News You Can Use

For Your Church Newsletter

From Lutheran Community Services October 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 Steve Tindall (stindall@lcsde.org). 302 654 8886.

LCS Welcomes New “LVCer”

Lutheran Community Services (LCS) warmly welcomes its new Lutheran Volunteer Corps volunteer for the 2007-2008 year – Aaron Ballett. Predecessor Mo Schultz will be sadly missed but judging from his enthusiasm the transition to working with Aaron will be seamless and enjoyable. Aaron resides in the LVC Martin Luther King Jr. House on Concord Avenue in Wilmington with five other Lutheran Volunteers. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a BA degree in Theology in 2007. His home is Kalamazoo, Michigan. Frank and Judy Burns (St. Marks) are his host family. LCS deeply values its LVC volunteers, who handle all the duties of a full-time food and housing assistant. Without an LVC volunteer, the organization would be hard-pressed to continue the high level of services that it does.

Sliding Fee Scale Installed for Home Repairs

LCS has revamped its HOME Program so that clients will be charged according to their ability to pay. The HOME Program provides small repairs designed to help senior and disabled citizens continue to live independently. The types of jobs performed include painting, weather stripping, broken windows, locks, doors, and railings. Most are smaller jobs and would not appeal to contractors. The sliding fee scale has been made possible by a grant from the Fund for Women. Other grants that will allow us to continue the program are being sought. Under the old program, all clients paid a set hourly rate. Under the new program, some clients may actually get a “scholarship” and pay no labor charge:

Income Level (according to federal guidelines)	Charge to Clients
Very low	$0/hour for labor, plus materials
Low	$10/hour, plus materials
Moderate	$20/hour, plus materials
Median Income	$25/hour, plus materials

Lisa’s Leaving!

It’s a good thing we have such a great worker in Aaron because Lisa Weifenbach has (sadly) decided to seek greener pastures. A replacement is being sought, and by the time you receive this, the process should be in mid-stride. Lisa’s last day is Halloween. Lisa will be hard to replace; she loved the work and for the last four years was big part of our success in achieving our mission – “Sharing God’s Blessings by Helping Others in Need.”

Mabel Appreciates LCS

When we started our new grocery club with Tree of Life in Middletown, we were pleased to meet Mabel, a client with strong faith who really understood and appreciated what we are trying to do. Consider this piece of a letter she sent us: “What a wonderful bounty you have again provided in partnership with God to again bless us so – everything is so delicious and good – even the bath soap is a treat. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.”