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More great news! Last July, LCR’s Council earmarked $50,000 of a generous gift from late LCR member Marty Kochevar to fund a second round of proposals. The entire Hopes and Dreams Committee (consisting of Carol Barrett, Brian Chesnut, Kris Kant, Curt Martel, Neil Rammel, Paul Sudkamp, Karen Woodward, Melissa Sommer, and me, Steve Ray) volunteered to work on this unexpected task.

After publicizing this second round, the H&D Committee received many excellent proposals,
reviewed them, and gave Council its recommendations. 

In October, Council approved the following projects:

  • Freezers for Manna from Heaven - $5,000
  • Dream Invest Grow (Three Classrooms built by LCR and DIG) - $15,000
  • Used Truck for IPM Food Pantry - $15,000
  • Disaster Relief for Redeemer Lutheran Church - $5,000
  • Tuition for Lucy Velasquez - $3,000
  • Food and Utility Bill for SEM Food Pantry - $5,000
  • Used Truck for OneSource Center - $2,000

GRANT TOTAL: $50,000

Grant recipients have already received letters confirming their awards and will receive funds in November to begin making their projects a reality. 

Learn more about how your support is making hopes and dreams come true.

Manna from Heaven Food Pantry's New Freezers

LCR will send $5,000 to Manna From Heaven for new freezers. Manna is a nonprofit food-distribution center in southeastern Appalachian Kentucky that serves over 27,000 community members annually, and needs to replace some of its food-storage equipment after years of use and a recent flooding in 2022.

Three New Classrooms in Guatemala with DIG

In July, LCR sent a record 34 people to DIG in Guatemala to install smokeless stoves and to build three elementary school classrooms for the people in the mountain community of Valencia. 

Through its Hopes-and-Dreams funding, LCR provided $10,000 in its first round of projects and $15,000 in its second round for the three classrooms and smokeless stoves.

Supporting a First-Generation UC Student

LCR will provide $3000 in college tuition assistance to Lusayra (Lucy) Velasquez, who immigrated from Guatemala as a third grader. Lucy is now a second-year student in fashion design at UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, and she made Dean’s List her first year. She won scholarships and earned tuition money by teaching 6th grade mathematics, working for an upscale fabric shop, and costume designing and sewing for the Cincinnati Opera and Ballet.

Funding a New (Used) Truck for IPM Food Pantry 

IPM Food Pantry will receive $15,000 for a used box truck with a lift gate. IPM now has only a small cargo van that holds only two pallets, lacks a lift gate, and often forces IPM to leave food behind when making pick-ups. A new truck will allow IPM to save food and $8,000-$12,000 per year in rental fees and will be able to distribute much food for those in need.

Helping Rebuild Redeemer Lutheran Church

LCR will send $5,000 to Redeemer Lutheran Church to rebuild its church, which an F4 tornado gutted in May 2025. When the tornado hit Somerset, Kentucky, it brought winds exceeding 170 mph that destroyed Redeemer’s sanctuary, scattered pulpit and pews, and left the church a total loss.

SEM Food Pantry Financial Support

LCR has long supported SEM (Southeastern Ecumenical Ministries) food pantry and will send $5000 to help solve cash-flow difficulties resulting from increased demand for food and costs. SEM has been a central food pantry since 1982 and supplies emergency food to people in Clermont County and eastern Hamilton County.

Helping OneSource Serve Nonprofits with a Used Truck

Finally, OneSource Center For Nonprofit Excellence has been a hub of support for our nonprofit community, and last year, it provided furniture and products to over 200 nonprofit agencies. To move donated furniture, its Common Good Store has a box truck, which is no longer usable, so LCR will send $2000 to help buy a newer used truck.

We are blessed to be able to share our resources with these worthy people and projects. Thank you, LCR!

God’s work. Our hands.
God’s gifts. Our checks.

Blessings, Steve Ray