Faith, Hope & Love During the Season of Lent |
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As we engage in the Season of Lent, how are you and your loved ones strengthening your faith this year?
Lent, the 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving within the Christian faith, began on Ash Wednesday (March 2, 2022) and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday (April 14, 2022). It is a period of preparation to commemorate Easter.
During this time, we encourage you to pray for people in our community who are oppressed, forgotten and hurting. Read scripture and our second edition of Seeds to be published in April, to be inspired by stories of hope and healing made possible by the mission and programs of LMM.
We also ask you to consider almsgiving to LMM and support our efforts to seek justice, love mercy and serve our neighbors in need with humility.
Each year, LMM serves thousands of people who are experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, men and women returning to community from incarceration, youth facing an adverse experience and vulnerable adults in need of guardianship.
Ways to Support LMM:
There are many ways you can support the work of LMM with a charitable donation. Here are a few you may find helpful:
- Mail your donation to “LMM, 4515 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103”.
- Give online at lutheranmetro.org, or search “Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry” in Cleveland, OH on Givelify or Benevity.
- Donate stock to LMM by way of Merrill Lynch. Contact Marcella Brown, Vice President of Development & Communications, at 216.658.7208 to confirm transfer information.
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Make an in-kind donation of goods for our clients and shelter residents by way of our Amazon Wish List.
Your support will enable us to remember and care for our neighbors in need, while honoring your faith and commitment to serving with joy. Thank you!
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Save the Date: Annual Charles R. See Forum on Reentry Returns 4.29.22 |
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We are thrilled to announce that the 2022 Charles R. See Forum on Reentry will feature Ms. Susan Burton, the founder of Los Angeles-based A New Way of Life (ANWOL). ANWOL works to break the cycle of incarceration by providing housing, case management, employment, legal services, leadership development and community organization on behalf of, and along with people who struggle to rebuild their lives after incarceration. Ms. Burton is an advocate, activist, and author of Becoming Ms. Burton where she shares her own experiences with addiction, incarceration, and trauma.
The Charles R. See Forum on Reentry, will take place on Friday, April 29, 2022 at 11:30AM at the City Club of Cleveland. The forum honors See’s 44 years at LMM by bringing attention to current issues in the field of criminal justice. Tickets will go on sale soon. The forum will also be broadcast starting at 12:00PM on www.cityclub.org and WCPN 89.7.
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Becoming Ms. Burton Book Club
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Please join LMM’s Advocacy Department for a series of discussions on the book Becoming Ms. Burton. The memoir, which was authored by the Annual Charles R. See Forum on Reentry's keynote speaker, Ms. Susan Burton, is a story of redemption and overcoming the odds. After the loss of her 5-year old son, addiction took hold of Ms. Burton sending her on a decades-long journey of incarceration and recidivism.
After six separate stints in prison, Ms. Burton found sobriety and started her own nonprofit, A New Way of Life, aimed at helping other women break the cycle of incarceration. Through this work, Ms. Burton also began to advocate to reform the system's failures that led to mass incarceration of African Americans, overcrowding in the state’s prisons, and the inability for those stuck in the cycle to truly get back on their feet.
LMM's Becoming Ms. Burton Book Club will meet in person and/or virtually on:
- April 5 at 12:00PM
- April 26 at 12:00PM
- May 3 at 12:00PM
You can RSVP here and books can be purchased here (select LMM as your organization of choice using Amazon Smile so our agency receives a small percentage of your purchase at no cost to you) or at a local bookseller.
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Gov. DeWine Signs Open Carry Bill into Law |
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LMM would like to express our concern regarding Governor Mike DeWine’s decision to sign Senate Bill 215 into law. With the passage of this bill, Ohio became the 23rd state in the U.S. to take away the need for training and/or permits to openly carry a handgun.
This law allows for anyone 21 years or older to carry a concealed weapon, eliminates the penalty previously in place for persons who fail to announce the presence of a firearm in their vehicle during a traffic stop, and would allow for enforcement officers to continue "Terry stops" during which police briefly detain people when there is reasonable suspicion they've committed a crime.
LMM will be reviewing how the expanded ability to carry firearms could increase gun violence specifically against communities of color. Click here to read more about Senate Bill 215.
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