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

News You Can Use - August 2015

For Your Church Newsletter

From Lutheran Community Services                         

On Saturday, September 19th LCS will host the 24thAnnual Hunger Walk Run in Wilmington’s Rockford Park. Registration opens at 8 a.m., and the walkers and runners leave the starting line an hour later, at 9. Last year’s event set a record by raising over $50,000, and this year organizers are shooting for $60,000. All the money raised goes toward LCS’s emergency food pantry system for low income people. Each year, LCS responds to over 76,000 requests for emergency food, which it provides at 14 separate locations. The Walk Run is the single largest source of funding for its food programs, and without it LCS would be hard pressed to continue to serve as many people as it does.  The cost to enter the event remains the same – Register by 9/17 and it’s only $15. On the day of the eventit will be an additional $5 for adults. To get a free Champion Fundraiser T-shirtand registration, adult entrants need to raise $60 in sponsorships, and youthentrants need to raise $30 in sponsorships. Keep in mind, however, that youth who enter the Youth Run Against Hunger will get a free T-shirt that way. To registeronline or get more info, visit www.lcsde.org.

LCS Offers Tours

The new LCS Building at 2809 Baynard Boulevard was dedicated in early June. If you are interested in seeing the new building, LCS has organized tours twice a month for the rest of the year:

11:00 a.m.                   4:30 p.m.­

August 6               August 18

September 15       September 3 

October 13           October 1 

November 17        November 12

December 15         December 3

Tours last one hour or less and provide a glimpse of what LCS does to help low income people in our community who are hungry or homeless. Visitors leave it with a new appreciation for LCS.  Contact Steve Tindall to schedule a tour – stindall@lcsde.org or 302 654 8886, extension 105.

Volunteers Needed at St. Stephen's Pantry in Wilmington

HELP IS NEEDED NOW!

Lutheran Community Services (LCS) is currently seeking volunteers to work in our St. Stephen’s Food Pantry on N. Broom Street, near Trolley Square in Wilmington. Hours are 9am to 12pm and the pantry is open Monday – Friday. Duties include stocking, bagging, filling referral requests from clients, and helping with shipments. Schedules are flexible and you can work as many days as you like. St. Stephen’s Pantry serves approximately 25,000 individuals a year, our largest and busiest pantry. 

If you would like to help and know you are making a difference please contact the LCS Volunteer Coordinator, Cher Frampton at
302-654-8886 x 107 or cframpton@yahoo.com to set up an interview.

LCS New Headquarters Dedication

News You Can Use - July 2015

For Your Church & Community 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.

LCS Building Dedicated!

Executive Director Jean Warren Cuts Ribbon at Dedication

On Thursday June 4, LCS dedicated its new building at 2809 Baynard Boulevard in Wilmington at a wonderful ceremony attended by over 100 guests who toured the building and gave it rave reviews. LCS Board President Tim Dambaugh hosted the event that included State Representative Charles Potter who welcomed us to the First District, and the Rev. Wolfgang D. Herz-Lane, Bishop of the Delaware Maryland Synod of the ELCA, who presided over the Blessing of the Building. All the donors who have helped fund the project to date were warmly thanked. The final component was an old-fashioned ribbon cutting by a group headed by Executive Director Jean Warren that included a big red ribbon and a huge pair of shears to officially open the building and dedicate it to service to the community.

Guests in attendance in what will soon be LCS's new pantry

Guests gather in the new Volunteer Center for tours

Financial Literacy Training Success

When Mrs. Eduwyna’s husband was not working over the winter, her family of six fell behind on some of their bills.  Wanting to provide for the family, she approached LCS. In order to qualify for a grant from LCS to pay their rent, she attended financial training through Clarifi.  The first thing she did is open a savings account and set a goal of $20 per month. “It doesn’t matter how much you earn; it matters how much you save,” she told our case worker. Mrs. Eduwyna attended additional training through her children’s school and at the public library, and now the family has begun working on their credit repair and hope to be able to buy a house in the next five years.  “What I never knew about finances, I have learned in the last five months,” she said.

Delaware State Tax Credit

LCS Donors of $2500 or more to LCS may be eligible for a 50% credit on their state income taxes. For example, a gift of $2500 (the minimum) will earn a tax credit of $1250 for the donor. This is available for both Capital and Operating donations. 2015 applications can be made starting July 1, 2015. Contact Steve Tindall for more information at 302 654 8886 x105 or stindall@lcsde.org. 

News You Can Use - June 2015

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.

We’ve Moved!

LCS New Headquarters at 2809 Baynard Blvd.

At the end of April, LCS moved its headquarters from Rodney Street where it has been for over 30 years to its new home at 2809 Baynard Boulevard in Wilmington. The capital campaign organized to help facilitate funding for the purchase and renovation of the new building has raised almost $1.5 million, but there is still some work to be done to reach our $2.2 million goal. We have a number of fundraising strategies at work, and we are following up on all of them. The list of great things about our new building is a long one and includes more space, upgraded computer systems, a 25-car parking lot, community pantry garden, an elevator, a volunteer center and lots more. If you miss the June 4
Dedication, contact us and we will schedule you a tour.

Garden boxes are built and scheduled for
first planting by end of May.

New Community Pantry Garden

The new community pantry garden at our new headquarters is designed to provide fresh produce to supplement what we provide in our pantries and those of our partner, Hanover Presbyterian Church. Funding was provided by the Speer Trust of the New Castle Presbytery. We’ve had all kinds of volunteers helping with the garden including a group from Bank of America who helped clear the garden spot. Chuck Landry, from St. Stephen’s has been a mainstay helping to supervise volunteers and design the garden.  Six Lutheran Campus Ministry students from the University of Delaware provided the much needed energy and muscle to build and fill the first four raised garden boxes with a luscious mix of topsoil and compost.  Each garden box is 4 foot by 8 foot so can accommodate many delicious vegetables.  The boxes are raised a foot above the soil and have a liner of geotextile fabric so that any potential pollutants in the ground will not be able to have contact with the roots of the vegetables that will be grown in them.  The Delaware Center for Horticulture has been instrumental in providing guidance regarding the design of these garden boxes.

News You Can Use - May 2015

For Your Church Newsletter

From Lutheran Community Services  - By Steve Tindall                       

 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.

Board Calls for Cuts

The LCS Board of Trustees has indicated that we need to cut program expenses because the operating income of the agency has not increased enough to meet the demand. This makes things like annual giving and the Room at the Table Breakfast more important than ever. The staff is currently examining all of our service practices for efficiencies so that we can minimize the impact of the cuts on services. Meanwhile, we are confident that within a year we can restore services to previous levels, and create new programs. Planning continues on the new choice pantry we want to start at the new building at 2809 Baynard Boulevard, and a new food program at Faith Lutheran Church in Bear.  According to Jean Warren, “The new building funds are entirely separate with a separate account not connected to our funds for operations.”

Homelessness Prevention

We used to call our back rent and mortgage programs “Housing Services,” but too many people mistook us for a shelter, so we have renamed the program “Homelessness Prevention.” Here’s a story about one of our clients. Because of a mix-up in paperwork, Denise got behind with her rent beginning in 2012 but didn’t know about it till this year. She came to LCS in April in desperate need of help with her back rent but only half expecting to get help because her situation was so dire. When she came in, her total back rent was several thousand dollars, but the staff listened and decided to do what they do best:  help people. Denise was able to raise $2800 from friends and family. LCS chipped in a $500 grant and facilitated an additional $600 from Immanuel Church. In this way, in just two days, LCS was able to assure that Denise stayed in her unit. And she said, “I am more than thankful. I truly am, and I hope and pray that all involved with helping me will be greatly blessed. Peace and Love to you all.”

Volunteers Wanted

Volunteer Coordinator Cher Frampton tells us that LCS needs volunteers, specifically for Zion and St. Stephen’s pantries, and for a volunteer photographer. Call Cher at 654 8886 x107.

The Zion and St. Stephen's Pantries are in need of pantry workers for all shifts.

St. Stephen's is open Monday - Friday from 9am to 12pm and is located in St. Stephen's Lutheran Church on 1301 N. Broom Street in Wilmington. 

Zion is open Tuesday - Thursday from 9am to 11am and is located in Zion Lutheran Church on 2101 Lancaster Ave (Rt. 48) in Wilmington.

Duties include stocking, bagging food, accepting food shipments/donations, answering phone, greeting clients and getting their pantry orders. 
Volunteers must be 15 years or older and be able to lift a minimum of 10 pounds. 

We are in need of a Volunteer Photographer to cover our various fundraisers, special events and to produce photos for our materials in print and in social media. You must have your own digital camera, have some knowledge of photo editing, and ability to email images. Knowledge of Adobe products a plus but not mandatory. Must be age 18 years or older and have your own transportation.
For a schedule of our fundraisers dates and times visit our website at www.lcsde.org to see if you can commit to this years line up. This position is perfect for the very serious amateur photographer who is looking for a job to enhance their own portfolio while giving back to the community at the same time.