian Fellowship
Hall
Noon to
2:00pm
Saturday,
December 13
Jubilee
Christmas
Two
LUM member churches will collect used clothing to help needy
families!
Saturday,
June 21
Unitarian
Universalist Church (parking
lot)
17 S. 7th
Street
10:00am
- 2:00pm
Saturday,
June 28 - Tuesday July 1
St.
Mary Cathedral (school gym)
1212 South
Street
Before &
after weekend masses
8:00am -
1:00pm Monday & Tuesday
Goodwill
provides one voucher for each bag of clothing contributed.
Each voucher is worth $5.00 at the Goodwill Store. The Unitarian
Universalist Church and St. Mary will contribute vouchers
to LUM for those who need clothing
Creating
a Just Society: Developing Strategies for Local Action
Saturday,
October 25, 2003
8:30am - 4:00pm
Keynote address, lively
group discussions, and dynamic concluding session on social
justice issues concerning children, education, seniors, the
economy, and corrections.
Location:
Central Presbyterian Church
31 N. 7th
Street Lafayette
Registration:
$10 (includes continental breakfast, lunch, and conference
materials)
Sponsored
by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lafayette, in ooperation
with the UU Service Committee
Briefly
Noted
What would happen
if each of us gave a gift in our will, no matter how
large or small, to the Lafayette Urban Ministry? Your gift
could inspire at-risk youth, fight hunger and homelessness,
work for social justice, create a brighter future for working
families, or strengthen our community's emergency safety net.
Please consider making a legacy gift to the Lafayette Urban
Ministry. Contact your attorney or financial advisor, or call
Joe Micon at 423-2691 ext. 20, or email at lum@wintek.com.
Fresh, washed
garden produce may
be brought to the St. John's/LUM
Food Pantry on
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or
Friday mornings between
9:00am and 9:15am for
distribution that same morning
(6th & Ferry, door under
green canopy). Please don't
bring produce to the LUM
or St. John's church office.
Don't throw
your empty ink jet printer
cartridges away! LUM receives
$2 for every ink jet
cartridge we recycle. Please
bring your empty cartridges to LUM
in a plastic baggie during regular
business hours (8:15am to
4:30pm M-F). We accept any black or color ink jet cartridge
except EPSON.
Janette Jaques
has been hired as LUM's Summer Lunch
Program Coordinator. Janette will help prepare
lunches and direct volunteers during the 11 weeks
the program operates during June, July, and August.
She'll begin teaching math and coaching JV
girls basketball at Lafayette Jeff in August. Welcome
Janette!
Lory Lewis
has begun a summer internship at LUM. Lory
is a graduate student at the Indiana University School
of Social Work. She'll help with case management
of shelter guests, emergency financial aid for
families, and LUM's Summer Lunch program. She'll
also research emergency assistance caseloads and
expenditures in our community. Lory received her
BSN from the Purdue School of Nursing in 1989 and
served as Jubilee Christmas Co-chair last year at First
United Methodist Church. Welcome Lory!
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