Member News

Attendees at the November 10 rededication of the John of Beverley Chapel at Mill Neck Manor were part of an occasion filled with joy and fond memories, and for those who have a history with Mill Neck, a homecoming. Lutheran Friends of the Deaf (LFD), the founding organization of the Mill Neck Family of Organizations, welcomed friends, family, staff, alumni, board members and Atlantic District members of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS), to the blessing and rededication of the chapel.

Lutheran social ministry has a rich tradition of serving children and families through foster care and adoption services. During this season of blessings and gratitude, we honor this legacy and the countless people in our community of faith who answer the call to serve. Read on for a wrap-up of stories, information and resources on helping strengthen families and communities.

Lutheran Services in America, Incorporated (LSA) is pleased to announce the launch of the "Great Plains Senior Services Collaborative" (Collaborative), a three-year project starting October 1, 2015 with a goal to develop a model for rural communities that can be adapted and replicated in Midwestern states and beyond. LSA brings together two of the LSA network's most established senior services providers, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, to take joint action together to improve the lives of seniors in rural Minnesota and North Dakota. Both organizations are trusted providers of services for seniors and bring significant experience, expertise and infrastructure assets on which to build.

Welcome to the new president and CEO of LeadingAge, Katie Smith Sloan. Sloan was unanimously chosen by the LeadingAge Board of Directors after an extensive national search. "Katie Smith Sloan will make a superb president and CEO of LeadingAge. When we announced the search process in February, we pledged to identify an 'impressive leader,' and she is most certainly that," said LeadingAge Board chair and LSA member David Gehm, chair of Wellspring Lutheran Services in Michigan.

Just ask Jodi Harpstead, Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS). Jodi says that the question she is most frequently asked during an interview, "How can an organization celebrating its 150th anniversary be relevant and innovative in 2015?" is also her favorite question to answer. For Jodi and LSS, it is part of their DNA and what makes them the strong organization they are today.

In April, during the LSA Annual Conference in San Antonio, 12 LSA member organizations began a journey with The Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Provider Exchange® on a program to foster an outcomes focused organizational culture and improve the lives of at-risk children and families.

Earlier in 2015, the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) launched a series of regional forums to provide input and ideas for the 2015 White House Conference on Aging, which will take place on July 13 in Washington, DC. The forums, which are by invitation only, are designed to engage with leaders in the field of aging, older adults, their families, caregivers, and others on key issues affecting older Americans.

LSA was well represented at the White House, Partners in Health: Aligning Clinical Systems, Faith and Community Assets, held on April 15-16 at the Eisenhower Executive Office.

On Monday, March 23, LSA President and CEO Charlotte Haberaecker took part in a White House Conference on Aging listening session focused on Healthy Aging. The meeting was hosted by Julian Castro, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as several key officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Assistant Secretary for Aging/Administrator of the Administration for Community Living Kathy Greenlee, and White House Conference on Aging Executive Director Nora Super.

Attention continues to be given to the influx of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) crossing the borders into the United States. This year, more than 60,000 refugee minors are expected to enter the U.S. from Central America and other regions, and that number is expected to double in 2015.