Greater Power...

Each month we ask a pastor/reverend from a different church to write us a new and inspirational prayer to offer the recipients of our food services.  We feel that most who come to us are having a pretty rough time and could use some comforting words to help them through...  
every little bit helps. 

Here is the offering for April...

God loves us all immeasurably.  And nothing … nothing can remove God's love from us.  God is there, is caring, is watching, and is sending angels of help and messengers of mercy.  This is the love on which we can always depend.  Nothing, nothing in all of creation can change that!

Lord God, you know all about my life.  My struggles.  My hopes and dreams, and of those days when my dreams seem distant and unreachable.  May your love so touch and move me that I find hope in each day.  May your love be so real that I am empowered to be that messenger of care and blessing to others that I meet on this day.  Amen.

Pastor Fred Melton

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 

Holiday Food Drives

AND THE WINNER IS....

On Wednesday, September 18th I had the pleasure of joining several hundred RSVP volunteers, staff, guests and friends at the Chase Center on the Riverfront for their Annual Outstanding Senior Service Awards. What made the event even more special that day, is that I was escorting one of my own volunteers, who just happen to be the big winner that day, Hortense Priest.

A full house at the 2013 RSVP Awards

I hate to say "winner" because as you look around the room, they are all winners. Each and every one of them. As a volunteer coordinator, I always find myself torn with the idea of nominating someone for an award. How do you choose when you love everyone so much? But here we are and here she is dressed in her lovely read coat and hat and taking it all in stride.

Here is the narrative that won Hortense the award. I hope you enjoy learning a bit about her as I did. She is a lovely and humble person.

Outstanding Senior Service Award - RSVP

Hortense Priest

 

Lutheran Community Services is proud to nominate Hortense Priest of Wilmington, Delaware for the 2013 RSVP Outstanding Senior Service Award. 

Cousin Sylvia, Vol Cor Cher Frampton & Hortense Priest

Hortense has been a valuable individual on the volunteer roster for decades working in several areas at LCS.  Her primary roles have been working at our weekly produce distribution at St. Stephen’sChurch outside on 13^th Street every Wednesday.

Her other primary role has been to pick up bread weekly from a local super market and bring it to the St. Stephen’s Pantry on Broom Street.

Hortense’s time with us has been invaluable in calculation as you rarely get volunteers who are as dedicated and are as reliable as she is. Her weekly work with the produce distribution help us to provide much needed fresh fruits and vegetables to our clients that they normally do not receive at our pantry.  This program helps more than 150 people each week, and Hortense is there regardless of the weather conditions (severe heat or cold, rain, snow) to help distribute the food. Without Hortense and our volunteers to count on each and every week, this program would not be possible.  

Hortense Priest on stage with M&T Bank Vice President Joe Yacyshyn

We also count on Hortense to pick up day-old-bread, baked pastries/cakes and pies from the Acme at Trolley Square in Wilmington, each week to hand out to our clients at our St. Stephen’s pantry. Bread and baked goods are not part of our normal packing list, but it is so nice for us to be able to ask our clients “Would you like a loaf of bread, or a pie?”  Giving our clients the dignity of choice, plus a nice little treat now and then really makes their day and it makes our pantry volunteers happy too that they can give them a choice. We do not even call Hortense, she just shows up each week with the delivery. Without the reliability of Hortense picking these goodies up each and every week, this would not be possible.  St. Stephen’s pantry serves approximately 25,000 individuals each year.

In addition to all of the wonderful things that Hortense has done for LCS over the years, we wanted to share with you some of the fascinating things that she has done in and throughout her community over the years that makes her such an amazing person to us and to so many other people!

Volunteer activities & hobbies:

Hortense Priest on stage with M&T Bank Vice President Joe Yacyshyn

·     * City of Wilmington Clifford Brown Jazz Festival and Blues Festival – sell tickets & merchandise for 23 yrs.

·     *   Attend Thanksgiving Senior Ball at St. Anthony’s for 22 yrs. & Chairperson of the Activity for 7 yrs.

·     *  Member of Howard High School Class of 1952- organizes the events & facilitates ongoing communication between classmates

·      * Member of Mt. Joy United Methodist Church.  Her grandmother was a founding member & all family members have attended there since.- Volunteer for 5 yrs.

·     *  Member of AKA National Sorority serving the community (along with her daughter and her granddaughter).

·    * Member of the Woodlawn Library Adult Summer Reading Program

·    * Usher at Grand Opera for 17 yrs.

·    * Usher at DE Theater for 15 yrs.

·     * Usher at Wilmington Drama League for 12 yrs.

·      * Taught in the Delaware Public School System for 34 Years.

     During her interview for this nomination Hortense said,

      “I truly enjoy volunteering as a way of using my time to do my community service in helping    mankind and giving back to help someone else" 

 Thank you Hortense for all that you do for LCS and everywhere else!!

Greater Power

Every month we have a pastor/reverend from a different church write us a new and inspirational prayer to offer the recipients of our food services.  We place a copy of this prayer into each of the grocery bags we hand out. We feel that most who come to us are having a pretty rough time and could use some comforting words to help them through...every little bit helps.

Here is September's...

Dear Lord of Heaven and Earth,
Everything we have comes from You. Everything we need comes from your blessing. So this day we ask You to multiply the bread of life for us that we might feed our families. Strengthen our faith and help us to hold on to You when days are hard and darkness surrounds.

You are the way, the truth, and the life.
Help us.
Amen
Pastor Greg Johnson
Zion Lutheran Church [9/13]

Lutheran Community Services Annual Report

Click on image below to read

Volunteer Job Openings - April 2013

Here are a few volunteer opportunities that we currently have open. Please contact Cher Frampton at (302) 654-8886, ext 107 or cframpton @ lcsde.org if you are interested in any of these openings.

Front Desk Receptionist - Opening Filled

We are currently looking for an individual to help work our front desk on Monday and Friday mornings/early afternoon at our Rodney Street location in Wilmington. We are looking for someone who has strong phone skills, is good with the public and greeting clients, volunteers, donors, or anyone coming through our doors.  

Some duties include:
-Keeping workspace tidy and notices up to date. 

-Explain/talk about LCS to visitors and invite them to monthly food for thought tours.

-Collect voice mails and answer phones

-Cover staff for lunch breaks

-Assist program staff as needed (Making copies, organizing files, shredding etc.) 

Movers Needed! (1 to 3 Openings)

We are looking for a few good strong men!

LCS is in need of movers to accompany scheduled appointments to the Westminster furniture garage to help load furniture for recipients onto their vehicles.

Frequency: 1 to 2 days a month.

We can work around the days that are best for you, but we need to schedule this during the week between 1 and 4pm.  Individuals must be in good health, and able to lift such items as beds, dressers, and tables. This program has been hugely successful in helping families acquire much needed furniture they otherwise are not able to obtain.

Food Drive Coordinators (Unlimited Openings)

Thanksgiving and Christmas are not the only times of the year food drives are needed. People are in need of food year round. But many do not think about this volunteering opportunity during the summer. LCS can provide you with step by step instructions on ideas of how to hold a food drive, or you can get creative and come up with ideas of your own.  Ask your church, schools, employers, boy scouts/girl scouts, community center, book club, family and friends to get involved. 

Food Drives are also an excellent way for high school students to earn their volunteer hours. They learn all about team work, time management, marketing, community and so much more. Every hour they put into planning, meeting and executing their food drive counts as volunteer hours. This has proven to be a very successful volunteer activity for both the students and LCS!

Walk Committee

We are looking for some fresh faces to join us on our Walk Committee. I promise you, you do not have to be in the greatest of shape to be on this committee, I surely am not! You simply have to have the desire to make a difference in your community to fight hunger in Delaware. No running required, unless you want to of course! The Hunger Walk Run 5K is being held on September 21, 2013 at Rockford Park in Wilmington. This is an all inclusive family event, where there is something for everyone. The first Walk Committee meeting will be held on Monday, March 25th, 4pm at our Rodney Street Office in Wilmington.

Committee members are responsible for ensuring the walk goes according to plan. Helps to determine the direction of the event, help establish new contacts in the community, and hopefully bring new ideas to the table. New members are welcome to jump at any time, so don't be shy! Give me a call today if you are interested!

Volunteer Appreciation - Mardi Gras!

It is hard to believe that tomorrow it will be one year since I started working here at LCS. But it has been, and boy did it go by fast! So much has happened, I have met so many wonderful people and lots of positive things have taken place. Wow!

I am so not athletic! But I love to hand out awards!!

My first public appearance was the Annual Volunteer Appreciation event called "Mardi Gras!" only three weeks after I began which gave me a chance to say "Hi" to everyone.  I have enjoyed so much getting to know you and learning how you fit into life here at LCS. Every job no matter how big or small is critical to keep this organization moving and healthy. I also see new volunteers coming in our doors every week. Without them, we could not continue to do the work we do.

So I would like to extend an invitation to all of our volunteers, new or established, active or inactive... to please come out for our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event - Mardi Gras!

   Join us for Cajun snacks, sweets, coffee and tea.
   Entertainment by Joe Cilento Group

   Sunday February 24, 2013
2:00 p.m.
Westminster Presbyterian Church
13th and Rodney Street., Wilmington

Bring a Friend! And Please R.S.V.P.
302.654.8886, ext 100
or send an email  -info@lcsde.org
We have directions if you need them. (This is across the street from our main office.) Parking is at the Westminster Park Lot. Enter the Blue Doors on 13th Street.

I hope to see you there. I would love to catch up with as many of you as possible. This event is for YOU! It's a free event, and no we are no asking for donations or money. This is just a gathering and celebration for our volunteers to show all of you how much we appreciate everything you do for us!

Peace,
Cher Frampton

News You Can Use - 2012 Annual Report to Congregations

2012 Annual Report to Congregations

L

ast year, the Lutheran Community Services (LCS) Emergency Food Program served more people than ever before – substantially more. In 2011, our food program served 69,369. In 2012, our food program served 86,750.  That’s an increase in food clients of 25 percent during 2012. Looking at the figures for all services combined, LCS served a total of 83,812 during 2011. During 2012, the total number served zoomed up to 102,715, and for the first time ever, LCS served over 100,000 people. That is an increase of 18,903 or 23 percent in 2012. This growth is part of a long upward trend. The table below illustrates how demand has grown at our three stationery pantries (Hope, St. Stephens and Zion) in the last 15 years. Keep in mind that these figures represent only 3 of our 13 separate food distribution sites.

Individuals Served at Hope, St. Stephens and Zion LCS Food Pantries (1998-2012)

In addition to meeting the burgeoning demand in a quantitative sense, LCS is also committed to improving the quality of service, in all three core areas – food, housing, and more. In the food area, we concentrated on nutrition, handing out thousands of printed inserts dealing with nutrition on a budget in 2012.  We have also held well-attended nutritional seminars which is something that will continue in 2013. Also in 2013, we expect to continue our review of “client choice” options so that people have a role in what foods they receive. In the housing area, we streamlined our procedures dramatically so that while we helped about the same number of people in 2012 as the year before, we interviewed substantially fewer, which saved time and effort for other tasks.  We also enhanced our housing follow up activities so that each client receives four follow-up contacts to assure that they are staying housed. Our emphasis on financial literacy continued in 2012 with a goal of helping people prepare to deal with future financial emergencies without jeopardizing their homes.