Author: Aditya Kumar

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Orchard Ridge Senior Living in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho!

For nearly a century, Orchard Ridge has provided comprehensive services for older adults in a Christian-based environment. The organization incorporates residents’ families in its care plans. Orchard Ridge views development and growth as a process that everyone—no matter their circumstances—are capable of achieving to ensure a more enriched life.

Orchard Ridge has made a concerted effort to keep its residents active and connected to loved ones during the pandemic. In the Assisted Living area, residents participate in physical activities such as group exercise, brain fitness, and cycling—all socially distanced, of course. The facility’s Memory Care area is also filled with games, music, crafts, and more exercise. On Sundays, Orchard Ridge connects residents to online church services with local churches, and even has an employee who is capable of offering communion through the Church to Catholic residents. While the mental and emotional weight of the pandemic cannot be completely lifted, Orchard Ridge is doing its best to keep residents connected with family through phone calls, video chats, window visits, and in-person visits with masks and plexiglass dividers included.

Thank you to Orchard Ridge for trying to bring some semblance of normality to the lives of your residents during these challenging times.

 By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach 

 Today’s Front Line Hero is Crest View Senior Communities for hosting a virtual gala to directly support seniors during the pandemic.

 Crest View offers housing and supportive care to seniors throughout Blaine and Columbia Heights, Minnesota, and each year holds an event to raise critical funding for programs.   Their gala is virtual this year, and while tickets are free of charge, Crest View will use donations and proceeds from the event to support residents during the pandemic.   Contributions will fund safe visits for residents and their families in addition to activities to combat isolation. President and CEO Shirley Barnes emphasized the event will also   help the greater community show seniors they are not alone.

 The COVID-19 pandemic has presented immense challenges for older adults in senior living, who have spent nearly a year in quarantine separated from family. We commend Crest View for their renewed commitment to enhancing the lives of seniors in 2021 and using their annual gala to drive direct support.

 For those interested in attending, the “It’s a New Year” gala will take place from 7-8pm Central Time this Wednesday, December 30. The program will feature a diverse lineup from the Continental Strings band. Please visit crestviewcares.org/gala to make your reservation.

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Heroes are the children of St. John’s Circle of Care for taking time to safely visit and connect with seniors during the pandemic.

 A Minnesota-based nonprofit, the St. John’s Circle of Care offers services on its Senior Living Campus that support all needs a person may have while aging, including home healthcare and skilled nursing. One unique quality of the organization is that it also provides children’s daycare and kindergarten readiness programs. As members of the GrandKids and V.I.K. Club, young kids routinely interact with Senior Living Campus residents through reading, singing, making crafts, and enjoying meals together. The goal of the program is to foster children’s intellectual, spiritual, and emotional growth while building companionship that bridges generations.

 This year, the pandemic has caused the kids at St. John’s Circle of Care to forgo traditional activities and come up with creative ways to safely connect with seniors. Earlier this month, they visited a resident’s window to celebrate her 101^st birthday. They have also had virtual visits with their older friends over video chat and have walked around the Senior Living Campus with signs that read “We Miss You.” For the holidays, children made Christmas cards and traced their hands to make ornaments for residents to hang on a “Thankful Tree.”

 Thank you to all the children in the GrandKids and V.I.K. Club for their compassion and commitment to seniors living at St. John’s Circle of Care!

   By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

 Today’s Front Line Hero is Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center for making every day of the holiday season special for their residents this year.

 Missouri Slope has been serving Bismarck, North Dakota for more than 50 years and specializes in long-term care and rehabilitation for seniors. Recognizing that residents in their facility could not be in close contact with family during the holidays, staff launched “Operation Christmas Stocking Project” to celebrate them every day this December. Enlisting the help of generous individuals and community organizations, the team stuffed stockings and presented them to more than 70 tenants each morning. Residents received a wide variety of items, such as cookies, blankets, fun face masks, pens, notepads, calendars, books, scented soap, hand sanitizer, and hot chocolate mix.

    The project has made residents feel valued and appreciated. In a recent interview with local news, tenant Annie Gallup, said, “It makes us feel so good that people are thinking of others and wanting to bring us happiness and joy.” Reier Thompson, President and CEO of Missouri Slope, said, “Being able to just surprise everybody with even the smallest gift goes along way.”

 Thank you to everyone at Missouri Slope for the extra effort to bring Christmas magic to your residents this season!

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Child & Family Services of Indiana/Kentucky for continuing to assist children and families throughout the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

LCFS of Indiana/Kentucky is headquartered in Indianapolis and provides a wide range of residential and community-based programs to help children and families in need. In addition to operating an emergency shelter, group home, and other infrastructure to help young people find respite and new direction in life, the nonprofit works with partners to offer food and other needed items at no cost to families in the wider community.

Through The Sharing Place Food Pantry, LCFS of Indiana/Kentucky provides food to families in Marion County, Indiana, and continues to enlist donors and volunteers during the pandemic to keep the program going strong. They also ran their annual Christmas Store in December. Hosted by Gethsemane Lutheran Church in downtown Indianapolis, the store provides gifts parents can select for their children, as well as makings for Christmas dinner. LCFS of Indiana/Kentucky put out the call early for supporters to donate items such as toys, gift cards, small kitchen appliances, home goods, and board games. As a result, they were able to give many families a wonderful Christmas.

Many Americans found it difficult to afford food and other necessities this holiday season, let alone gifts for their children. We are so thankful to organizations like Lutheran Child & Family Services of Indiana/Kentucky for keeping their doors open to support members of their community in spite of the pandemic.

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is SpiriTrust Lutheran for finding ways to bring residents closer together during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For 70 years, SpiriTrust has delivered a variety of services centered around senior living, health and rehabilitation, counseling, and education. SpiriTrust serves more than 23,000 people across Pennsylvania and northern Maryland each year with a promise to help each person achieve an optimal quality of life.

SpiriTrust has been quick to adapt its services in the most creative ways to meet the demands and restrictions required in the COVID-19 era. The organization created a concierge program to make meals available for delivery or curbside pick-up. Life enrichment teams also came up with ways to keep residents’ spirits high during the pandemic by developing programs centered around education and entertainment. With isolation a concern for many, all the challenges presented over the past 10 months has only heightened the importance of community for SpiriTrust’s residents. Sandra Teague, a resident at the Village at Shrewsbury, said that “living in a retirement community takes a lot of stress off of my life, especially now . . . There is support and a feeling of community throughout SpiriTrust Lutheran.”

SpiriTrust’s Village at Sprenkle Drive received a big shot of confidence to end December when residents and staff became the first within the larger SpiriTrust community to receive the COVID-19 vaccine—a much welcomed light at the end of a long tunnel. Thank you to SpiriTrust for your persistence in the face of adversity and commitment to the wellbeing of everyone served in your communities.

By Haley Leis, Intern

Today’s Front Line Hero is Partners For Wichita for their continued work towards the goal of breaking the cycles of addiction.

Partners for Wichita, based in Wichita, Kansas, is dedicated to improving the well-being of the city by connecting individuals with faith communities and community organizations. Partners for Wichita has two branches, each focused on separate groups of, but equally important, issues that impact the greater Wichita area. Samaritan Community focuses on the health and well-being of community members by addressing food insecurity and other hunger issues. Safe Streets is dedicated to improving the safety of communities through drug and alcohol prevention, youth engagement, and other neighborhood safety services.

The Grid was originally a program started by Partners for Wichita in late November 2010 aimed at helping alcoholics and addicts recover from their addictions in a safe and supportive environment. Over the years, however, The Grid has evolved into a program that aims at bringing recovery, health, and peace to any and all individuals in the community. Lutheran Services in America wants to congratulate Partners for Wichita on their 10 years of success with The Grid program and we look forward to many more!

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Columbia Lutheran Home in Seattle for its aggressive actions and transparency to protect the wellbeing of its residents and employees from COVID-19.

For more than a century, Columbia Lutheran Home has leaned on innovative practices to deliver the best integrated care for older adults. In 1975, it was one of the first facilities to offer an adult daycare program. A few years after that, Columbia became the first nursing facility in Washington state to provide respite and emergency care beds for assisting families caring for loved ones at home. Columbia celebrated its 100th anniversary last year as it continues to serve all members of its community regardless of background.

True to its word about being committed to the health and wellbeing of its community, Columbia provided a dose of post-Christmas cheer to its residents when it announced that it would soon receive the coronavirus vaccine. The home conducted its first of three vaccination periods last week and will complete the process in mid-February. Prior to receiving the Pfizer vaccine, Columbia put in place stringent protocols to protect the health of residents and employees, including a temporary suspension of visitations, regular surveillance testing for staff, and regular disinfection of shared spaces. Staff put together a COVID-19 action plan outlining all its preventive measures, and provided updates to residents to remain as transparent as possible.

Thank you to Columbia for your commitment to your residents and staff, and your constant willingness to find new ways to improve the lives of those in your community!

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Social Ministries of Maryland for their leadership and excellence in providing short-term rehabilitation for seniors.

Lutheran Social Ministries of Maryland operates two continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) in Maryland – Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster and The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant in Ellicott City. They also provide senior services in the wider community and partner with many community and educational organizations that share their passion for service and support for older adults.

Carroll Lutheran Village was recently recognized as Best Nursing Home by U.S. News & World Report for short-term rehabilitation. According to a news release on their website, the community earned Best Nursing Homes status by achieving a rating of “High Performing,” the highest possible rating, for short-term rehabilitation. U.S. News gives the designation of Best Nursing Home only to those that satisfy U.S. News’s assessment of the appropriate use of key services and consistent performance in quality measures.

The news release also lists extensive rehabilitation services offered at Carroll Lutheran Village, including aquatic therapy, cardiac and post CVA rehabilitation, chronic and acute pain management, cognitive and memory enhancement, fall prevention, home safety, Lee Silverman Voice Treatment BIG & Loud®, post-operative care, swallowing strategies, wound care, and more.

Congratulations to the staff at Carroll Lutheran Village and Lutheran Social Ministries of Maryland on this outstanding accomplishment.

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Oregon, for leading a task force to coordinate county-wide vaccine delivery.

Also known by its legal name Columbia Lutheran Charities, Columbia Memorial Hospital has a long history in the region, with its first building opening in 1880. It is now the fastest growing rural hospital in the state of Oregon and recently joined with Providence Seaside Hospital and the Clatsop County government to establish a COVID Vaccine Task Force, a joint effort to ensure efficient and safe vaccination across the county. The Task Force meets daily to organize vaccine supplies, schedule vaccination clinics, and provide regular updates to the public.

The county and hospitals, along with Coastal Family Health Clinic, have pooled resources to deliver the vaccine in accordance with Oregon state guidelines. So far, efforts resulted in more than 1,800 receiving the vaccine. Just last week, the Task Force organized two separate clinics and distributed 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine to people in Phase 1a groups, including health providers, first responders, social services staff, and others who meet eligibility.

Thank you, Columbia Memorial Hospital, for assembling critical resources to distribute and deliver the COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon.