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THE
LEADER
Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio Newsletter
Behind the Thankfull Holiday Numbers, Real People, Real Stories
Winter Quarter
Inside President’s Message pg. 2 End of Year Giving pg. 2 The Home of the Free pg. 3 Memory Care at Kensington Place pg. 3 Mutually Beneficial Learning pg. 4
This year, with your continued support and the backing of generous sponsors, the LSS Food Pantries helped nearly 3,000 households celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday through the Thankfull Holiday initiative. Families took home food to make the day special, including a turkey, fixings, fresh produce and even a pie. One of those families included Sabrena and her daughter Bella. The Lancaster Thanksgiving distribution was the first time Sabrena had ever used the services of a food pantry. She has been off work caring for her father who has Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Tending to her own young family and an ailing parent proved to be too much Sabrena and Bella on her husband’s single income, so she recently returned to work. What a blessing for Sabrena to put Thanksgiving dinner on the table during hard times and to know her family will not go without. Ronald was another neighbor we met. A retired Vietnam veteran, this was his first visit to the Champion Avenue pantry. Ronald was deeply appreciative of the friendliness of the volunteers and staff, but we are appreciative of Ronald. It was an honor, in a very small way, to serve him after his service to us Ronald and our nation. So many people in our community make tough choices each day between food and other
necessities such as utilities, housing and medicine. We talked with Christine at our Westside pantry. When her medical bills get to be too much and she must choose between food and medicine, she visits the pantry to make ends meet. “The pantry has been a godsend to me and my family,” she says. She was especially excited to have a Thanksgiving meal with all of the trimmings. The true meaning of Thanksgiving—to be thankful for what we have, honor traditions, share with our neighbors, and be hopeful for the future—was embodied by Myra, who we also met at the Westside pantry. Myra planned to honor her departed mother by making all of her favorite recipes for Thanksgiving, including homemade bread, sweet potatoes and noodles. With her limited income, she was delighted to be able to receive many of Myra the recipe ingredients she needed from the pantry. She hoped to enlist the help of her grandchildren to make the pies. These stories of hope and joy are possible because of you and your continued support, and the support of Presenting Sponsors Advanced Drainage Systems, Alliance Data and the Speaks Family Foundation, as well as our other sponsors. From all of us at LSS, and on behalf of the wonderful people we serve, thank you for making this a truly Thankfull Holiday: full plates, full stomachs and hearts full of gratitude.
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Creating a Better World by Serving People in Need
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President’s Message
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Dear Friend, This Christmas, thousands of people in our communities will wake up hungry and homeless, but LSS is here to help through our many
services for people in need. It’s only through the support of our community that we have been able to care for our neighbors who are homeless or hungry and help rebuild families. Their most sought after gifts are not ones you’ll find under the tree – but love, compassion and friendship - the true meaning of Christmas. Some have lost all faith, wondering if anybody cares. For many, Lutheran Social Services may be their last hope. These folks desperately want to turn their lives around, but in their present situation, they simply can’t pull themselves up without a helping hand. Won’t you please extend yours today? Be a Christmas angel, give the gift of hope this Christmas. It has become an LSS tradition to offer special Christmas angel ornaments as a token of our thanks for your generous holiday
donation. We’d love to send you a silver angel for your gift of $75 – or a gold angel ornament if you donate $150 or more. As we celebrate the Christmas spirit, let me sincerely thank you for your selfless commitment. You and others like you have helped us provide a hand up to those who need it most. May you and your loved ones have a blessed Christmas season.
The Rev. Larry A. Crowell President and CEO
Happy Holidays
End of Year Giving The remaining weeks of the year give you a final opportunity to take advantage of lower tax rates. When you give a gift to Lutheran Social Services, you receive an income tax deduction. Even if your income is less this year than it was last year, you may still want
to offset it with a tax deductible contribution. Your gift can go a long way toward helping others this holiday season. For more information, contact Michele Cenci, vice president of development, at 614-429-5494 or mcenci@lssco.org.
For information on retirement living, please visit our website www.kensingtoncolumbus.com
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The Leader is written, designed and produced by the Communications Department of Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio. Copyright © 2015, Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio. 500 W. Wilson Bridge Rd., Ste. 245 • Worthington, Ohio 43085 (614) 228-5200 • www.lssco.org
The Home of the Free
Congratulations to The Good Shepherd Rehabilitation and Healthcare Campus and Lutheran Village Assisted Living for both receiving deficiency-free scores on their annual surveys by the Ohio Department of Health.
On any given night, about 50,000 veterans are homeless in the US. In Columbus and Lancaster, two LSS programs, Faith Mission and Faith Housing of Fairfield County, are combating that through several programs designed to not only provide emergency shelter to veterans in need but also help them obtain permanent housing, employment and stability. Assisting in the process is the LSS Military Advisory Committee on Veterans Services. The committee is primarily composed of active and retired members of the military.
Their role is to provide guidance to LSS on veteran programing from the perspective of the military vet and their specific set of needs. The committee also advocates on behalf of LSS clients by working with employers to become hiring partners for veterans in our programs as well as seeking funding support for veteran services. “Veterans have given so much to our country, but sometimes that service creates barriers that individuals must overcome in order to regain stability in their lives,” said Larry Crowell, LSS President and CEO. “Members of the Military Advisory Committee understand where veterans are coming from, what challenges they face and what can be done to help. Their perspective is critical when shaping the programs we offer to veterans.” Members of the Military Advisory Committee
For more information on either facility, please call Brenda at 866-734-0599.
Memory Care at Kensington Place LSS is proud to introduce Grace House at Kensington Place, a state-of-the-art memory care facility that provides personalized care in a small, neighborhood setting. Seniors living with Alzheimer’s or dementia need safe and secure surroundings and specialized treatment. The staff at Grace House is trained to offer qualified and dignified care designed to nurture the mind, body and soul. “It is important to us that each person feels at home and thrives at Grace House,”
said Tiffany Ori, Kensington Place Executive Director. “The specialized care provided offers emotional and physical comfort while celebrating the individual and his or her past.” Now offering independent living, assisted living and memory care services in the same, tastefully decorated and accessible building, Kensington Place will take care of you or your loved one’s needs now and into the future. For more information, visit www.kensingtoncolumbus.com.
Support for certain LSS programs is provided by:
For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website at www.lssco.org
Please use the enclosed gift card and envelope to make a donation to help LSS and its programs.
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Mutally Beneficial Learning The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business is partnering with LSS to create service learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. Students with specializations in finance, accounting, economics, business management, human resources, operations, logistics, marketing and information systems will have the opportunity to work alongside LSS staff on defined projects. “Not only will we benefit from the students’ skillsets and fresh ideas, but we hope to create meaningful experiences that will compel them to become LSS supporters, donors and volunteers both now and in the future,” said Larry Crowell, LSS President and CEO. “The students, on the other hand, gain access to experiences that have the potential to shape their career paths and professional character.” These impactful experiences are key to reaching out
to Millennials, the generation of which the majority of the students are, and engaging them on a personal level. The students say they want to make an impact in the community by doing and not simply donating. “This partnership gives students a chance to discover ways to apply their business skills to something outside of the classroom,” said David Edwards, president of FisherCares. “We also hope students will discover a passion for service that they would not have normally been exposed to through a standard corporate internship or job placement.” To kick off the partnership, students volunteered at Faith Mission on Fisher Impact Day, which was held on Veterans Day and honors the service of veterans by volunteering with local non-profits.
Fisher Impact Day volunteers at Faith Mission
Tracing its roots to 1912, LSS is a nonprofit social service agency affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and recognized by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. LSS provides human services for all people according to their needs. These services include food pantries, emergency shelters, affordable senior housing, retirement living, skilled nursing care and other services that strengthen communities.
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