In this edition of Wes's Weekly Wrap Up, Wes, LUM executive director, reflects on today's opening of the LUM After School Program and how LUM nurtures and invests in children. Please take 58 seconds to watch the video. Feel free to SHARE.

School has started TODAY in Lafayette, West Lafayette & Tippecanoe County — which means the LUM After School Program has started as well.

The LUM After School Program provides safe, fun and enriching childcare for children in Kindergarten to 8th grade. The program serves up to 60 children from elementary & middle schools in Tippecanoe County for three hours each school-day afternoon, enabling their parents to finish their workday. The children are transported from their schools to the LUM After School Program at the LUM Ray Ewry Youth Center — where they work on homework, have a nutritious snack, and participate in crafts, music, and other fun recreational and educational activities.

The program is staffed by a professionally trained educator, teacher’s aides, interns and volunteers, including bus drivers. If you are interested in VOLUNTEERING or need more information, click HERE — or call or email Kristi Hogue (765.423.2691 | khogue@lumserve.org).

The LUM After School Program is staffed by professionally trained teachers and volunteers, whose training exceeds State of Indiana requirements. This year, the After School Program team includes four teachers who assist the program director, Kristi Hogue. They are as follows (pictured L to R above):

LUM is fortunate to have such a talented, experienced and dedicated team overseeing this year's After School Program. See below for four ways that you can help the LUM After School Program today.

Four Ways YOU can help the LUM After School Program TODAY are as follows:

The LUM After School Program needs VOLUNTEERS from 2 to 6 p.m., every weekday. Volunteers are needed to tutor, read to students, give spelling tests and supervise the children. Please consider signing up NOW to volunteer for this important ministry and make a difference in the lives of children. To begin the “Easy 4-Step Process” to becoming an After School Program Volunteer, click HERE.

In addition to preparing to go back to school and train for their upcoming competition season, each of the five local High School Girls Soccer Teams (Central Catholic, Harrison, Jefferson, McCutcheon & West Lafayette High Schools) took the time to coordinate a food drive. Last week, the student leader athletes and coaches delivered a truckload of food to the LUM Protein Food Pantry. During this pandemic, donations of food items are greatly appreciated because the need is so great.

In 2020, so far, the LUM Protein Food Pantry has distributed food 1,254 times to 360 local families impacting 3,739 individuals, 147 families with children and 27 families with infants.

Join us in thanking the McCutcheon team for coordinating the effort, and all of these local student leader athletes for their support of the families and children in our community with their donation to LUM. They are as follows:

If you wish to coordinate a food drive or paper goods drive for the LUM Protein Food Pantry, please email Nina Morgan at foodpantry@lumserve.org. {Please note: The West Lafayette High School girls soccer team also participated but have not been able to deliver their donation yet.}

Eat your favorite burrito bowl and support the LUM After School Program. Take a night off from cooking, go to Chipotle Mexican Grill (4030 South St., Lafayette) and LUM earns 33% of your order with the coupon below.

Chipotle is also including "online orders for pickup" for the LUM fundraiser. This means YOU will be able to place your orders for pickup either through the Chipotle app or website, skipping the line and maintaining safe social distancing guidelines.

Online orders will require a custom code to be used during checkout to be counted — LUM's online code: J4NCKXT.

Online orders will require a custom code to be used during checkout to be counted — LUM's online code: J4NCKXT.