News
You Can Use
For
Your Church Newsletter
From
Lutheran Community Services March
2007
Editors: Following is some information about LCS that
you might want to include in your newsletter. 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 format, timing or content
are welcome. Contact
Cold Weather Hits Hard
After a very timid start, winter rolled in to our area in February. This was especially hard for the homeless and one (who was one of our sometime clients) died of exposure. The weather was a problem for some of our food distributions as well. The Shiloh Mobile Pantry clients were caught off guard on a bitterly cold day when the Food Bank truck broke down and the distribution was delayed by several hours. But the clients hung in there and the church welcomed them in the sanctuary till the truck arrived. The fresh produce distribution at St. Stephens was also hampered by single digit weather, but the church welcomed them into the social hall where they stayed until it was their turn to dash out and pick up some vegetables for their tables.
Donation Update
LCS simply could not operate without the many kind and caring individuals who support it. We are especially thankful for those who make contributions as part of their overall financial and estate planning activities. Here are two important things to keep in mind –
· Both the LCMS Southeastern District and the ELCA DE-MD Synod of the ELCA have trained gift planners who travel to our area all the time for friendly discussions about estate planning, trusts, bequests and so forth. These discussions often lead to meaningful and financially beneficial contributions to church or charity. If you would like to learn more, contact Steve Tindall, Development Director at LCS at 302 654 8886.
· As a result of a new IRS regulation, folks 70 ½ can make tax-free charitable gifts directly from their IRAs. This is a fantastic benefit for people who have been planning a gift. One of the wrinkles that we have discovered is that the financial firms who handle these accounts often do not identify the donor when sending the check to the designated charity. Please tell us if you are going this route so we can acknowledge your gift! With all the new privacy regulations, that’s the only way we will find out who the gift is from.