All posts by Lafayette Urban Ministry

About Lafayette Urban Ministry

The Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) is an organization of more than 40 Christian churches that serves as a social safety net for Lafayette, Indiana's needy children and families.

LUM Executive Director Attends Mission Fair

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Opportunities Through Local Presbyterian Churches

Joe Micon, LUM executive director, attended the Mission Fair this past Saturday at Central Presbyterian Church, Lafayette. The fair was sponsored by the four Tippecanoe County Presbyterian congregations (Bethany, Central, Dayton Memorial & Elston), Presbyterian Mission Agency, and Presbytery of Wabash Valley; and included several booths with information about specific mission opportunities, as well as lunch and a presentation by Charles & Melissa Johnson from a partner mission in the Republic of Zambia, in south-central Africa. The planning committee for the Mission Fair (Chip Goldsberry, Terry Phillips, Paul Houser, Carolyn Goldsberry, the Rev. Lucia Oerter, and Sara Stallings) is pictured above with Joe Micon.

LUM Immigration Clinic Needs Volunteers

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Staff an Information Table at an Upcoming Event
The LUM Immigration Clinic needs volunteers to attend and staff an information table, answer questions and share information with attendees. The upcoming events are as follows:
  • OUTfest, Saturday, August 17, 3:30 – 9:30 p.m. (2.5 hour shifts)
  • Hanna Fest, Monday, September 2 (Labor Day), 12:30 – 5:30 p.m. (2.5 hour shifts)
  • Rainbow Callout, Wednesday, September 11, 5:50 p.m. – 8 p.m. (1-1.5 hour shifts)
  • Latino Festival, Saturday, September 14, 11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (2 hour shifts)
  • Global Fest, Saturday, September 21, 11:15 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (2 hour shifts)
Please consider volunteering at one or more of these events and supporting the LUM Immigration Clinic. Please share with others.
 
For more information or to sign up online, please click HERE.
 

Spotlight on Superstar LUM Volunteer

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Isabel Petkov – LUM Immigration Clinic Volunteer

Originally from Brookfield, Illinois, Isabel Petkov lives in West Lafayette with her parents, Chris & Ivan, and her sisters, Claire (16) & Anna (13). She graduated from Harrison High School and now attends Indiana University, where she’s majoring in Law & Public Policy with a minor in Spanish, and was a member of the Civic Leaders Living Learning Community. With the LLC, Isabel volunteered at a homeless shelter and community garden and registered people to vote. 

At LUM this summer, Isabel volunteered with the Immigration Clinic — translating, meeting with clients, and assisting the director. While in high school, she also volunteered with the LUM After School Program. The experience reminded Isabel of something her grandmother tells her often — “Tomorrow’s Never Promised.” She now realizes that every little thing she does to assist someone in need has an impact. She shared, 

“Working with clients at LUM has been eye-opening. The Immigration Clinic is really needed and necessary. The LUM staff is welcoming, hard-working and thorough. It’s been rewarding to know, even ‘I’ can help.” 

This work has given Isabel a lot to think about as she develops her plan of study at IU and starts thinking about her career and advanced degrees.

In addition to school and volunteering, Isabel loves hanging out with her friends, supporting her sisters’ activities, reading — and occasionally listening to K-Pop.

For more information on how to VOLUNTEER with Lafayette Urban Ministry, click HERE.

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Meet the LUM After School Program Team

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The LUM After School Program provides safe, fun and enriching childcare for up to 60 children in Kindergarten to 8th grade in Tippecanoe County. The children are transported by bus from school to the LUM Ray Ewry Youth Center. For up to three hours each school day, the students work on homework, have a nutritious snack, and participate in craft projects, music, and other fun recreational and educational activities — enabling their parents to finish their workday. The program is staffed by a professionally trained program aides and volunteers, whose training exceeds State of Indiana requirements.

LUM is thrilled to introduce the After School Program team. Pictured (L to R) are Kristi Hogue, program director, and teacher’s aides: Shavonn Kimbrough, Mady Kirts, and Tabatha Volpi. What a talented and caring team! They are assisted each afternoon by volunteers. Please consider volunteering with the After School Program – LUM needs you.

For more information on how to volunteer with the LUM After School Program, click HERE.

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After School Program

LUM After School Program Is In Full Swing

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School Has Started – And LUM ASP Has Started Too

School has started in Lafayette, West Lafayette & Tippecanoe County — which means the LUM After School Program has started as well.

The LUM After School Program provides safe, fun and enriching childcare for children in Kindergarten to 8th grade. The program serves up to 60 children from all elementary & middle schools in Tippecanoe County for three hours each school-day afternoon, enabling their parents to finish their workday. The children are transported from their schools to the LUM After School Program at the LUM Ray Ewry Youth Center — where they work on homework, have a nutritious snack, and participate in crafts, music, and other fun recreational and educational activities.

The program is staffed by a professionally trained educator, teacher’s aides, interns and volunteers, including bus drivers. If you are interested in VOLUNTEERING or need more information, click HERE — or call or email Kristi Hogue (765.423.2691 | khogue@lumserve.org).

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After School Program

Retirement Celebration – Rev. Peter Bunder

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Celebrating 34 Years of Ministry at Good Shepherd

Last Sunday, the Rev. Peter Bunder presided over his final Sunday service as the chaplain & vicar at the Chapel of the Good Shepherd — The Episcopal Church at Purdue University, West Lafayette. Joe Micon, LUM executive director, attended the service and celebration to honor the Rev. Bunder’s 34 years of ministry to our community through Good Shepherd.

The Rev. Peter Bunder has been a strong and steadfast supporter of the programs at Lafayette Urban Ministry, and the Chapel of the Good Shepherd is one of the more active member-churches of LUM. On behalf of the LUM staff and board of directors, congratulations, thank you, and best wishes to our friend, the Rev. Peter Bunder.

{Pictured above L to R: the Rev. Peter Bunder, Katy O’Malley-Bunder & Joe Micon.}

To view, the Rev. Peter Bunder’s final sermon, click HERE.

Bus Drivers Needed – Each Weekday Afternoon

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Seeking Volunteers for LUM After School Program

Volunteer Activity Bus Drivers are needed to transport the LUM After School Program students from their schools to our program facility in downtown Lafayette.

Drivers are needed each weekday afternoon from NOW – May 19 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Bus drivers must have a valid driver’s license, pass the driver’s test for PPL, have a good driving record, and pass a physical examination.

Volunteers are also needed from 2 to 6 p.m. every weekday—as tutors, story readers, spelling test givers and for helping children in general. To begin the “Easy 4-Step Process” to becoming an After School Program Volunteer, click HERE.

Please consider signing up NOW to volunteer for this important ministry and make a difference in the lives of children.

For more information about the LUM After School Program, click HERE or call or email the LUM Youth Programs director, Kristi Hogue (765-423-2691 | khogue@lumserve.org).

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After School Program

LUM Good Samaritan Program Needs Volunteers

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Weekly Volunteer Opportunity – Monday Mornings

The LUM Good Samaritan Program is looking for a few volunteers who are interested in serving one morning each week. There is a current weekly volunteer opportunity each Monday morning. Last year alone, LUM Good Samaritan volunteers provided assistance 1,780 times to local families facing eviction, utility disconnects and other financial emergencies.
 
Volunteers spend 1-1 ½ hours (8:30 to 10 a.m.) meeting with clients, doing a simple intake and helping to assess the client’s emergency needs. Training is provided. Anyone with a heart for service and one morning a week should call or email Linda Hicks, LUM Good Samaritan Program director (765-423-2691 | lhicks@lumserve.org).
 
For more information, click HERE.
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55th Annual – LUM Camp 2019 – Best Ever!

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LUM Campers “Gear Up!” for the Future

Last week, local children from low-income families participated in the 55th annual LUM Camp. LUM Camp is an overnight summer camp for 84 boys and girls (8, 9 and 10 years old), who come from families served by Lafayette Urban Ministry. Our camp includes all the traditional activities that a great camp should have, such as morning chapel, horseback riding, swimming, hiking, boating, a climbing wall, arts & crafts, campfires, a zip-line and an outstanding LUM Camp staff.

Along with all of these activities, LUM Camp focuses on interactive and experiential learning. Our theme this year was GEAR Up! GEAR stands for Great Education Activates Readiness, and our campers engaged in lots of interactive, hands-on experiential learning. They learned about careers in archaeology, coding, cyber security, chemistry, and engineering; and blasted off their own rockets, ran through a maker space relay, and even took home their own coding program.

LUM Camp – Board Night – Ice Cream Social

On July 31, our LUM friends & board members traveled in the LUM bus out to Hanging Rock Assembly Camp in Warren County to experience an evening at LUM Camp.

When our LUM friends & board members arrived they met the campers and sang camp songs. They were then treated to an authentic camp supper followed by an ice cream social, which included ice cream sundaes with all the fixin’s. Our guests scooped and served the ice cream to our campers giving them more time to interact. The highlight of Board Night for the campers, as well as our guests, was the laser light show. You could tell that our guests enjoyed camp life for a few hours and our campers enjoyed having visitors.

Thank you to everyone who helped make LUM Camp 2019 possible. Through your donations, campership gifts, and volunteer time, you have once again made it possible for our LUM Campers to have a positive, life-changing experience that they will remember fondly for the rest of their lives.

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LUM Camp

LUM-LARA Offers Citizenship Classes

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{Pictured above from Left to right: (top row) Brenda Weiner, Arturo, Ambrose Ringor; (second row) Jim Beaver, Susan Brouillette, Pam Ringor, Cindy Rice, (third row) Lupita Leon, Yi “Elaine” Ling, Beata Ribeiro.}

Since 2015, the LUM Immigration Clinic and LARA (Lafayette Adult Resource Academy) have offered free naturalization classes. The LUM-LARA Citizenship Classes also receive technical and material support from the Ackerman Center for Democracy at Purdue University. The Ackerman Center has provided textbooks and other resources for the classroom in addition to providing volunteer teachers with additional learning tools.
 
During the five week session, students learn about U.S history and government in preparation for their naturalization exam. All of the students who took the Spring class have either filed for naturalization or expressed they will be applying within the next six months.
 
Volunteers Karen Countryman and Scott Frankenberger coordinate the LUM/LARA Citizenship classes and are assisted by volunteer teachers Jim Beaver, Beata Ribeiro, Eileen Arthur, Michael Brouillette, Jim Altepeter, Kris Tiffany, Charlene Watson, Pat Garrott, Laura Farkas, and Andrea Wallpe. In addition, students are welcomed by many volunteers who assist teachers and provide refreshments.
 
Summer citizenship classes will continue through August 15. Classes meet at LARA on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon till 2:30 p.m. We still need volunteers to sign up to bring refreshments as well as assist teachers. Click HERE to view the sign up sheet.
 
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Immigration Clinic