Monthly Edition - December 2013 News You Can Use

 

News You Can Use        Prepared by Steve Tindall

From Lutheran Community Services          December 2013

Editors: This information is prepared for church newsletter editors, secretaries and pastors. Your help in getting the word out is appreciated and will help LCS achieve its mission of “Sharing God’s blessings by helping others in need.” Comments about timing or content are welcome. Contact Steve Tindall (stindall@lcsde.org). 302 654 8886.

Furniture Program Needs Transportation

LCS housing clients can get free furniture through our partnership with New Life Furnishings, which is a wonderful outreach initiative developed by Westminster Presbyterian Church near LCS’s headquarters.  Many housing clients come to LCS with very little. Sometimes they don’t even have furniture for the new apartment that LCS helps them secure. In such cases, LCS turns immediately to New Life Furnishings. Their whole mission is to help get good serviceable used furnishings into the hands of people who really need it. And they have it all… beds, bedding, things for the kitchen, tables, small appliances, lighting, chairs etc. Unfortunately, most of our housing clients don’t have a way to transport the furniture they select from New Life Furnishings to their new apartment. That’s why we need a physically fit volunteer with the following: a strong desire to help, a truck or SUV, and the ability to set up the logistics between LCS, the client, and New Life Furnishings. If you are that person and want to volunteer, or if you have questions, please call or email Cher Frampton at 654 8886 x107 or cframpton@lcsde.org.

LCS Housing Clients Get Financial Counseling

As part of the application process, people who come to LCS for help with back rent, utilities or security deposits, receive budget counseling. This used to be provided by LCS housing specialists as part of the application process. Recently, however, LCS decided to transfer the budgeting component of the application to Clarifi, a nonprofit organization that specializes in providing financial literacy training. Housing clients are instructed to contact Clarifi and do their financial counseling component on the phone. This way, when clients arrive at LCS to apply for an LCS housing grant or loan, they have already completed their financial training and come to us with both a home budget and a basic plan to improve their financial well-being. Some clients even continue their relationship with Clarifi to address debt problems and buying a home.

Corporate Support

LCS recently received two wonderful corporate grants:  $10,000 from Bank of America for general operations; and $5,000 from Dupont for food and housing help during the holidays.