Category Archives: Lafayette Urban Ministry

LUM Camp


LUM Camp 2025 – Registration will be open June 1, 2025

If your registration has been approved by the LUM Camp director — go to “Important Information” to find out more details about LUM Camp, click HERE


What’s Offered:

  • Four day long, overnight camp
  • Dates: Tuesday, July 29 – Friday, August 1, 2025
  • Location:
    Hanging Rock Camp, Williamsport, Indiana
  • Included:
    • Bus transportation to & from camp
    • All Meals included
    • Camp T-shirt
    • Swimming, horseback riding, arts & crafts, music, campfire, ice cream social, reading time, climbing wall, paddle boats and more
    • Mini-classes and workshops

How to sign-up your children for LUM Camp:

  • Submit the following:
    1. Registration — open, limited spaces
    2. Hand-written LETTER to each child. For more detailed instructions, click HERE
  • Pay $5 Camp Fee per child
    • Pay Online HERE -or- Pay in Person -or- Pay by Mail 
  • Drop off fee & letter to the LUM Office, 420 N 4th Street, Lafayette
  • LUM Camp – Important Information, click HERE

Who’s eligible for LUM Camp:

  • Children between the ages of 8 to 10 years old — during the entire time of camp (July 29 – August 1, 2025)
  • Family must qualify for Federal free lunch, food stamps, or TANF
    — or have a family income at or below 150% of the poverty level
  • Limited to 80 children

What you need to submit with your application and registration:

  • TANF or Food Stamps ID card — or proof of monthly household income
  • Children’s names, date of birth, grade, school
  • Medical information – medication and allergy information, if applicable
  • Emergency contact information (at least two)
  • Read and agree to the Behavior Expectations for Camp
  • Hand-written LETTER to each child. For more detailed instructions, click HERE

Drop off items listed above at the LUM Office, 420 N 4th Street, Lafayette.


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Contact information:

Marlena Edmondson, LUM Camp director
765.423.2691 | medmondson@lumserve.org


Photos

Check out the photos from LUM Camp:
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ALL |

FREE Tax Assistance – NOW through April

In Person Only | By Appointment Only | Free

Once again, LUM is offering Tax Assistance for residents of Tippecanoe County with a combined household income of less than $60,000. Please read the information below carefully and make an appointment as soon as you are able. Time slots are going fast. If you have any questions, please email or call us (taxes@LUMserve.org | 765-423-2691 | client.LUMserve.org/tax-assistance-program).

What’s Offered:

  • FREE Income Tax Preparation — In Person ONLY
  • State, County & Federal Tax Forms — prepared & submitted
  • Must be a Tippecanoe County resident with a combined household income of less than $60,000
  • Dates: NOW – April 11, 2023

How to Sign Up & Get Started:

  • Make an Appointment for In Person Clinics — Call Lafayette Urban Ministry at 765-423-2691
  • Tax Assistance – Clinic Days & Times:
  • Tuesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Wednesdays from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • First come, first served — limited number of appointments
  • Location – LUM Office, 420 N 4th Street, Lafayette, IN (CityBus – Route #1A Market Square – Drop off at Brown Street and 4th Street)
  • CANCELLATION – If you sign up and change your mind — PLEASE call LUM (765-423-2691) and cancel your appointment so another family may use it
  • NO walk-ins

This free service is offered by LUM to residents of Tippecanoe County with a combined household income of less than $60,000. Please read the information above carefully and make an appointment as soon as you are able. It is first come, first serve, and time slots are filling up quickly. If you have any questions, please email or call us (taxes@LUMserve.org | 765-423-2691 | client.LUMserve.org/tax-assistance-program).

LUM Protein Food Pantry – Closed Dec. 29

Due to Unforeseen Facility Issues

Due to unforeseen issues with the facility, the LUM Protein Food Pantry will be closed TOMORROW (December 29). The LUM Westside Food Pantry will be open on Friday from 10 a.m. to noon; and the Protein Food Pantry will reopen next Thursday, January 5, 2023. See more details below.

Lafayette Urban Ministry offers food assistance twice a week for individuals and families from Tippecanoe County. Here are the details:

  • Open to Adult (at least 18 years of age) residents of Tippecanoe County
  • Must show a picture ID; Must not be sick; Must wear face mask
  • Show up in person – Every Thursday Friday from 10 a.m. to Noon (except this Thursday 12/29)

LUM Westside Food Pantry – Open Dec. 30

LUM Westside Food Pantry
  • Days/Hours – Fridays from 10 a.m. to Noon
  • Location – Unitarian Universalist Church, 333 Meridian Street, West Lafayette, IN (Smiley Street Entrance near Playground)
  • Pantry Items: Proteins, Produce, Paper Products, and Food items from the USDA (always depends on availability)
  • CityBus – Route #1B Salisbury – Drop off at N Salisbury & Meridian Streets and walk down Meridian

Day for Dads



Sunday, June 16, 2024 | 3 p.m.

LUM Day for Dads is an annual event for fathers (or relevant father figure) of LUM families to have a fun day at Loeb Stadium with their children and other LUM families & staff. Event details are as follows:

  • DATE – Sunday, June 16 – Father’s Day
  • TIME – 3 to 6 p.m. – game time
  • PLACE – Loeb Stadium, 2250 Wallace Ave, Lafayette, IN (Columbian Park)
  • FREE – limited to 70 individuals – first come, first serve

Each LUM Day for Dads participant will receive a baseball ticket to the Lafayette Aviators vs. Danville Dans game, ballpark meal (hot dog & drink), D4D T-shirts, and Aviators’ cap. Tickets are first come, first serve.

To request tickets, please complete the online form below. If you have any questions, please call or email LUM (765-423-2691 | lum@LUMserve.org).


Financial Assistance


What’s Offered:

  • Funds:
    For family emergencies such as…
    • Utilities (gas, electric, water) – help with fees, re-connection or deposit
    • Rent/Mortgage payment
    • Medical
      • Prescription medication, HIP premium payment, physical exam or TB test required for new job
      • Prescriptions must be ready for pick-up at your pharmacy
    • GED test fee
  • Amounts:
    • Generally less than $70; decisions are made on a case-by-case basis
    • There is also a total amount allowed per household per year
  • How often:
    • Not more than every 30 days — or until your household annual limit is reached
    • Generally do not help with the same bill more than once
  • Referrals to other assistance programs
  • NO funds for doctor bills, car repairs, gasoline for cars, bus tokens, court or legal fees, bills not yet past due, bills too large
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) & the Answers may be found HERE

How to get funds from the Financial Assistance Program:

  • IN PERSON
    • DAYS/TIMES – Monday – Friday, 8:15 a.m.
    • LOCATION – LUM Office, 420 N 4th Street, Lafayette, IN
    • CityBus – Route #1A Market Square – Drop off at Brown Street and 4th Street
    • Priority will be given to in person requests over online requests
  • Online Requests
    • PLEASE NOTE
      • This Form is ONLY for Individuals who are NOT able to Request Assistance In-Person (M-F – 8:15AM) due to Disability, Work Schedule or Illness .
      • Priority will be given to in person requests over online requests.
      • You may not hear back from us immediately after submitting the “request form.”
      • One of our staff members will get back to you via email or phone as soon as they are able to get to your request. In the meantime, please submit the request form and then send all documentation (see below) related to your request to gsp@LUMserve.org.
      • For more information, please READ this entire page. click HERE.
      • Thank you for your patience.
    • Complete online Financial Assistance Request form, click HERE
    • Submit all documentation through email to gsp@LUMserve.org
    • LUM staff will email or call you to follow up — AFTER all documentation has been submitted.

Who may get funds from the Financial Assistance Program:

  • Tippecanoe County residents only
  • Income: up to 175% of federal poverty guideline

What you should bring in person or submit with online request:

  • Picture ID
  • Names & birth-dates of all adults & children in your household
  • Required paperwork:
    • Utilities – Gas, Electric, Water
      • Current Disconnect notice
      • Your Current Bill from the Utility company
    • Rent/Mortgage
      • Copy of your Current Lease or Bank Payment Book
      • Rent Receipt or a Letter from your Landlord
    • Medical
      • Prescription — Name & phone number of your Pharmacy
      • HIP — current bill
      • Physical/TB Test — Note from your new employer or the employment agency – listing Physical Exam or TB Test is required
    • GED Test Fee — proof of current enrollment and testing date
    • Work-related clothing
      • Note from your new employer or the employment agency – listing required clothes like work boots or uniform

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Contact information:

Angel Valentin, Financial Assistance Program director
765.423.2691 | gsp@lumserve.org

DACA – FAQs


Here are some general “frequently asked questions” about the DACA process.


Q: What happens if my application is rejected for a reason or reasons that I do not understand?
A: You should consult with an attorney or an accredited representative.

You may contact LUM immigration clinic.  It is an authorized immigration service provider and will be happy to assist you. Click HERE.

Q: Do you recommend the signatures on the form to be done using DocuSign or should the forms be printed then signed?
A: This section of the USCIS guide orients you to the purpose of the Guide for New Immigrants and includes free resources to answer further questions you may have on life in America.

Q: Does my DACA expire?
A: Yes-you will need to renew every 2 years.  It is recommended that you start your renewal up to 150-120 days prior to the expiration date.

Q: If my DACA expires and the renewal is in process, what do I show my employer?
A: Show employer proof that application has been accepted.  You will need to  create an account in USCIS to access the proof.  Can also talk to your legal representative.


Advance Parole Travel for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Recipients (January 26, 2021) – In compliance with a federal court order, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has resumed accepting and adjudicating advance parole applications under the terms that were in place under the original 2012 DACA program. Here are answers to common questions about applying for and traveling with advance parole.

Q: What are qualifying purposes to receive advance parole for travel abroad?
A: Advance parole may be granted for humanitarian, educational or employment purposes. Travel for vacation is not a valid basis for advance parole. USCIS has provided the following non­ exclusive examples in its DACA FAQs, available at uscis.gov/humanitarian/humanitarian-
pa role /frequently-asked-questions:

  • humanitarian purposes, including travel to obtain medical treatment, attending funeral services for a family member or visiting an ailing relative;
  • educational purposes, such as semester-abroad programs and academic research, or;
  • employment purposes such as overseas assignments, interviews, conferences, training or meetings with clients overseas.

Q: How do I apply for permission to travel abroad?
A: A DACA recipient may apply by filing a Form 1-131, Application for Travel Document. Advance parole applications cannot be submitted concurrently with a first-time DACA application. The current fee for applying is $575 and fee waivers are not available. A biometrics fee is not required. Applicants
must also include supporting evidence to document the purpose of the travel. The 1-131 instructions include some examples of acceptable evidence related to the humanitarian, educational or employment nature of the trip.

Q: Can advance parole requests be expedited?
A: DACA recipients who have an urgent need for travel may request that USCIS expedite their applications for advance parole. USCIS may consider expedite requests if one or more of the following criteria are met:

  • Severe financial loss to a company or person;
  • Urgent humanitarian reasons;
  • Compelling U.S. government interests (such as urgent cases for the Department of Defense or
    DHS, or other public safety or national security interests); or
  • Clear USCIS error.

More information is available on the USCIS website here and in Vol. 1, Part A, Ch. 5 of the USCIS Policy Manual. If you are filing an advance parole request and would like to request expedited processing, include a cover letter explaining the need for expedited processing and include supporting documentation to demonstrate the urgent need to travel. We recommend that you write EXPEDITE on the envelope and the cover letter.

To request that USCIS expedite an advance parole application that has already been submitted, the USCIS website instructs applicants to contact the USCIS Contact Center and provide a receipt number. The USCIS Contact Center will create and forward a service request to the office with jurisdiction over your application. (uscis.gov/forms/fiIing-guidanee/how-to-make-an-expedite-request)

Q: Can I make an emergency advance parole request if the expedite process is not fast enough?
A: In extremely urgent situations, you may request an emergency advance parole appointment at a local field office by contacting the USCIS Contact Center. Procedures for requesting emergency advance parole in the green card context are available here. Requests should include an explanation of the urgent need to travel and evidence of the emergency. These requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. According to DHS Ombudsman guidance, emergency advance parole requests can be processed and approved on the same day if the individual submits the completed form, appropriate fee, and supporting documentation. Emergency advance parole requests granted at the field office may be granted for a specific period of time and will have no effect on advance parole requests already pending with a service center.
However, an Immigration Services Officer has the discretion to request that a currently pending advance parole application be expedited rather than issuing an emergency advance parole document. USCIS is likely to deny avoidable emergency requests or emergencies that resulted from
applicant delay. (dhs.gov /ombudsman-update-advance-parole-tips)

Q: What recommendations should DACA recipients follow before traveling abroad?
A:

  • Be mindful of traveling within the approved period that is specified on the l-5 l 2L travel
    document to help ensure that the DACA recipient is able to re-enter.
  • Consider requesting extra time to account for any travel delays and to minimize the possibility
    that the DACA recipient is unable to return to the United States before the travel document
    expires.
  • Keep copies of the travel document. Note that, when returning to the United States, a CBP
    officer should take one copy of the travel document and also stamp and return another copy of
    the travel document to the DACA recipient.

Q: Are there any known risks that might prevent a DACA recipient from re-entering with advance parole?
A: A travel document does not guarantee your ability to re-enter the United States. DACA recipients are still subject to inspection at the port of entry, and CBP officers have the discretion to determine whether the individual is inadmissible or otherwise should be denied entry. In particular, watch out for
inadmissibility issues such as being subject to the permanent bar or criminal grounds of inadmissibility, which potentially increase the risk of traveling on advance parole. Note that in Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly, the Board of Immigration Appeals held that travel on advance parole does not constitute a “departure” for purposes of triggering the ten-year bar for unlawful presence
under INA§ 21 2(a)(9 )(B)(i)( ll ). {Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly, 24 l&N Dec.771 (BIA 2012).} DACA recipients should be carefully screened by a qualified legal representative for all grounds of inadmissibility before a decision is made to depart.

Q: What are the consequences of traveling with an unexecuted removal order?
A: USCIS will likely view travel in this circumstance as executing the removal order. The DACA recipient would be inadmissible for 10 years from the date of departure under INA§ 212(a)(9)(A)(ii)(II) unless an 1-212 waiver is granted. The impact of executing the removal order is that a DACA recipient who is eligible to apply for adjustment of status would need to file their application with USCIS and not with EOIR. Note that in the Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
context, there is USCIS guidance that takes the opposite position, stating that advance parole travel does not execute an outstanding removal order. {USCIS Policy Alert, Effect of Travel Abroad by Temporary Protected Status Beneficiaries with Final Orders of Removal, PA-2019-12 (Dec. 20, 2019).} However, this reasoning is specific to TPS. {See USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 7, Part A, Ch. 3 at footnote 19.} If USCIS tries to apply its TPS guidance to a DACA client, advocates should argue that this policy should not be applied to DACA recipients and that USCIS retains jurisdiction over adjustment applications filed in this posture.


FAQs for NATURALIZATION, click HERE.

Go back to main LUM Immigration Clinic page, click HERE.

DACA Workshops


Getting Starting with the DACA Application Process

  • PowerPoint Presentation: How to Get Started – to view, click HERE
  • Recording – DACA Workshop – to view, click HERE
  • Screening Form for Initial DACA – to view, click HERE
  • Checklist for Initial DACA Applications – to view click HERE
  • Headers for Initial DACA Documents – to view, click HERE
  • Index of required DACA documentation – to view click HERE

What’s Offered:

  • FREE Assistance with Your DACA application process
  • DACA Workshops
    • DATES – No workshops are scheduled at this time. Please check back again.
  • Workshops are offered by the LUM Immigration Clinic and its partners, Greater Lafayette Immigrant Allies (GLIA), Purdue Immigrant Allies (PIA), Purdue Latino Cultural Center (LCC) and Latino Center for Wellness and Education (LCWE)

How to Sign Up:

  • REGISTER – No workshops are scheduled at this time. Please check back again.

Who is eligible:

  • Must be a resident of Tippecanoe County, Benton County, Carroll County, Clinton County, Montgomery County, Warren County or White County in Indiana
  • First-time DACA Applicants only

DACA FAQs (frequently asked questions), click HERE



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Contact information:

Christian Gallo , Immigration Clinic Director
765-423-2691 | cgallo@lumserve.org

Tax Assistance – DIY – Approved

Congratulations

You can now use TaxSlayer to complete your tax return on your own.  TaxSlayer is the same IRS funded program that we use to complete returns here at LUM.

To get started, just click here: insert link when we have it

BUT BEFORE DOING THAT there are two things you need to have.

  1. An Email Address
  2. Your 2019 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
    1. If you have a copy of your 2019 Tax Return, you can find your AGI on line 8b of form 1040.
    2. If you do not have a copy of your 2019 Tax Return you can get your 2019 AGI from the IRS by going to https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript  Please be aware that it might take some time for the IRS to validate your identity and provide you with an electronic copy of your 2019 tax return
    3. Even if you had your 2019 taxes done here at LUM, we CANNOT give you your 2019 AGI over the phone. 
  3. To get a paper copy of your tax return from LUM, email jprokopy@lumserve.org with the subject line 2019 AGI
  4. We will print out a copy of your 2019 return and email you back to let you know it is ready.  You can pick it up at LUM any time M-F from 10:00 to 4:30 with a valid photo ID.

If you run into problems or questions while working through your return, email          @lumserve.org for assistance.  A volunteer will do their best to respond to you within 24 hours.