The 39th annual Lafayette Urban Ministry Jubilee Christmas Program took place this past Saturday (December 14) at 26 different events throughout Lafayette/West Lafayette. Thirty churches and numerous individuals, businesses and clubs provided gifts of new toys, books, food, and clothing, to parents from 639 local households impacting 1,828 local children.

Jubilee Christmas is designed to let mom and dad be the heroes, rather than providing gifts to children at a large party or having volunteers deliver toys directly to the home. Jubilee Christmas strengthens families by supporting the important role of parents at Christmas time.

On Jubilee Christmas Saturday, parents arrived at their designated Jubilee Christmas site. Greeters welcomed and introduced them to their hosts for the day. Parents then began to select toys, clothing and stocking stuffers for their children. Volunteers helped the parents wrap gifts. Each family also received a food card, homemade Christmas cookies and a holiday ham. A program of this size is a real benefit to our local retail economy. All the gifts and food for Jubilee Christmas are purchased locally. LUM will also see as a result of this program fewer requests for emergency rent and utility assistance in January and February.

Thanks...and Merry Christmas!

At a celebration this week, it was announced that the 28th annual Hunger Hike  raised $96,899 . Each of sponsoring organizations received $30,230. Collectively, THIS decade, Hunger Hike raised $978,597 (10 year total) - an amazing accomplishment in the fight against hunger. The celebration was capped off with the presentation of checks to representatives of the three sponsoring organizations: Duane Sellers & Chuck Anderson representing St. Thomas Aquinas Haiti Ministry ; Katy Bunder, Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. ; and Joe Micon, Lafayette Urban Ministry . All major donors and event sponsors were also recognized.

Total Hunger Hike corporate gifts totaled $25,136 . To view all of our event sponsors, click  HERE .

The proceeds from Hunger Hike 2019 will have a tremendous & immediate positive impact on the Fight Against Hunger — locally, regionally & globally. Thank you all again for supporting Hunger Hike. More information may be found on the Hunger Hike website at hungerhike.org . If you wish to become a Hunger Hike 2020 event sponsor, please email hungerhike@lumserve.org ).

Please mark your calendars for next year’s Hunger Hike

— Sunday, September 20, 2020 —

Recently, members of the staff at Cook Medical (West Lafayette) volunteered an entire day at LUM. They worked very hard cleaning and winterizing all of the LUM properties. LUM is grateful for local businesses like Cook Medical, whose leadership encourages their staff members to get engaged in the community making our community better and our families stronger. Thank you, Cook Medical! If you or your business is interested in volunteering with LUM, email  lum@lumserve.org  and go to  lumserve.org/volunteer .

The support from the community for Jubilee Christmas each year is overwhelming. There are too many to adequately thank here; so, here are just a few. Thanks to our biggest donors...

VERY SPECIAL THANKS to all of our Host-Sites who hosted all of our families, and whose members donated an incredible number of toys, clothes, cookies, blankets, hams, food cards and more. Jubilee Christmas could not possibly happen without their support over the past 39 years. They are as follows: Bethany Presbyterian Church, Central Presbyterian Church, Chapel of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Campus Ministry, Christ United Methodist Church, Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Congress Street United Methodist Church, Elston Presbyterian Church, Faith Presbyterian Church, Federated Church, First Baptist Lafayette, First Christian Church, First United Methodist Church of West Lafayette, Grace United Methodist Church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Immanuel United Church of Christ, Lafayette Christian Reformed Church, Lafayette Church of the Brethren, Lafayette Friends Meeting, Memorial Presbyterian Church of Dayton, Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Riverside Covenant Church, St. Andrew United Methodist Church, St. John's Episcopal Church, St. Lawrence Catholic Church, St. Mary Cathedral, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center at Purdue, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Trinity United Methodist Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tippecanoe County

Thanks to the crew at the JX Truck Center of Lafayette (pictured above) for their donation of $250 to Lafayette Urban Ministry. Their donation was a part of JX Enterprises initiative called JX Gives Back. LUM appreciates the support of the members of the local JX Truck Center.

If you, your company or organization wishes to make an End of the Year/End of the Decade donation to LUM, please click the Donate button below. If you wish to discuss your gift, please call or email us (765-423-2691 | lum@lumserve.org). Hurry there's only 12 more days until the end of the decade/year.