Member Updates

The LSA Disability Network (LSA-DN) is a nationwide association of Lutheran social ministry organizations, faith-based organizations and Lutheran professionals who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To date, LSA-DN includes 25 member organizations that provide support to more than 150,000 individuals, in 32 states and the Virgin Islands.

As a new staff member at Lutheran Services in America, my favorite part of the job, hands-down, is to meet our members. I don’t think there's a better way to understand an organization and how it operates than to visit in person. Recently, Alesia Frerichs, VP of Member Engagement, and I took a trip to Baltimore to visit the Kathryn's Kloset ministry of Diakon. Diakon, a member of LSA, is a social ministry organization that provides a range of senior services and programs and services for children, youth and families. They serve communities in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and annually touch the lives of 50,000-60,000 people.

Lutheran Services Iowa (LSI), a member of the LSA network, is releasing the results of a twelve-month study that tested the value of using a multi-channel advertising campaign in targeted geographic locations to attract new donors.

Earlier this week, Jodi Harpstead, president and CEO of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, one of the state’s oldest and largest human services nonprofits and a member of LSA, was interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio as part of a series with leading Minnesota CEOs on the topic of innovation.

Last month was recognized as Foster Care Month. Every child or young person that comes to the foster care system arrives through different circumstances having experienced traumatic and troubling situations. I was very moved by the many stories we highlighted over the past few weeks, stories that speak to the people that our members walk alongside and how their lives have been shaped through their experiences with foster families and caregivers.