Lutherans to test aging, caregiving models
Lutheran Services in America, the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation and 14 Lutheran social ministry organizations form coalition to support aging individuals and their families
January 21, 2008 – MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A coalition of Lutheran organizations recently announced they are together launching an innovative one-year pilot project to address aging and caregiving issues. Called the Aging in Community Initiative, the project will build new models for in-home non-medical care for aging individuals as well as support for in-home caregivers. The collaboration includes Lutheran Services in America (LSA), 14 Lutheran social ministry organizations and the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation.
The initiative utilizes an “open source” approach to distill best practices from current programs being used by social ministry organizations in their services to the aging and caregivers. By bringing the organizations together to learn from each other, the initiative seeks to develop and test new hybrid models that result in individuals remaining in their homes longer and caregivers feeling less burdened.
“This initiative represents an exciting new approach to creating successful, affordable and sustainable programs that benefit the lives of the elderly and their caregivers,” said Jill Schumann, president and CEO, Lutheran Services in America. “The Aging in Community Initiative will place Lutherans at the very center of dependable, compassionate care for an aging American population.”
The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation provided $560,000 in grants to the 14 participating social ministry organizations. The funding will enable the social ministry organizations to develop and test new hybrid programs. The organizations were selected, in part, because their outreach included strong components of community, congregational and volunteer involvement.
Lutheran social ministry organizations receiving Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation funding include:
“All of us will, at some point, experience aging issues, whether caring for elderly loved ones or as we grow older ourselves. The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation believes that by working together Lutherans will have a positive impact on many, many lives,” said Karen Coonen, executive director of the foundation. “It is our hope that the care models developed through this initiative will greatly improve the quality of life for the elderly and those who care for them.”
About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America creates opportunities with people in thousands of communities throughout the United States and the Caribbean as an alliance of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, and their nearly 300 health and human service organizations. Working neighbor to neighbor through services in health care, aging and disability supports, community development, housing, and child and family strengthening, these organizations together touch the lives of one in 50 Americans each year.
About the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation
The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation is a private foundation funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. As a 501(c)(3) organization with its own board of trustees, the foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary and educational purposes and makes grants and gifts to 501(c)(3) exempt organizations. The foundation does not provide grants to individuals. For more information, visit www.thrivent.com/foundations.
About Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping millions of members achieve their financial goals and give back to their communities. Thrivent Financial and its affiliates offer a broad range of financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial sponsors national outreach programs and activities that support congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need. For more information, visit www.thrivent.com.
Securities offered through Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55415-1665, 800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836) a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Member FINRA. Member SIPC.