Casual Friday: Sharing the ‘privilege of participating’

Julie Lorentz hates to blow her own horn, but she’s thrilled to sing high praise for the LC Cares Food and Toy Drive.

Lorentz, a grants and contracts program specialist at Lewis-Clark State College, is treasurer this year for the sixth annual student- and staff-led drive for donations of nonperishable food, personal care items and unwrapped toys.

When I asked to interview her, Lorentz was at first hesitant, worried that the limelight for the drive would shine on her. But she quickly agreed to talk and shared how important the annual drive is and that it has been around much longer than the six years it has been a combined student- and staff-run program.

Craig Clohessy: Julie, you’re involved in the LC Cares program. Tell us a little bit about the program.

Julie Lorentz: LC Cares is a program that’s actually been around about 26 years. It transitioned from a student only organization into a combined collaboration about six years ago when the former director of communications, Greg Meyer, (came up with the idea to) combine it and made it so people were giving toys, new toys, food and those types of things for the community and the college people who need it.

CC: What got you involved with the program?

JL: When I came to LC I worked for Kathy Martin (who retires next month as dean for Community Programs and Governmental Relations) and that was one of the things that I got to participate in. I have done Christmas Families (a donation program in Pullman) and those types of things for probably 18 years when I lived on my own, when I lived up in Pullman. So, actually, I was very excited to participate in this and volunteered again this year.

CC: Your job here at LC is grants specialist. Tell me a little bit about how that can help with what you do with LC Cares.

JL: I think really when it comes down to it, I guess grants (the program) in itself, we’re helping people get money for types of research ... or to do more predominantly at LC, their technical jobs and things. ... But it’s not about my job, it’s just, do you have a heart to participate? It doesn’t matter if you’re in grants and contracts, or whatever your position at LCSC is, or in the community. This type of thing is definitely not job related. We just get the privilege of participating.

CC: And you said you’ve done this before in your other life up in Pullman. What did you do there?

JL: It was called Christmas Families. It was more through WSU (Washington State University) athletic wives and we would work through the elementary schools and many times the psychologists there just to make sure it was appropriate. ... We would gather for the families toys and clothes or whatever they would need and get Christmas paper and let the parents wrap the presents. It was great. I think some people are still participating in that up there.

CC: The program here sounds neat in the sense that it’s a combination of students and staff. That’s got to make it pretty special.

JL: It is great. It’s for the community, with the community. That’s what is special about LCSC.

CC: You’re a proud mom. You’ve got two sons, both scholar athletes. Talk a little bit about them and what they’ve been involved with over the years.

JL: My oldest son Joe (Lang), graduated from UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas). He started at WSU as a long snapper (for the Cougar football team), moved on to UNLV as a scholarship athlete and is now in the graduate program in Nebraska. My other son (Cam Lang) is a Vandal. Go Vandals. He’s a long snapper up there. He’s a sophomore, currently going for a business degree, business and marketing. And they’re just awesome people — love them.

Clohessy is managing editor of the Lewiston Tribune. He may be contacted at cclohessy@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2251.