LUM and Social Media

Joseph “Joe” Micon

Joe says “‘Like’ LUM on Facebook!”

LUM has been an active social media participant for five months now. We started sending bi-weekly e-newsletters in October of last year and jumped onto Facebook and Twitter as well. As with many non-profit organizations we noticed the shift in the way people are communicating –especially younger people –and we wanted to make sure to stay connected. So we stepped out in faith. Now that we have at least a little bit of social media experience under our belt, it’s a good time to reflect on how this powerful new media is changing not only our larger world, but specifically how it is changing our day to day lives here at LUM.

For starters, social media has allowed us to communicate more frequently with LUM’s friends. We post several times each day on Facebook and Twitter. It’s not just the facts that we share, but also the feeling and spirit of LUM. Through pictures, quotations and links to more detailed posts we’ve been able to share stories of our clients, staff, board members and interns. If you are lucky enough to physically be at LUM every day you may know all about these things, but for most that are not, social media has opened a whole new glimpse into what goes on at LUM.

We are able to share more of the things that happen at LUM too. The four paper pages of LUM’s Seed newsletter have always been a little confining. Social media has allowed LUM to lift up parts of our work that we didn’t always have the space to lift up. The Christmas performance of LUM’s After School children, the Purdue Crew Row-A-Thon benefiting LUM’s Good Samaritan Fund and recent biographies of LUM Board members and interns all come to mind. We’ve posted to our YouTube channel a presentation by Dr. Sarah Mustillo concerning single parent households that was recently shared with the LUM Board and another by Susan Brouillette concerning how the church can help reconcile our current political discord.

LUM has had some encouraging fundraising success due to social media – Denver Mattress’ matching gift challenge comes to mind. And we’ve not had to rely quite so heavily on local TV and newspaper outlets to communicate all the good things that are going on at LUM. We can do more of that ourselves.

It’s rare that something happens at LUM that has such clear and powerful potential to grow and expand our ministry’s work. If the past five months have shown anything, it is that the creative use of social media has enormous ability to better the lives of the children and families we serve here at LUM.

Send us your email address so you can receive LUM’s e-newsletters: lum@LafayetteUrbanMinistry.org or subscribe online HERE.

Sincerely,

Joe Micon
Executive Director
Lafayette Urban Ministry