Author: Aditya Kumar

 By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager Program Development and Outreach 

Today’s Front Line Hero is Inspiritus for their work cleaning up after tornadoes in Tennessee, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inspiritus’ mission is guiding individuals and families whose lives have been disrupted on a path from surviving to thriving. To fulfill this mission, Inspiritus serves communities through a variety of programs, including disaster response.

Though most of the nation’s focus and energy is directed toward COVID-19, Inspiritus is still faithfully engaging in disaster response. Tornadoes in Cookeville, TN, east of Nashville, killed 24 individuals and damaged homes in the community. The Inspiritus disaster response team has been working in that community to help them rebuild.

Inspiritus staff and volunteers are adhering to social distancing guidelines as they help Cookeville rebuild. Inspiritus staff say their rebuilding efforts are actually ahead of schedule, and they have seen incredible support in the way of volunteers and donations. The community is showing immense love and support to those who were impacted by the tornadoes, which helps with rebuilding and healing.

Thank you to Inspiritus for your work in Cookeville, and for your dedication to communities’ needs in the wake of natural disasters!

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Dr. Antonio Oftelie, the new court-appointed monitor for overseeing the completion of Justice Department–mandated reforms at the Seattle Police Department.

Dr. Oftelie is a Lutheran Services in America board member and the executive director of Leadership for a Networked World, an applied research initiative at Harvard University that works to create transformational thought leadership and learning experiences for executives building the future of outcomes and value. Dr. Oftelie states he is “unapologetically bullish” on the world’s future, and believes that every pressing challenge requires piecing together innovative ideas, from ensuring economic security and expanding civil rights to redesigning healthcare and improving education.

Dr. Oftelie grew up just three blocks away from Minneapolis’ Third Precinct police station, which was destroyed following the tragic death of George Floyd. His personal experience and professional expertise in seeking reforms for complex problems inform his thinking on how the city of Seattle can strengthen the integrity of its police department to ensure public safety and equity for all citizens. Dr. Oftelie believes Seattle has a good foundation for “a modern, effective, efficient and progressive policing organization that needs to just be taken to the next level.” Getting to that next level means:

1. Allowing Seattle residents to define “public safety” and ensuring that mission is met effectively, efficiently, and transparently
2. Positioning the SPD to become innovative and adaptive to future challenges
3. Focusing on the values and culture within the police department, from the bottom to the top

Thank you to Dr. Oftelie for your service to the city of Seattle and our sincerest wishes for your success in achieving these crucial outcomes.

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Social Services of New York for its commitment to the growth and success of students at The New LIFE School in the New York City area.

The New LIFE School, which is operated by LSS New York, opened its doors in 2006 with the mission to “educate students in time to make a difference.” It focuses on empowering students who have struggled academically, behaviorally and emotionally in a mainstream school setting, helping them to gain confidence, learn valuable academic and life skills, and realize their true potential. The school’s dedicated staff works to ensure that each student’s individual needs are met through differentiated, hands-on and exciting learning opportunities.

The school didn’t allow the coronavirus pandemic to shelve this year’s graduation ceremony. Since an in-person event was not possible, the school held a virtual graduation event where about 70 students, family members and LSSNY staff attended. Valedictorian Dayron Garcia Varo spoke at the ceremony about how he had set goals shortly after entering high school to achieve what he wanted to achieve, including becoming valedictorian. Dayron aspires to become a math teacher and hopes to help students with learning disabilities overcome their obstacles. As he told his classmates, “We are more than test scores. We are students with goals and bright futures.”

Thank you to LSS New York and The New LIFE School for expanding opportunities to students and to Dayron for inspiring this latest class of young scholars.

By Haley Leis, Intern

Today’s Front Line Hero is Seafarers International House, which is providing comfort and hope to shipping crews impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Seafarers International House, based in New York City, is dedicated to helping immigrants and refugees avoid homelessness and become settled in the United States. Additionally, Seafarers International House also provides assistance, such as Wi-Fi access and medical assistance, to ship crews stuck in port.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, shipping barge workers have not been able to leave their boats or receive crew rotations. In order to make their time at sea more comfortable, Seafarers International House sends its Port Chaplains to visit with the crew, offer spiritual guidance and provide much-needed comfort during these difficult times.

Thank you to Seafarers International House for the support you provide!

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Advocate Aurora Health for its fight against racism and its resulting ill effects on the health of communities.

As one of the top 10 health systems in America, Advocate Aurora Health is constantly looking for new, innovative ways to help connect people to their health and create stronger communities. Its reputable doctors, nurses and team members are committed to pursuing exceptional outcomes in several medical fields of study, including oncology, pediatrics, geriatrics, primary care, and trauma care.

Advocate Aurora Health recently joined 38 other health institutions across 45 states and the District of Columbia to formally recognize racism as a public health crisis. The declaration follows a similar statement and call to action the organization issued over the summer with 36 other health systems in the Chicago area. Advocate Aurora Health recognizes that social determinants of health such as poverty, mass incarceration, and joblessness contribute to health inequities in under-resourced communities. It is committed to seeking solutions that improve social and economic conditions, thereby improving health outcomes and closing health care disparities in communities across the country. In addition, the organization is already active in battling the spread of COVID-19 by providing educational programs, services and PPE to underserved communities in order to help flatten the curve.

Thank you to Advocate Aurora Health for your commitment to serving as agents of change in the fight against racial and health inequities!

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Wellspring Lutheran Services, which will open Michigan’s first recovery high school for teens battling addiction in January.

Wellspring Lutheran Services’ history dates back 125 years. Based in Flint, Michigan, Wellspring helps change lives, build strong families and transform communities through behavioral health, adoption services, affordable housing, assisted living, foster care, and other important services. The organization’s behavioral health division emphasizes recovery from trauma, addiction and other challenges that prevent people from living their best life.

While the recovery high school model has been around for more than four decades, Michigan until this point had no such facility, despite the fact that the state has a disproportionately high rate of teen drug and alcohol use with nearly 2,000 students in southeast Michigan alone leaving school (voluntarily or involuntarily) due to use. As the first of its kind in the state, the new Wellspring Academy will provide smaller classrooms, customize workloads to respond to academic challenges, provide recovery-enabling enrichment activities, and create a welcoming environment where teens will be encouraged to be open about possible relapse. For COVID-19 safety reasons, the school will launch virtually in January before moving to in-person classes in September 2021.

Thank you to Wellspring for providing sorely needed support and helping students on their path to recovery.

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Haley Leis, Lutheran Services in America’s very own intern!

Haley has worked entirely remote during the COVID-19 pandemic and is providing stellar support to our team. In the past few months, Haley has helped our member engagement team develop programs to address urgent topics affecting health and human services across the country. With her effort, we continue to provide a robust offering of webinars and virtual meetings benefiting our network of 300 member organizations, such as our CEO Summit. We have also been able to grow our Strength & Service series, an interactive gathering that brings together our members and external stakeholders to collaborate on ways to tackle specific issue areas affecting all of us in today’s climate. Haley has also assisted our public policy and advocacy team with their communications, thoroughly researching and clarifying outcomes of policy platforms affecting front-line workers and the nonprofit sector as a whole.

Outside her internship, Haley is in her senior year of undergraduate studies at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, VA, where she is pursuing her B.A. in Political Science. Like many other college students, she has had to make the switch to online classes due to COVID-19. In spite of this, Haley remains connected with the VCU community and leads several student organizations on campus. Haley plans to continue her studies after graduation and pursue a master’s in public policy.

All of us at Lutheran Services in America are so excited to have Haley on board and know that our work is stronger because of her!

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota for offering mental and emotional support during this time of such grief and loss, and for its commitment to adoptive, foster and kinship parents.

Since LSS North Dakota’s founding more than 100 years ago, its services have expanded to meet the changing needs of individuals, families and communities. Today, LSS builds and strengthens communities through support services focused on family (e.g., adoption and family coaching), mental health (e.g., counseling and domestic violence interventions), and youth (e.g., school-based interventions and juvenile court diversion).

At a time when Americans are increasingly feeling socially isolated due to COVID-19 restrictions, the importance of maintaining one’s mental and emotional wellbeing has never felt greater. Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota’s and Abound Counseling’s mental-health providers will continue to offer therapy services via telehealth options. The organizations are committed to continue accepting new clients on top of existing caseloads. Abound Counseling and LSS of North Dakota are also collaborating with the BE A FOSTER Movement to help provide high-quality podcasts on topics that are of importance to adoptive, foster and kinship parents. In addition, the groups conducted a virtual book club this summer that focused on the second edition of “Behavior with a Purpose, Thoughtful Solutions to Common Problems of Adoptive, Foster and Kinship Youth,” where many foster parents were able to receive continuing education credits through their licensing agency for their participation.

Thank you to LSS North Dakota for expanding your services and finding new, engaging ways to support your community.

By Haley Leis, Intern

Today’s Front Line Hero is SpiriTrust Lutheran for their dedication to fighting against domestic abuse.

SpiriTrust Lutheran, based out of York, PA, provides over 23,000 people in Pennsylvania and northern Maryland with a number of services, including assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation, and personal care.

Due to the rising rates of domestic violence as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, SpiriTrust had to completely redesign their Domestic Abuse Solutions program, which teaches alternatives to domestic abuse and helps individuals learn to live non-violently. Prior to the pandemic, approximately 30 men a week would participate in an in-person Domestic Abuse Solutions group. Currently, SpiriTrust is averaging 60 men in their weekly virtual groups, and have experienced increased turn-out in their women’s groups as well.

Thank you to SpiriTrust Lutheran and their Domestic Abuse Solutions team for their resourcefulness and steadfast commitment to fighting domestic violence!