News You Can Use - January 2015

For Your Church Newsletter - Prepared by Steve Tindall
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 Helps Smokers Quit

The New Year is a great time to make resolutions. A wonderful resolution for smokers is: Quit! LCS helps people do that by providing pharmacy vouchers for low income Delaware clients who want to be free of tobacco addiction. Income-qualified participants get help with smoking cessation aids like gum and the patch. But even if smokers don’t qualify because their incomes are too high, the state still wants them to quit and will provide individualized quit plans tailored to each individual’s need.

Blessing From One of Our Clients

A few days ago, one of our clients, after receiving utility assistance (to prevent her homelessness), took a minute to jot us a note: “May God bless all the people who donate to LCS, because I was in need and God provided. May they experience God’s rich blessings for Christmas!”

New Building Update

The New Year is also a great time to take stock of one’s accomplishments. LCS has kept all of its services operating during a time of great need. At the same time, it managed the financing and began renovation of a new much-needed headquarters building on Baynard Boulevard in Wilmington. The budget and fundraising goal for the project has been established at $1.8 million. Already, we have raised nearly two-thirds of its goal. We still have a number of important grant applications to hear responses from, plus a broader request for funds when the campaign goes public in January. We expect the building to be completed by May 2015.

Before

After

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!