Immigration Clinic Update - New Staff & More
Wes's Weekly Wrap Up - Immigration Clinic Impact
In this edition of Wes's Weekly Wrap Up, Wes Tillett, LUM executive director, introduces you to Cristy Perez, the new LUM Immigration Clinic assistant director, and gives an overview of the impact of the LUM Immigration Clinic. Please take 59 seconds to watch the video and SHARE with others. See below for ways that LUM is celebrating Women in History Month, more information about Cristy, and four ways to help the LUM Immigration Clinic.
Meet Cristy - New LUM Staff Member
Cristy Perez, Immigration Clinic Assistant Director
Cristy L. Perez is the New assistant director of the LUM Immigration Clinic. She grew up in New York City and currently lives in Lafayette, IN, with her daughter (11 years old).

When reflecting on her excitement and pride in joining the LUM team, Cristy stated, I love that LUM is a Christian ministry that has a strong foundation built on God's saving love. It is a blessing and an honor to be able to show the unconditional love of God by helping others with grace and to be able to help people restore what poverty has taken away.

For more than 13 years, Cristy has been a social services professional in New York City. She is fluent in Spanish and English. In her free time, Cristy enjoys hanging out with her daughter, bowling, drawing, painting and exploring new restaurants.

LUM is fortunate to have someone with Cristy’s experience and passion join the LUM staff. Please join us in welcoming her.
LUM Awarded $15K from "Women Who Care"
Thanks! 100+ Women Who Care Greater Lafayette
When 100+ women come together to donate $100 each, they raise $15,100 – profoundly impacting nonprofits in our community. The group is "100+ Women Who Care Greater Lafayette," and they meet four times a year to chose a local nonprofit as their grant recipient in Greater Lafayette.

Recently they awarded $15,500 the LUM Immigration Clinic. LUM is grateful to the 100+ women who care, especially Cris King, who made an inspiring presentation on behalf of the LUM Immigration Clinic.

This award is important to assist the LUM Immigration Clinic in fulfilling the mission to "tackle basic human needs and uplift the people of Greater Lafayette.” Thank you to Cris King (pictured below) and all of the 100+ Women Who Care for this tremendous gift. If you wish to invest in the LUM Immigration Clinic, please make a donation today.
An Excerpt from Cris King's Presentation
Since its founding in 2014, the LUM Immigration Clinic (with only one-and-a-half staff members and several skilled volunteers) has processed & helped:
  • 98 individuals achieve U.S. citizenship
  • 193 people obtain or renew their legal permanent residency
  • 82 acquire or renew DACA status
  • 18 apply for legal residency based on domestic violence or being victims of severe crimes
  • 15 asylum cases
  • 6 Temporary Protected Status cases for Ukrainian and Afghan nationals
  • 23 employment authorizations
  • 500 consultations where general advice was given regarding individual cases

In this region, LUM is the ONLY provider of these immigration services serving clients from Tippecanoe County, as well as Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Warren, and White counties. Among the frequent countries and regions that LUM serves are Mexico (404), Central America (89 total including: Guatemala 31, Honduras 21, El Salvador 32, and Nicaragua 5), the Caribbean including Cuba (43), South America (40), Afghanistan (8), Ukraine (5), as well as others from Europe and Asia (including China, India, and Bangladesh).
LUM Staff Take a Study Trip to Chicago
LUM Staff Learn from Aspirational Peers
As a part of the LUM Strategic Plan, staff members identified a number of "aspirational peers." Last week, three staff members made a pilgrimage to Chicago to visit a few agencies that LUM aspires to emulate in performance, marketing, and reputation. Wes Tillett, executive director; Pablo Malavenda, executive program director; and Jeffrey Auguste, homeless services director, visited the following agencies:
  • St. Sabina Catholic Church - Food Distribution Center
  • Pacific Garden Mission - Homeless Services (largest in Chicago and oldest continuously operating in the US)
  • The Friendship Center - Food Pantry
  • Catholic Charities of Chicago & St. Vincent Center – Food Pantry
  • Lincoln Park Community Services (Presbyterian Church) - Homeless Shelter

Our colleagues at the first three sites provided LUM with a tour and answered questions about their programs, protocols, impact and marketing. The staff members maintained a fast pace navigating the streets of Chicago and came home with lots of ideas and affirmations. Lafayette Urban Ministry is in good shape but will continue to learn, adapt and grow by benchmarking against our peers locally and beyond. And of course, the day ended with an amazing slice of Chicago deep dish pizza.
Four Ways to Help the LUM Immigration Clinic
Donate | Volunteer | Attend LUM "Gala of Hope"
Located in the LUM Office, the LUM Immigration Clinic helps individuals from other countries, who are legally in the US, to navigate the often difficult and confusing Immigration and Naturalization Service bureaucracy.

Four Ways YOU can help the LUM Immigration Clinic TODAY are as follows:
  • Make a Monetary DONATION, click HERE
  • ATTEND the Gala of Hope fundraising event on Saturday, June 24, click HERE
  • Sign up to VOLUNTEER, click HERE
  • Donate NEEDED ITEMS, click HERE

Please consider investing in and getting engage with the LUM Immigration Clinic today.
We've Got Talent - Event - 4/15
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