For
Your Church Newsletter - Prepared by Steve Tindall
From
Lutheran Community Services April
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.
Need
for Housing Assistance Grows
A new report released by the Delaware Housing Coalition
shows that 6 of every 10 low income renters in Delaware are often unable to
find an apartment they can afford. 75% of extremely low income families end up
spending more than half of their incomes on housing costs. According to LCS Program Director Sandy Betley, the number of people asking
LCS for housing assistance continues to expand. With limited capacity, there is
no way LCS can accommodate more clients, so staff is regularly asked to stop
making appointments for a few days. Once they catch up, the program reopens. LCS
housing assistance loans and grants average about $400 per family. Last year,
LCS housing assistance activities helped over 1300 people avoid homelessness.
A Client Freeing Herself From
Nicotine Addiction
In addition to its core housing and food programs, LCS
operates some smaller ones, such as the Smoking Cessation Voucher Program. Our
role is to assure that low income folks who desire to free themselves from the
yoke of tobacco addiction get the proper pharmaceutical support. A client recently
emailed us: “My counselor and I speak
each week and this is going great. Thank you for helping me rid myself of a
habit I have had for a very long time. I started saving up for a new
washer/dryer with the money from not purchasing cigarettes. What a blessing.”
LCS Gimme Shelter Golf
Tournament Makes Changes
Organizers are gearing up for a great 2013 Gimme Shelter
Golf Tournament on Friday, May 17 at Chesapeake Bay Golf Course in Northeast,
MD. What’s new? Plenty. For one, Shone
Lumber stepped up as the title sponsor. Thank you! What else? Well, the
event will be held on a Friday for the first time; and the shotgun start will
be at 1 pm, another first. There will
also be a dinner after golf, which is one more first. The great thing about the
dinner is that it will feature the best of “Grandma’s Italian Kitchen” with
spaghetti, meatballs, chicken parmesan, Caesar salad and lots more! Dinner
tickets for nongolfers are available for $25. To register for the tournament or
to get tickets, contact Larry Friday at (302)
438-1290 or fridayla@msn.com.
