25 Annual 5k Walk Run Registration is Now Open!

Join US for the 25th Annual...

On-line Registration is Now Open
Click on Image Above.

Gardening Help Wanted...

Help Needed - Food Drive Coordinators

LCS is in need of individuals who are willing to run food drives to help with the growing demand for food at our new Choice Pantry located at 2809 Baynard Blvd in Wilmington.

Food comes to us for the Choice Pantry at this time from two sources,The Food Bank of Delaware and private donations/food drives. Our shelves are growing thin as awareness of our pantry is growing in the community.

We need folks who are willing to do food drives on a regular basis, or every once in awhile or even just once. Any size big or small is welcome, every bit helps.  Or perhaps you have a gift in recruiting others to also hold food drives! The nice thing about food drives is you can make it as simple or as creative as you like.

We have developed an LCS Food Drive Kit which has information for students who are trying to earn their high school credit in volunteer hours. It also explains some of the do's and don'ts even touches on how to use social media when having a food drive.

If you would be interested in holding a food drive, click on the image below to open up a PDF file of our food drive kit that you can down load or print off. Contact me, Cher Frampton at 302-654-8886 x 107 or cframpton@lcsde.org with questions and a list of currently needed food items.

 Click Image Below for Food Drive Kit

Volunteer Openings Available Now...

Immediate Openings at St. Stephen's Pantry - Trolley Square and Choice Pantry on Baynard Blvd.

Lutheran Community Services (LCS) is currently seeking volunteers to work in our St. Stephen’s Food Pantry on N. Broom Street, near Trolley Square and at our Choice Pantry at our main headquarters on Baynard Blvd. in Wilmington.

St. Stephen's Pantry is looking for individuals for all shifts but the greater need is for Fridays 9am - 12pm and the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 4:30-7:00 pm.
St.Stephen Pantry hours are 9am to 12pm
 and the pantry is open Monday – Friday

and 4 - 7 pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. 

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. 

Our Choice Pantry located at our main headquarters at 2809 Baynard Blvd and is open on Monday,Wednesday and Friday, shifts are from 12:30 - 3:00 pm. Duties include; greeting and assisting clients with filling out forms, stocking shelves and assisting clients with shopping selections. Choice is the newest to our family of food distribution sites and growing every week.

We are also continuing our efforts with food drives, as we are in need of food for all of our stationary pantry locations. If working at one of our pantries does not fit into your schedule, please consider organizing a food drive though your church, club, or employer. If you would like to help out and know that you are making a difference please contact the LCS Volunteer Coordinator, Cher Frampton at 302-654-8886 x 107 or cframpton@lcsde.org to set up an interview.

Immediate Openings at St. Stephen's Pantry - Trolley Square

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

and 4 - 7 pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. 

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. 

We are also continuing our efforts with food drives, as we are in need of food for all of our stationary pantry locations. If working at one of our pantries does not fit into your schedule, please consider organizing a food drive though your church, club, or employer. If you would like to help out and know that 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.

Volunteer Staff Needed for New Choice Pantry & Food Drive Help Fight Hunger ...

Join us as a volunteer at the new “Choice Pantry” at the Lutheran Community Services headquarters at 2809 Baynard Blvd. Wilmington DE, 19802.

The Choice Pantry is designed so LCS clients can “shop” for food. Clients select a specified number of items from each nutrition food group. The Pantry ensures that the clients receive food that will enable well-balanced, nutritious meals.

When?

Volunteers are needed Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. 

Why?

Studies show that personal food choice has a positive impact on a person’s self-esteem and can be a part of this meaningful experience.

And...

We are also continuing our Food Drive that we held through December to help get us some start up food for the choice pantry through January. We got a lot of great donations sent our way December - January and we are hoping for more blessings to continue coming in. 

Volunteer Today!

Volunteer today at the Choice Pantry! Experienced or not, we would love to talk with you about fitting into our pantry team, or start a food drive to help keep food coming in to the pantry. Either way, any and all help is so greatly needed and even more so appreciated!

For more information, or to schedule an interview please call Cher Frampton 302-302-654-8886 x 107 office or cframpton@lcsde.org

We look forward to hearing from YOU!

Volunteer Staff Needed for New Choice Pantry & Food Drive

Help Fight Hunger ...

Join us as a volunteer at the new “Choice Pantry” at the Lutheran Community Services headquarters at 2809 Baynard Blvd. Wilmington DE, 19802.

The Choice Pantry is designed so low-income clients can “shop” for food, . Clients select a specified number of items from each nutrition food group. The Pantry ensures that the clients receive food that will enable well-balanced, nutritious meals.

When?

Volunteers are needed Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. The pantry is scheduled to open on February 1st and there is a volunteer training scheduled for Wednesday, January 27th at 1 p.m.

1

Why?

Studies show that personal food choice has a positive impact on a person’s self-esteem and can be a part of this meaningful experience.

And...

We are also extending our Holiday Food Drive that we held through December to help get us some start up food for the choice pantry through January. We got a lot of great donations sent our in December and we are hoping for more blessings to continue coming in. 

Volunteer Today!

Volunteer today at the Choice Pantry! Experienced or not, we would love to talk with you about fitting into our pantry team, or start a food drive to help kick start things off. Either way, any and all help is so greatly needed and even more so appreciated!

For more information, please call Cher Frampton 302-302-654-8886 x 107 office or cframpton@lcsde.org

We look forward to hearing from YOU!

News You Can Use

For Your Church Newsletter

From Lutheran Community Services      December 2015

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.

Holiday Food Drive: LCS is the proud recipient of many food drives throughout the year, but right now we are asking people participate in our 2015 Holiday Food Drive which will stock our new “choice” pantry at our headquarters at 2809 Baynard Boulevard. It’s virtually complete, and the empty shelves are ready to be filled. There are two main ways you can participate. First, by giving. We need all manner of nonperishables but especially appreciate things like tuna, canned meats, peanut butter and cereal. Another way to participate in a food drive is by having one yourself! It’s not for everyone, but some of us have a special gift for organizing and collecting for hungry people, especially during the holidays. We can help you get started. LCS will begin collecting for its Holiday Food Drive on December 4. We are open from 8 to 4. It’s best to call ahead. If you need to deliver at another time, we can make an appointment.

Pantry Volunteers Wanted: Pantry volunteers are needed at St. Stephen’s Pantry and the new “choice” pantry noted above. Call Cher Frampton at 302 654 8886 x107.

Smokers Rejoice: Kathy Swanson who manages the LCS Smoking Cessation Program collects testimonials from the people we have helped with free pharmaceutical aids. Take just one example, Melissa:  “I haven’t had a cigarette since August 6, and I thank LCS and the Quit Line for my success…I feel so much better now. My house is clean. Food tastes different and everything smells better.” What a great way to enjoy the holidays!

Rental Assistance: Sabrina came to us after her son was born.  She had to take some time off work, but did not get paid for it. Trying to catch up on the bills was a challenge, and she fell behind in her rent. Then she heard about LCS. To make a long story short, Sabrina was able to leave LCS with not only rental assistance but also coats for her newborn and kindergartener and toys for both that she can wrap up for Christmas.  Next week, Sabrina will be starting a better paying job, and is thankful for all her gifts.   The coats were provided by St. Marks and Grace of God Lutheran Churches. The toys were provided by Jane Ramsey and David Amos. And the financial assistance was provided by you – our wonderful donors.

Volunteer Opportunities at St. Stephen's Pantry

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 and 4 - 7 pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. 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.

News You Can Use

For Your Church Newsletter

From Lutheran Community Services    September 2015

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.

Gov. Markell Visits LCS

Gov. Markell with LCS staff and volunteers during his July 31 visit to
LCS’s new headquarters at 2809 Baynard Boulevard, in Wilmington.

 LCS Volunteer Coordinator Cher Frampton participated in a volunteer fair at Bethel AME Church recently and caught the attention of Gov. Markell.  He liked what he heard about LCS and suggested a visit, which LCS was only too happy to take him up on. He arrived promptly at 11 a.m. as planned on Friday July 31.


Jean Warren gave him the royal tour of the new building and explained LCS’s focus on helping low income people with food, homelessness prevention and other important services. A short meeting followed, and the governor offered some helpful advice on completing the financing of the new building and insights about where our services are needed most.

Executive Director Jean Warren takes Governor
Jack Markell on a tour of the new facility.

     Before he left, the governor gave an inspiring talk to the staff and volunteers about how agencies like LCS are pitching in to help answer the critical need for social services in our community.

Volunteer Spencer Hoernes explains to Gov. Markell about
LCS’s community pantry garden funded by Speer Trust.

    

Walk Run Against Hunger September 19, 2015! Register or download forms online at www.lcsde.org. For 

information, call 302 654 8886 x109. 

Or click HERE to go straight to our online registration page...

Coordinator for the Zion Pantry Richard Porto tells his
story to the Governor with Volunteer Coordinator Cher Frampton.

P/T Volunteer Receptionist Needed ASAP

We are in need of a part-time receptionist to help fill in while our regular receptionist Rose is out on maternity leave.

Duties will include answering the phone and taking messages. Greeting guests and letting staff know when clients have arrived for their appointments. Other projects such as mailings and assembling packets may be requested from time to time.

Schedule will vary but it will be between the hours of 8am - 4pm, Monday through Friday. Individual must be professional and good with the public. Some computer skills are needed and experience using office phone systems helpful, but will we will train.

This position is available now, and we are looking to fill this in the next week, no later than end of next week.

Please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Cher Frampton at 302-654-8886, 107 or cframpton@lcsde.org. Please leave a message if no answer, you will get a call back.

News You Can Use - November 2014

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.

Best Ever Walk Run Results - $52,129.00!!!

5....4...3...2...1.... GO!

What an outstanding Walk Run. The weather and crowd were wonderful; and the money raised surpassed all previous records -- $52,129! The previous high was last year’s $46,172.  Why such good results? Because of the excellent effort put forward by all 277 participants, combined with record-breaking fundraising by some real pros. The person who raised the most was perennial favorite Jan Hufnal, with $5,405, a record. The second place adult was James Nichols who raised $3,000. Third was Fred Melton who raised $2,150. The best story about fundraising, however, belongs to a youth fundraiser – Dan Luettgen from Grace who raised $4,625 another record. Other youthful fund-raisers are Hope Munson in second place with $422, followed by Rachel Ierien, who raised $370 for third place. But remember, the real winners are all the thousands of hungry families that receive LCS food as a result of the funds raised at this event!

St. Marks - Winner for the Most People and
Highest Percentage of their Congregation

Now for the churches. Given the performances of Hufnal and Luettgen, Grace was an easy first place in the fundraising department with $15, 378. St. Mark’s was second in that race with $12,934. St. Mark’s with 70 participants was a shoo-in for winning the largest turnout trophy. They also took home the trophy for having the highest percentage of congregational participation with a hefty 13.78% participating.

DuPont came out in force and to Live United.

The most exciting part of the event was the 2014 Youth Run Against Hunger. Among the boys, first place was taken by Nathan Hawk who finished the 5k in 21:11. He was followed by Dan Luettgen (23:35) and Ben Swift (25:59). The first place girl finisher was Phoebe Swanson who handled the course in 28:19. Second place among the girls was claimed by Megen Derrickson who finished in 33:46 with Riley Keller close on her heels to take third in 33:47.

Thank You to All of the Volunteers who came out to help that day!

Financial Literacy Update

LCS refers all its homelessness prevention clients to Clarifi, a nonprofit provider of financial literacy training. Last year only about 10% of our clients were taking advantage of this option. But virtually all need it, so LCS strengthened its partnership with Clarifi and changed how the program was administered. The result? So far in 2014, 78% of homeless prevention clients have had financial literacy training under the program.

Volunteer to Your Health!

Older Adults Who Volunteer are Happier and Healthier, Study

 

A new study reveals that older adults who remain active by volunteering are much happier and healthier. 

Researchers at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences looked at the data available on the psychological health benefits older adults receive from formal volunteering. They evaluated 73 studies that were published over 45 years and involved adults aged 50 years and above. All these adults were in formal volunteering roles.

They found that adults involved in volunteering received more... Read More.

Bank On It! Ground Breaking Begins - Thanks to BofA!

We will save this Dogwood!

Finally winter has subsided and we had a chance to go out with our friends from Bank of America to start work at the future site of our new office building. A picture perfect day was presented to us and we wasted no time once our volunteers arrived with a truck and trailer, shovels, pitchforks, rakes and hedge clippers in-hand!

Within minutes of everyone's arrival the Bank of America team descended down on their mission like a well trained military operation. Of course our volunteer leads Chuck Landry and Dick Hartman are retired from the military, so that may have had some bearing on the mission.

Large debris was removed from the grounds

Much work was to be done! Old tires, garbage, and surprisingly, a complete living room set (old couch, chairs etc.) were removed; as well as branches, small trees, shrubs, one huge tree trunk, and a dogwood tree one group was determined to save from overgrown bushes crowding it out of play.

That old saying "Many hands make light work" was taken seriously by Bank of America. In just under 3 hours, they filled and sent off to the land fill three huge trailer loads of debris from the site.

Team BofA cleared the field in no time!

Bank of America was thrilled to come out and be the trailblazers for this project and we are ever so thankful for their time, talent and tools!

Where we may have had some difficulty providing opportunities for a large group (10 or more) in the past, we can now start to think about projects over at the new property, especially that better weather is here. This is also providing us with some unique volunteer opportunities that we didn't have available at our current location, which is very exciting! 

Tree roots stuck? No problem!

This was the first day out of many to come that LCS will be planning. We are making plans to have gardens of various types in different locations on the property. As we begin to make plans and move forward with our gardens, various types of volunteer help will be needed, including "time, talents and tools."  Time being how much you spend with us. Talents can vary greatly depending on the planning phase we are currently in, and we do welcome anyone who wishes to jump on board with the planning.

Discussion about the front gardens.

We will need people to dig, rake, haul and mow. But we also need talent in garden design, pruning basics and determining which plants should be planted, at what time, and in which location for the best yield.

Tools, yes we will need gardening tools, but we also needs the tools of the mind. Since this is a start up project, we need lots of help in the "How To" area.   Tools can also be donations of goods and services needed to help make the project happen. Mulch, seeds, plants, etc. 

Third load to landfill.

Thank you Team BofA!!!

This is a community effort and we welcome everyone to join us in creating this special place to be used for the benefit of many.
We want to send out an enormous THANK YOU to Bank of America for giving so generously of themselves and we invite you to participate and  help LCS cultivate something truly extraordinary!

It has come to our attention that the grass is rather healthy and in need of a mowing and will  need to be maintained. Since we are not yet residing at the new building yet, it is hard to keep up with everything that needs to be done.

In order to keep from having any issues with city codes, we need to have the grass cut. If anyone would be willing to step forward and give our grass a trim every two weeks, please let us know! You can contact me at (302) 654-8886, ext 107.

We are always grateful for any help we can get.
Thank you again to everyone for all of your help!

Behind the camera lens of Jeffery Batt

Every organization needs to have a strong visual presence if they are going to attract business their way. Jeffery Batt came on in September of 2012 and immediately started to help us out with all kinds of projects using his knowledge in graphic design and as a talented photographer. I wanted to sit down with Jeff and ask him a few questions about his experience here. Few have probably seen Jeff, but you have seen his work.

Jeff at the 2012 Governor's Awards

Jeff, what brought you to LCS? 

"I had been unemployed due to a long period of physical illness, it was difficult to find work with little experience to put on my resume. I went to the Delaware Department of Labor and was enrolled in the Training for Results program. Tanya Powell, my case worker, was the one who introduced me to LCS."

What are some of the responsibilities/projects you worked on at LCS?

"LCS had a new logo designed a few years before I started. I was given the task of "re-branding" many of the promo materials with this new logo and creating a visual identity for LCS, something many non-profit organizations have with limited resources.  I am also a photographer for LCS. You might have seen me in a pantry, on the streets, up a fire escape or other strange place, but not realized what I was up to. Sometimes I have to take pictures that are not always easy. Poverty, homelessness and hunger are very sad realities in life.  Many people would rather walk by a person in need than reach out a helping hand, this is the most sensitive work I have ever done."

How did the work at LCS make you feel?

At Shiloh Baptist Mobile Pantry

" Working at LCS has completely turned my life around. Everyone noticed how I have become more outgoing, more confident and more positive. This helped change my entire outlook on life. Thanks to LCS I was able to get a job again!

Aside from being an accomplished photographer and graphic designer, what did you learn while at LCS?

"I learned that regardless of money, fame or accomplishments, the most important thing you will EVER do in your life is to help another human being in need."

Did your time at LCS help you?

 "Without LCS, I wouldn't be where I am today and would not have the social network, support system and sense of self-worth I needed so badly."

How do you feel you made a difference at LCS? 

In front of St. Stephen's Church

"I feel like I have made a difference at LCS by making the visual impact stronger and increasing public awareness of what they do. Why? Because it has made me feel good and I have more original work to add to my portfolio."

Why do you keep volunteering with LCS?

"I keep volunteering my time at LCS because I like the community and the people. Handing out food and seeing the look on a client's face gives me a warm fuzzy feeling even on the coldest days. At LCS I feel like I am part of a family."

Anything else to add before we wrap this up?

"This is not the first food pantry I worked at. When my grandma was alive she ran a food pantry out of her church in upstate New York for over 30 years. She dedicated her entire life to providing food, clothing and shelter to the homeless and victims of disasters, such as the Chernobyl refugees living in the Ukraine and the survivors of the Haiti earthquake. I have brought a copy of the newspaper article about her pantry from 1994. I was nine or ten years old in the picture. My grandmother was a devout Christian and believed in everything LCS stands for, and I contribute everything I do in her memory."

Thank you Jeff, for all of your time and talent. We really appreciate everything you have done and continue to do for us!

Click article to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Check out Jeff's photo blog "I think in pictures" at: http://jbattdesign.blogspot.com/