Gardening Help Wanted...

News You Can Use - May 2016

For Your Church Newsletter

From Lutheran Community Services                         

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.

Big Plans for LCS Garden

LCS has an urban garden at its headquarters location at 2809 Boulevard in Wilmington. With spring in the air, volunteers have turned to the garden with big plans. Last year, the garden raised over 200 lbs. of produce. This year, we can expect at least twice that much since the garden size is being

doubled, with most of the energy coming from volunteers. The produce yield will be divided between LCS for its choice pantry, and Hanover Presbyterian, which helped to secure last year’s start-up grant from the Speer Trust of the New Castle Presbytery. Lead volunteer in this effort is Spencer Hoernes, a student at the University of Delaware’s Ag School. In addition to doubling the garden’s size, Spencer is working hard to make it handicapped accessible. We’ve have also been approached by an Eagle Scout who is exploring the possibility of building steps to the garden which is about 8 feet higher than the parking lot it overlooks.

Plant a Row for the Pantry

Supply problems have made it difficult for LCS and its food distribution partners to obtain fresh produce for their regular distributions. One way regular folks can play a helpful, meaningful role in this is to plant an extra row or two in their gardens. It doesn’t matter too much what they plant and bring to the pantry, as long as it is fresh and ready to be distributed to hungry low income people when it arrives. Gardeners can bring produce to LCS headquarters, or if they are closer to another of our pantry or distribution sites, they can bring it there.

Women Helping Women

About 98% of the clients for our senior home repair program are women, and the majority of them are widows. So it was great to get a $1000 donation for the program from a woman who has a special place in her heart for those in need of a home repair – a broken window, a  new lock, grab bars, or whatever we can do to make them feel safe and secure in their homes..

New Format for LCS News Coming In June 2016! Watch for It!

LCS 2015 Annual Report

Click on link below to view the annual report in pdf format.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/273519909/2015-Annual-Report

https://www.scribd.com/doc/273519909/2015-Annual-Report

LCS 2014 Program Services Report

Important Produce and Pantry Schedule Info

http://www.lcsde.org

Good Luck Ariana Wakeman...and Thank You!

Ari at her desk working on housing appointments

We have come to that difficult time of year were we must once again say goodbye to one of our LVC staff members.
 
Ariana Wakeman (Ari) has just about completed her year of service with us and will be moving on to hopefully bigger and better things.

We have been very grateful and blessed to have Ari on board with us and she has worked hard all year. As with my tradition since my arrival I wanted to ask Ari some questions about her experience here with us before her last day, which is July 25.


How did you feel when you found out you were coming to Delaware and to LCS?

-       Ari: I was excited to work for a program such as Lutheran Community Services. I was unsure how I would like Delaware, but knew it would be a great experience.

Was this the kind of work you were looking to do?

     Ari: This was exactly the kind of work I was looking to do. I was very interested in working with low-income populations and being an advocate. This year has confirmed for me that I am in the right field, and that I am passionate about what I am doing.

 

Getting reading for produce distribution

When you first arrived, was it what you were expecting? What were your first impressions?

-        Ari: I did not have a lot of expectations coming into this position because I wanted to be open to different experiences and learning opportunities. I felt very welcomed by the staff and volunteers, which made  the transition smooth for me.

Would you want to do this kind of work again and what have you learned while you were here?

-        Ari: I would like to continue to work in this field. I feel that I have learned a lot about how non-profits are run, how to interact with clients, and the details of various government programs. I recognize that I have a lot more to learn, but I am thankful for the opportunities for growth this has provided for me as an individual.

Was there one moment that sticks out to you that you will never forgot during your time here at LCS?

-        Ari: I found that although there can be many stressful moments in an environment such as this, there were also many times that laughter became the best medicine. I am appreciative to have had people around me who were able to do this.

What will you miss the  most here  at LCS?

Ari: I will really miss the people, including both the volunteers and the staff. I am honored to have worked with such genuine, caring, and compassionate individuals whom I greatly look up to.

Ari and a volunteer prepare to call out numbers for produce
in heat. Volunteers work in all weather for produce

What plans do you have after you leave?

Ari:  I will be attending the University of Michigan for my Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing and Health as well as joining the cycling team there. 

Ari, Thank You! You made such an impression on us and we are all going to dearly miss you. We wish you much success in your exciting future plans!

His name is Joe...

Exceptional: ex·cep·tion·al 

unusually good; outstanding.

synonyms:

outstanding, extraordinary, remarkable, special, excellent, phenomenal, prodigious; unequaled, unparalleled, unique, unsurpassed, peerless, matchless, nonpareil, first-rate, first-class; informalA1, top-notch "his exceptional ability"

A word I would use to describe all of our volunteers, but one I would like to pull out to use on our friend Joe today. My mother always told me growing up "Never judge a book by it's cover" and so I grew up taking that saying very seriously and never did. And because of that I have met some of the most wonderful and exceptional people in the world.

On Sunday, February 9 our friend Joe was featured in the News Journal asking people to help raise food donations. I was pleased to see a most worthy candidate for the job. 

I gave Joe a call and was able to sit down with him for a few minutes for a chat....


Cher: Joe, when did you start volunteering with LCS?

Joe: January 2012 at the Shiloh Baptist Mobile Unit in Wilmington helping unloading, organizing, and carrying orders to cars for folks.

Cher: What got you volunteering with Shiloh?

Joe: At first I was there to get food from the program for my family, then Sandy your program coordinator asked me if I would start helping out, and I  said “Sure, I have no problem helping out.”  That got me started on wanting to help out the community. Eventually I started working at St. Stephen’s pantry and produce on Wednesdays in addition to Shiloh, and I was added as a sub on the substitute list. I just wanted to help any way I could.

Cher: This must have kept you very busy, what motivated you to keep adding duties to your LCS resume?

Joe: Because you won’t let me leave. You all love me too much!!

Cher: (Laughing) This is true…  You are very reliable and every time we call you, you are here for us. Thank you! What are your future plans with LCS?

Joe: My plans are to stick it out with LCS until a better opportunity comes along, like a job.

Cher: We sure hope you stick around, but we sure won’t be sad to see you go because of a job.

Joe: LCS is great place to be and everyone here is very friendly and you are good to me. If I need anything I just have to call and I am treated with respect.

Thank you Joe, for everything you do. You bring a lot to the table to LCS and we are very grateful. I ran across a poem from one of my favorite writers and I thought it fit here really nicely. It's by Tom Krause.

Through my troubles and my worries are sometimes all that I can see - still I always must remember life's not only about me. 

Other souls are also hurting and I know that it's God's plan 

to reach out to help another - to extend them my hand.

With this purpose as my focus - to be a comfort to a friend -

all my troubles and my worries seem to fade out in the end.

It is one of God's true lessons - how my walk is meant to be -

true happiness I find when life's not only about me.

Thank you to all of our volunteers who give tirelessly and selflessly each and every month and make our mission possible!

The Great Pumpkin - From Ramsey's Farm

 A Huge Thank You to Ramsey's Farms for providing us with pumpkins to hand out at our weekly produce distribution this week (Wednesday.) A great seasonal treat for our families to receive and we provided recipes and instructions on how to cook the pumpkins. They also provided us with carving pumpkins to hand out as well.

Unloading the pumpkins

Pumpkins are stacked up for distribution

Carving Pumpkins, pumpkins to cook with, they had it all!

An unexpected treat for our recipients.

Thank You Ramsey's Farm!

   Check out Ramey's Farm for all of the treats and fun they have planned! Click Here.
Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Photos courtesy: Jeff Batt

Thank You Laurie Elseroad

A year seems like a long time, until it is time for us to say goodbye to yet another Lutheran Volunteer Corps Superstar like Laurie Elseroad! It feels like she just got here yesterday and yet, here it is time for her to go. And while we are all sad to see her leave, we are all also very proud of the work she has accomplished while here and the great job she has done.  For those of you who are not familiar with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, please visit their website, www.lutheranvolunteercorps.org/

an incredible organization doing amazing work with our young people. And yes, we have a new LVC'r coming our way in August!!!

Naturally I was not going to let Laurie go without asking her some questions, an exit interview and of course a little photo shoot. I have to keep my photographer busy of course! 

So here we go, Laurie's exit interview.
And Thank You Laurie, you have been Wonderful and we are all going to miss you bunches!

God Bless and much luck on all of your future endeavors! 

-The Staff of LCS

- How are you feeling about winding up your time with us here at LCS?

"I am very sad to say goodbye to my LCS family, but I am excited for the opportunities to come that working at LCS has prepared me for"

-Was this the assignment you were looking for?"Working at LCS was exactly what I was looking for, and more!  I wanted to work directly with people, but I walked away with more skills and experiences than I imagined."

 -What were your first impressions when you got here?"At first I was nervous that I would never get the hang of everything, as it was my first full-time job.  While I had a lot of responsibility, I was excited about it, and the staff here are so open to questions and ideas that I felt a part of the team right away.  Their willingness and desire to help, made the transition so much easier."

- What has the work here at LCS meant to you?

"I feel very lucky to have been matched with LCS because I gained experience in several different aspects of non-profit work.  I had the opportunity to work directly with clients, to organize volunteers, to manage small programs, and to complete office duties.  The range of work has provided me with invaluable skills necessary for my future working for social justice with a non-profit."

- What have you learned while working here at LCS? 

"The most important lesson I will take away from my time here at LCS is who are clientele are.  Putting a face to people in need, I found that there is no particular face."

- If you could pick out one moment you say you will never forget while here, what would it be?

"The gratitude evident in folks’ faces and in their actions that I witnessed first-hand when handing out Thanksgiving dinners to families."

 

 - What will you miss the most here at LCS?

"Aaron, I did spend 40 hrs a week with him."

-What are your plans once you return home?

"I will be moving back home to Baltimore to work as a Veterinary Assistant at Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter in downtown Baltimore, MD.  I will also be working part-time as a field organizer for the Real Food Challenge throughout the mid-Atlantic region."

News You Can Use

For Your Church Newsletter  -Prepared by Steve Tindall

From Lutheran Community Services                        August 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.

More Produce

Coverdale Farms – which is an arm of the Delaware Nature Society – has begun to bring LCS their excess produce. It’s fresh, really fresh, which is a great addition to the menus of low income LCS food recipients lucky enough to receive it. The farmer who manages the farm brings the produce to our St. Stephen’s pantry, our largest, and it is blended in with the food we give away on that day. Last week’s delivery was a wonderful one, and one we hope will be replicated – 70 lbs of zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, broccoli and onions.

Anniversary Benefits Pantry

Mary Ann and Larry Peart celebrated their 50^th Wedding Anniversary on June 8. Instead of gifts, they suggested that people bring food for hungry people in our area. Their friends and family were quite generous and their donations really helped fill the pantry shelves. This kind of idea is gaining in popularity, especially among people who feel they already have all that they need.

Rain, Rain and the Power of Prayer

A few weeks ago we had really severe storms on the morning of our regularly scheduled Mobile Pantry stop at Shiloh Baptist Church. Strong winds, rain and hail were predicted. After contacting the church and the Food Bank, we decided to postpone. But the day turned out to be a beautiful one, and we felt bad about postponing. A new date was scheduled, and on that day, once again, the prediction was for severe thunderstorms. We couldn’t postpone again, so LCS leaders asked clients for some prayers. Here’s what happened:  At 4:29 we finished the distribution, packed up and drove away under dry skies. Then ten minutes later, at 4:39, the skies opened up with blinding rain. We can’t help but think that in this case our prayers worked!

Walk Run Scheduled for September 21

 Register online:  www.lcsde.org. Call 302 654 8886 x 100 or email hteig@lcsde.org.