Newsletter
The SEED, October 2003
HUNGER HIKE 2003 RAISES OVER $30,000
with even more coming in!
This year's Hunger Hike on September 21 was a wonderful opportunity
for the community to gather for some exercise, fellowship,
and fun while supporting anti-hunger programs here and abroad.
It was a great day for hiking! We had beautiful
weather and a record crowd with about 500 hikers. Enthusiasm
was in abundance as the opening ceremonies got underwayLUM's
Executive Director Joe Micon likens the crowd to thoroughbreds
anxious to start their race! But we did take time to recognize
the presence of the Tibetan monks in town to raise awareness
of Tibetan culture.
Father Jim Barnett, OP, from St. Thomas
Aquinas gave a stirring opening prayer. Words of encouragement
were received from Mayor Sonya Margerum and State Representative
Sheila Klinker. The Purdue Crew Team, under the leadership
of Coach Dave Kucik, was the Grand Marshal for the Hike once
again.
They led the walkers on a 7-km. hike on the
Wabash Heritage Trail while carrying their 32 foot shell overhead
the entire way!
Everyone enjoyed the route along the Wabash
Heritage Trail, which was divided in two loops to accommodate
different fitness and time commitment levels. All returned
to the plaza to enjoy refreshments, clowns, free massages,
balloons and live entertainment by the Hot Club of Colfax.
With an outstanding corporate campaign,
we will surpass last year's total of $30,000 income. Over
$10,000 of this amount was generated from churches. Thanks
to all the churches that participated.
Proceeds from the walk provide important
financial support for LUM's anti-hunger programs, Food Finders
Food Bank, and St. Thomas Aquinas' relief efforts in Haiti.
Thank you very much to the volunteers who
helped plan Hunger Hike 2003 and those who helped with the
many tasks on the day of the hike, especially PSUB, AKD, Chi
Omega, and Phi Delta Theta. YOU ARE FANTASTIC!
Special thanks to the hike's three major
sponsors:
A.E. Staley (Tate & Lyle)
Bison Financial Group
Sam's Club
Other sponsors included:
Cargill
Caterpillar
ConAgra Foods
Lafayette Bank & Trust
Eli Lilly and Company
WGLM 106.7
TV-18
Arni's
Cook Biotech
Freckles Graphics
John Boes Water Care
Lafayette Community Bank
Lafayette Copier Sales & Service
Lafayette Rehabilitation Services
MBAH Insurance
Myotherapy Family Massage Center
Payless Supermarkets
Salin Bank
Subaru of Indiana Automotive
Smith Sounds
Swoverland, DDS
Titus Well Drilling
Wintek
Congratulations to the prize-winning teams who brought
in the most donations! Prizes included trophies,
pizza parties, skating parties, and certificates.
Top adult teams:
1st place - St. Tom's ($2,355)
2nd place - St. Mary's ($745)
3rd place - Unitarian Universalist ($690)
Top individual:
Derek Bulinski ($911)
Top Purdue Group:
The Pre-Pharmacy Club just beat out the Purdue Golf Team!
Top adult teams:
1st place - St. Tom's ($2,355)
2nd place - St. Mary's ($745)
3rd place - Unitarian Universalist ($690
Top youth teams:
1st place (tie) - St. Tom's youth ($1,700+)
1st place (tie) - WESSO girls from West Lafayette High School
($1700+)
3rd place - Faith Presbyterian youth ($652)
4th place - St. Lawrence youth ($647)
It's the Economy
LUM's service caseload continues at record
highs in most program areas due to the lingering effects of
a slow economy. Our Centralized Emergency Fund caseload is
projected to rise by 15% over last year, from 1,655 to 1,933
that's almost 300 more families.
Because of the recession we're also projecting
fewer Centralized Emergency Fund donations in 2003. The net
result is significantly smaller aid checks that have less
impact upon critical family housing, food, and health care
emergencies. Recent cuts in services to the needy children
and families by several key local helping agencies has also
contributed to the problem.
On October 29, pastors from LUM member churches
will gather to discuss the situation. Because the numbers
of families seeking financial assistance in our community
have increased so dramatically over recent months, it's important
to understand why, what resources are available in our community,
and to discuss additional resources that might be targeted
to meet the increased need.
If you're a pastor, please circle the date
on your calendar and join us. Your input is very important
as LUM continues to look for creative and effective ways to
serve the families and children who come to us for help.
| |
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003*
|
|
LUM's Emergency Assistance Caseload
|
1,555 |
1,604 |
1,655 |
1,933 |
|
Emergency Assistance Expenditures
|
$93,661 |
$102,028 |
$117,599 |
$111,795 |
|
LUM's Avg. Assistance per Household
|
$60.23 |
$63.61 |
$71.56 |
$57.83 |
*Projected based on 9/30/03 data
The Shirt Off Your Back!
Are you a long-time a Hunger Hike participant? If so, do
you own an "early design" Hunger Hike t-shirt with
which you might be willing to part? LUM is looking for Hunger
Hike t-shirts from 1992 through 1997 to add to our collection.
The shirts will be used for Hunger Hike promotional activities
and put on display each year. If you have one of the shirts
in demand, and are willing to part with it, please contact
Joe Micon, 423-2691 ext. 20, or e-mail: lum@lafayetteurbanministry.org.
Thanks!
Dignity U Wear Pilot Project Update
In mid-September, fourteen "test' families
were given the opportunity to participate in LUM's Dignity
U wear pilot project by placing orders for new clothing from
the Dignity U Wear warehouse in Jacksonville Florida. The
clothing is collected from manufacturers, retail and wholesale
distributors across America, then distributed to helping agencies
like LUM, who work directly with children and adults who have
need.
On October 10th the long awaited shipment
of over 900 articles of new clothing arrived! The truck was
unloaded, then staff and volunteers went to work sorting the
clothing and filling the families' orders. At press time,
LUM was about to begin distributing the clothing to the fourteen
"test" families.
The LUM Board voted to conduct the project
because they know the impact that worn, wrong sized, and hand
me down clothing can have upon a child's self esteem. They
know that something as simple as new clothing can have a dramatic
effect upon a child's ability to learn, grow, and have a brighter
future. The LUM Board is using the pilot project to learn
more about the volunteer and financial resources that will
be required to conduct the project on a larger on-going basis.
LUM is partnering with Steinmart of Lafayette
on the project. We'll keep you posted on our progress.
Questions? Contact LUM at 423-2691, or email at lum@lafayetteurbanministry.org.
St. Tom's grabs LUM Cup!
The foursome from St. Thomas Aquinas Center
broke St. Mary Cathedral's three year grip on the prestigious
LUM Cup Trophy by posting a sizzling 12 under par 60 at the
annual LUM Cup Open Tournament held September 19 at Coyote
Crossing. The annual event allows golfers from LUM member
churches to vie for the traveling trophy. The winning foursome
of Chuck Anderson, Scott Barnard, Bruce Graves, and
Terry Lucterhand now have their names permanently engraved
on the cup which will stay at St. Tom's until next year's
tournament.
Betsy Davenport won the putt off
and the $1500 diamond tennis bracelet donated by Vierk's
Fine Jewelry and Exchange of Lafayette. Bruce Graves
won the 2nd place prize of $250 toward airfare donated by
Irvine Travel.
Over $2000 was raised at this year's golf
outing to support LUM's Emergency Shelter for the Homeless.
LUM is grateful to each golfer, sponsor, and volunteer who
helped to make this year's tournament such a great success!
Previous LUM Cup Winners:
1999 Purdue Ward, Church of Jesus Christ LDS
2000 St. Mary Cathedral
2001 St. Mary Cathedral
2002 St. Mary Cathedral
2003 St. Thomas Aquinas Center
Thank you, 2003 LUM Cup Major Sponsors:
Vierk's Fine Jewelry and Exchange
Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU)
Industrial Pallet Corporation
Andy and Anna Fagg
Irvine Travel
Bundy McNear Insurance
Sundance Signs
Thank You GLHS100,000 times!
At their October 15 meeting, the Lafayette
Urban Mininstry Board of Directors presented a plaque to Greater
Lafayette Health Services Inc. in appreciation for ten years
of service to the homeless in our community by the St. Elizabeth
Hospital laundry.
Last year, 12,302 sets of sheets (fitted,
flat, pillowcase and blanket) were provided to the Lafayette
Urban Ministry free of charge for use in LUM's Emergency Shelter.
Over the past ten years an estimated 100,000 sets of sheets
have been provided by the laundry!
LUM Executive Director Joe Micon says the
gift has an annual in-kind value in excess of $20,000. "I've
visited shelters in other communities where the mattresses
were bare and neither sanitary nor safe for use. We've made
a commitment that it would never be like that at LUM. If you
treat others with respect - and that includes clean sheets
- you'll receive the best in return. LUM operates on a shoestring.
I don't know what we'd do without GLHS."
Sister Marilyn Oliver, OSF, Vice President
for Mission Services, received the plaque on behalf of Greater
Lafayette Health Services. It quotes Matt. 25 (for
I was a stranger and you welcomed me...) and expresses
the LUM Board's deep appreciation for St. Elizabeth's ten
years of service.
The Board also presented a plaque to St.
Boniface Board Representative Joe Wippel. Joe transports a
pick-up truckload of dirty sheets to the St. Elizabeth laundry
every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then he makes the return
trip with clean sheets, unloads them, and stacks them on shelves.
He's been doing it for ten years too!
LUM also sent a continental breakfast over
to Laundry Director Cort Dimmick and his crew on October 16th
in appreciation for their hard work. Thanks to everyone involved
in making LUM's ministry to the homeless in our community
possible.
Jubilee Christmas 2003
The community's largest Christmas assistance program for low-income
families will continue this year, as Lafayette Urban Ministry
hosts Jubilee Christmas.
On December 13, thirty-five of Lafayette
Urban Ministry's member churches will organize Jubilee Christmas
"shopping" sites. Parents of nearly 1,500 children
from 550 families will select free toys and gifts for their
children at twenty-two toy stores set up by those congregations.
But these churches cannot do it alone. Your help is needed
now! Here is what you can do:
- Make a cash donation that will help purchase hams, food
certificates and gift certificates for teenage children.
Consider a Jubilee donation in place of gift exchanges
at your club, organization or business.
- Send a check equal to the cost of an office party, or
make a contribution in honor of a friend or co-worker.
- Donate new, unwrapped toys or new clothing items for
infants and children, newborn through twelve years of
age. Encourage others to do so as well.
- Donate gift wrap, ribbon, bows, tape and gift tags so
that parents can wrap their gifts before taking them home.
Jubilee provides a way for parents to be
heroes with their own children at Christmas-time. If your
church is participating in Jubilee, take your gifts directly
there. Also contact your church's site coordinator if you
are interested in volunteering on Jubilee Day. You may also
bring donations to LUM's office, 525 N. 4th St., Lafayette,
before noon on December 11.
18th Annual LUM Community
Thanksgiving Celebration
Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 27
12:00noon-2:00pm
Central Presbyterian Church
31 N. 7th St
Food, music and fellowship will again combine to make this event
one of our community's most cherished holiday traditions.
Last year, LUM fed 750 people at this annual event. We could
not have done so without the generosity of many volunteers
and contributors. Volunteers are needed on the day of the
event to help with set-up, welcoming guests and volunteers,
serving food and drinks, clean-up, and much more!
LUM has begun the sign-up for donations
of food and drinks. Pies are needed, as are side dishes such
as corn, green beans and salads. Dinner rolls, butter, gravy,
coffee and tea are also welcome. A complete list of needed
donations and volunteer positions can be found on the LUM
website at www.lafayetteurbanministry.org/thanksgiving.html.
To sign up as a volunteer or to donate food,
call LUM at 423-2691.
What a joy it would be to celebrate Thanksgiving
Day together with you. Why not make this the year you join
us?
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