Best Friends & Superstar LUM Volunteers
Suz & Theresa – A Friendship Built on Service
Suz Branson & Theresa Landis have been friends for more than 15 years. They became friends through their church and have found that engaging in the community together has been fulfilling and has strengthened their bond as friends.
Suz grew up in Sidney, Ohio, and moved to Lafayette with her husband, Pete. After retiring from Purdue HR, she became an active volunteer. Theresa is originally from Demotte, Indiana, earned a bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Purdue, and was the 4th & 5th grade teacher for high achieving students in Kankakee Valley. After retirement, Theresa and her husband, Jeff, moved to Tennessee. When they returned to Lafayette in 2018, Theresa & Suz found community engagement opportunities that were meaningful to them and started serving.
Suz shared that,
“For me, it’s a ‘heart thing.’ We have an obligation to give back and a duty to make our community better.”
Theresa added that,
“It is a reminder of how blessed we are, how fragile life is, and how difficult it is for many to ask for help.”
Suz & Theresa agree the best part about volunteering is interacting with and getting to know the clients. Suz stated,
“We are all people; so, we try to remember people’s names, greet them with a smile and try to make their day.”
To which Theresa added,
“We get so much out of this experience too.”
Suz & Theresa love volunteering with LUM because, “LUM serves so many different people and offers so many ways to support them.” They also like that, “LUM helps people get back on their feet — and become more self sufficient.“
LUM is grateful to Suz & Theresa for choosing to volunteer weekly with the LUM Protein Food Pantry. As you can imagine they soon became superstar volunteers. Suz & Theresa also volunteer each year with Jubilee Christmas and several other one-time opportunities at LUM. They encourage anyone who is thinking about helping out to “find a friend” and get started together. They shared that,
“It will only make your friendship stronger and your bond everlasting.“