If you, your work-mates, church or family would like to sponsor a Food Drive for LUM, please check out the LUM list of needed items. LUM relies on monetary donation as well as gift-in-kind to allow the LUM programs to serve your neighbors in need.
Join us in THANKING everyone at WINCO Construction Company for thinking of LUM and this generous donation.
In the Christian, Jewish & Islamic faiths, this is the most celebrated time of year. Many of us have been “preparing” through prayer (justice towards your faith), fasting (justice toward yourself), and giving & serving (justice toward your neighbors). As you reflect on giving & serving — perhaps you would consider a legacy gift to LUM — an organization pledged to fighting for justice for you and your community. During this pandemic, gathering together for the holiday will be difficult if even possible. Supporting LUM programs gives you an opportunity to focus on serving those less fortunate, especially those needing food, shelter, and assistance with rent, childcare, paying utilities, immigration issues, medical expenses or tax preparation.
Whether you use cash, appreciated securities/stock, real estate, artwork, partnership interests, personal property, life insurance, a retirement plan or your economic impact payment AKA stimulus check — the benefits of Planned Gifts can make this type of donation attractive to you as well as LUM. Meet with your professional advisor to learn how informed estate planning can increase the overall value of your estate with a gift of tax-burdened assets (like IRAs, 401(k), or savings bonds) to Lafayette Urban Ministry. We hope you will remember Lafayette Urban Ministry in your will.
Once you’re ready, Wes Tillett, LUM executive director, will meet with you to fulfill your giving goals with your support of LUM. To begin the process, email (lum@lumserve.org) or call (765-423-2691) Wes Tillett. More information on Giving to LUM may be found at LUMserve.org.
Whatever you decide — we sincerely hope you have a wonderful Spring — and if you’re celebrating, have a fruitful Lenten journey and a blessed Easter, a meaningful Ramadan and a joyful Eid al-Fitr, or a purposeful Passover and a memorable Seder.
This spring, Lafayette Urban Ministry will be expanding its food assistance program by opening the LUM Westside Food Pantryin partnership with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tippecanoe County and with the support of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd.
YOU can HELP the new LUM Westside Food Pantry by “stocking the shelves” with food items before it opens later this spring.
Here are FOUR ways you can help:
Food Drive – Sponsor a food drive at your church, business or in your neighborhood. Extra Credit – Make it a MONTHLY food drive
Lafayette Urban Ministry has been awarded $17,000 from the Tippecanoe COVID-19 Response Fund. This fund was created last spring by United Way of Greater Lafayette, The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette and Greater Lafayette Commerce to bring relief to the area’s most vulnerable individuals and families. LUM is a funded partner agency and continues to serve those experiencing the short-term and long-term impacts of the coronavirus global pandemic. Ten thousand dollars will be distributed to individuals and family through the LUM Good Samaritan Program; and $7,000 will fund a clerk to process these requests more quickly.
LUM is proud to be designated as a partner in this important initiative. Thank you to United Way of Greater Lafayette, The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette, and Greater Lafayette Commerce for their continued support.
As a part of their COVID-19 Relief Program, the Ball Corporation recently awarded $6,750 to LUM to combat the impact of COVID-19 on the members of our community. Ball employees are united in their commitment to supporting communities worldwide throughout the challenging COVID-19 health crisis, and the corporation is donating $5 million around the world to meet the unique needs of their local communities as the impacts of the pandemic evolve. LUM received this grant for our programs that focus on providing critical support for food security and at-risk individuals in our community. These funds will have an immediate positive impact through the various programs at LUM. LUM is grateful for the support of the Ball employees and the recognition from the Ball Corporation & Foundation.
Joan Foord Low, transitioned from being LUM board president as gracefully and humbly as she entered in 2005 as the newly selected representative from her church to the LUM Board of Directors. For the past 16 years, she led with passion and strength through some of the most significant milestones at LUM, including the search and hiring of the new LUM executive director last spring.
Due to COVID-19, Joan was given a Zoom send-off from her colleagues and was presented with a token of appreciation from the LUM board and staff members by Wes Tillett, LUM executive director. Pictured is Wes presenting Joan with a framed sketch of the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah with a plaque that reads,
“With deep appreciation of Joan Low for her years of leadership and service at Lafayette Urban Ministry.”
Joan is one of an impressive group of women who have led and served LUM through the Board of Directors. She is an inspiration to all and a shining example of the contribution individuals can make in our community through the work of Lafayette Urban Ministry. Joan shared that she will still volunteer with the LUM youth programs and wherever else she is needed. THANK YOU, Joan!
LUM is excited to introduce you to the president of the LUM Board of Directors, Cheryl Fowler.
Cheryl has been an active LUM volunteer for more than eight years when she was selected to represent her church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tippecanoe County, on the LUM Board of Directors. In addition to serving on the LUM Executive Council for the past four years, Cheryl has served on the Hunger Hike Fundraising Committee for seven years and was the program director for the LUM Community Thanksgiving Feast in 2015 & 2016.
Cheryl grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, graduated from Finneytown High School, and earned a BS in marketing from Miami University, Ohio. Cheryl lives in West Lafayette with her husband of 36 years, Gary, and they have an adult daughter, son-in-law and seven-month old granddaughter. In addition to her family, she draws inspiration from music, especially this Carrie Newcomer song lyric,
“The greatest revolution is a simple change of heart.”
Cheryl shared that,
“Central to my faith is the inherent worth and dignity of each person and my commitment to justice, equity and compassion for all.”
This is what drew her to get involved with Hunger Hike and the new LUM Westside Food Pantry, opening this April.
“Creating awareness of food insecurity, raising money to fight hunger and providing food assistance to local families,”
is important to Cheryl. She is most proud of her work with the LUM Executive Council, stating that,
“Serving as the liaison for my church, working with the governance of LUM and witnessing firsthand the LUM volunteers & staff making a difference in people’s lives, gives me such a positive feeling. LUM truly is in the business of helping to restore human dignity and hope.”
Cheryl Fowler and Wes Tillett, LUM executive director
Following a long history of women serving with LUM, Cheryl is a humble and hardworking leader and volunteer. Over the years, she has stepped up and led when needed but has also rolled up her sleeves and participated in the day-to-day work at LUM.
“LUM helps me live out my values,”
Cheryl shared with pride and gratitude.
Cheryl also serves on the social justice team with her church and a racial justice group in the community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, outdoor activities including camping, traveling, music and supporting the arts, and tap dancing, which she has done since she was four years old.
LUM and the children and families served by LUM are blessed to have someone like Cheryl as their leader, advocate, and servant.
Will you help us continue to serve those in our community who are experiencing homelessness? Your gift of $50, $100, $250, $500, or $1,000 to the LUM Emergency Shelter will help LUM continue to provide help and hope to those experiencing homelessness during this global health crisis.
Your financial generosity is not only an act of hospitality toward those with no home of their own, it is also an investment in the health and safety of the greater community. If you’re interested or need more information, click HERE — or email or call Briton Weise (bweise@lumserve.org | 765-423-2691).
The LUM Protein Food Pantry needs you. Here are four ways to get engaged today. This new “pop up” food pantry is open weekly and focuses on providing “protein, paper goods & produce.”
Volunteers are needed each Thursday morning from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and delivery of donated items will be received during that time.
Four Ways YOU can help the LUM Food Programs are as follows:
Central Catholic Students Donate $1,231 to LUM Shelter
Robert Storey delivering care packages.
On behalf of Central Catholic Jr-Sr High School students, Robert Storey, the director of campus ministry, presented LUM with a check for $1,231.43 in support of Homeless Services at Lafayette Urban Ministry.
As a part of Catholic Schools Week, the students raised the funds during the “Change Drive,” where they collected change for LUM.
In addition to the Change Drive, the students collected items and created “care packages.” They also invited Briton Weise, LUM Emergency Shelter director, to speak via Zoom to the students about homelessness.
LUM is blessed to have such active Catholic schools in Lafayette with students and staff committed to supporting the good work of Lafayette Urban Ministry.
