Author: Aditya Kumar

By Sarah Dobson, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, and Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

This week, the Senate introduced the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools (HEALS) Act following the passage of the HEROES Act by the U.S. House of Representatives in May. The bill in its current form is, unfortunately, not an adequate response to the needs of health and human services nonprofits or our country’s most vulnerable people. The current draft excludes many of the areas most important to our members as outlined in our key priorities and our ongoing advocacy.

As a final version is negotiated, we implore senators to address the urgent remaining needs of nonprofit health and human services providers, namely:

Access to forgivable loans for nonprofits of all sizes
An increase in the federal unemployment insurance reimbursement for self-funded nonprofits to 100 percent of costs
Additional targeted financial resources for nonprofit front line health and human services providers
Increased funding of $2 billion for vulnerable children and youth
A strong infusion of additional fiscal relief for state and local governments
Without needed resources, nonprofits will be unable to meet the increasing needs of individuals and communities during this time of crisis. We will continue to encourage senators to amend the draft of the bill and remind them of the importance of nonprofit services to communities across the country.

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, which is supporting people without homes in Cleveland through the pandemic.

Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) has faithfully served the community in Northeast Ohio since the 1960s. Among many services, LMM provides food and shelter to hundreds of people without homes every day. The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately created chaos for people experiencing homelessness as shelter systems need to adhere to social distancing; in addition, public spaces have closed, leaving few opportunities for people to wash up or use the bathroom.

County officials and community partners made plans to reduce the number of people in shelters to prevent large numbers of people in the congregate setting. The Northeast Coalition for the Homeless placed people in need of shelter into hotel rooms, and LMM soon became involved with this work. LMM is now supporting more than 200 rooms at a Cleveland hotel with a capacity to house more than 380 people, providing some with a roof over their head for the first time in months. The hotel has allowed people without homes to safely quarantine and has effectively prevented the virus from spreading among this population. LMM is considering the possibility of using the hotel to help address the needs of people who have resisted going to a shelter due to past trauma or concerns about confidentiality.

Thank you to Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry for your commitment to the homeless, and creativity in finding solutions to meet their needs!

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is St. John’s United, which is recognizing its direct care staff as superheroes and supporting the next generation of nurses.

Located in Billings, Montana, St. John’s United provides a wide array of services to seniors, families, and children. It’s firmly rooted in Lutheran identity, and owned by 23 congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), but St. John’s is committed to serving the whole community with no regard to religious preference, race, gender, age, diagnosis, or disability.

St. John’s United recognizes that its staff has been working hard and under great stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. It refers to the direct care staff as “superheroes,” and aims to hire more of those heroes to support the community. Even before the pandemic hit, there was a significant shortage of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) in Montana. Instead of lamenting that shortage, St. John’s took action and started the St. John’s United Nursing Apprentice/Fellowship in partnership with Billings Public School and Miley Community College. The program provides students experience in nursing as early as their junior year in high school, while offering credits to be applied to college tuition up to $8,000 per year. The hope is that apprentices can graduate from college without debt and have first class healthcare experience under their belts.

Thank you to St. John’s United for supporting current direct care staff and nurturing the next generation!

Today’s Front Line Hero is Upbring, whose brave essential workers who continue to serve children in Texas every day.

Upbring provides holistic services to children and families in Texas, and is “determined to create a world where all children are cherished.” For 135 years, Upbring has been working to break the cycle of child abuse, and supports children and families physically, emotionally, and spiritually with services including foster care, adoption, children’s centers, community services, and others.

Upbring is located in Austin, but provides services across the state and region, serving more than 275,000 people annually in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. As an essential service provider, Upbring has remained open throughout the pandemic and continues supporting children and families. The front line staff make an active decision each day to keep children safe, strengthen families, and help communities grow safer and stronger no matter the circumstance.

President and CEO, Michael Loo recently posted on LinkedIn that, “As coronavirus cases climb in Texas, child welfare workers remain on the frontlines. I am thankful for the warrior spirit of each person at Upbring.” Upbring also shared a video as tribute to those front line workers, who are committed to serving the children and families across Texas.

Thank you to the courageous front line staff at Upbring who show up every day to provide services to children and families in Texas, even as the virus spreads through their state.

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Graceworks Lutheran Services, which is going above and beyond to address the social and emotional needs of its employees.

Headquartered in Dayton, OH, Graceworks Lutheran Services has faithfully cared for people in challenging and changing circumstances for nearly a century. Graceworks is rooted in the Christian faith, and dedicated to upholding personal dignity and wholeness of life for people of all faiths. Its programs include housing services, senior living, and programs for people with disabilities.

In addition for caring for those in its community, Graceworks is dedicated to caring for the holistic needs of its staff. Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic takes a significant toll on front line staff’s emotional well-being, Graceworks expanded its SHINE program. SHINE stands for “Supporting the Holistic and Individual Needs of Employees,” and encourages Graceworks employees to practice self-care. Graceworks outlines best practices for self-care, encourages employees to live well-balanced lives, and provides an Employee Assistance Program, which offers counseling, as needed.

Graceworks’ emphasis on holistic employee health earned it a spot on the Dayton Business Journal’s 2020 Healthiest Employers list.

Thank you to Graceworks Lutheran Services for supporting your front line employees, who in turn support the community, and congratulations on being named one of Dayton’s Healthiest Employers!

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, whose Bayada Hospice is organizing fun events for its residents, like the recent Star Wars window visit.

Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries has served its community since 1868, and provides resources for older adults, as well as children, youth, and families. Diakon’s senior services offers community services, as well as a vast array of options in senior living, including the Bayada Hospice, which provides high quality end-of-life care in Boyertown, PA.

Last week, Bayada Hospice staff organized an exciting event for resident and lifelong Star Wars fan, Joe. A cast of volunteers dressed as Darth Vader, Storm Troopers, Tie Pilots, and Kylo Ren appeared at Joe’s window. They visited with Joe through the window, and used a speaker phone to talk and joke with him. Darth Vader even quizzed Joe in a Star Wars trivia game, and the crew of volunteers were all amazed at how much he knew! The volunteers even brought trading cards and other Star Wars memorabilia to gift to Joe. Before they departed, Joe thanked them and used the well-known phrase, “May the force be with you.”

Thank you to Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, and the Bayada Hospice for going the extra mile for your residents!

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lyngblomsten, which is engaging seniors in art projects and helping keep their spirits high.

Lyngblomsten serves older adults and their families in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN through healthcare, housing, and community-based services. Founded in 1906, Lyngblomsten has long been committed to promoting dignity through informed choices for senior living options, respecting individuality, and orchestrating the best life possible.

Lyngblomsten hosts an annual Mid-Summer Festival for the community. Unfortunately, Lyngblomsten was forced to make the tough decision to cancel the event this summer to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep seniors and community members safe. The Mid-Summer Festival would have occurred on July 31, and Lyngblomsten found another way to bring some celebration to the campus that afternoon. At last year’s festival, local artist Anne Krocak worked with festivalgoers to create a community art project they called, “Stepping Together.” The community artists created three mosaic stepping stones that highlight various aspects of the community at Lyngblomsten. On July 31, the campus celebrated that identity and community by placing the beautiful stepping stones in its newly landscaped entryway.

The residents at Lyngblomsten have been working on other art projects, as well, such as their heart art projects, which were displayed in the dining room as a reminder of the love that lives all around the campus.

Thank you to Lyngblomsten for your ongoing work to care for seniors and remind them of the love and community connection all around them!

Today’s Front Line Hero is Inspiritus, which is working around the clock to help stabilize individuals and families who are on the precipice of falling into economic hardship, and supporting foster children throughout the pandemic.

Inspiritus’ mission is to guide families and individuals on a path from surviving to thriving, and it works to empower people whose lives have been disrupted to discover their strengths and resilience. Formerly Lutheran Services of Georgia and Lutheran Services in Tennessee, Inspiritus provides services to families and children, individuals with intellectual disabilities, refugees, and people who are recovering from natural disasters.

The COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn have been challenging for many families across the nation, and Inspiritus is working tirelessly to provide financial aid and income supports with job coaching across the state of Georgia. The Inspiritus Financial Opportunity Center is providing resources and making efforts to halt eviction for hard working clients.

Inspiritus is also working to support foster children, and partnered with Ticket To Dream Foundation to provide foster children with the school supplies they need to succeed as they return to school. Though times are hard for many families, heroes continue to emerge such as the Inspiritus foster family in Atlanta who recently took in a family of seven foster children. Inspiritus is grateful for the heroes who allow the important work to continue.

Thank you to Inspiritus for your ongoing care for families, and to the Inspiritus community that supports the work!

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Josephine Caring Community, which is providing comfort to its residents and its community by sharing readings from Psalms.

Josephine Caring Community provides a home for seniors with services such as assisted living, transitional rehabilitation, and long-term care, as well as early learning and childcare. Located in Stanwood, WA, Josephine is committed to ensuring that no one in its community is left uncared for and aims to be a resource for all generations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left many people across the country and across the world feeling fearful and anxious. Josephine is helping address those feelings in its community by sharing readings from the book of Psalms. Josephine has posted multiple videos over the past months of its senior residents reading from Psalms. In the most recent video, the elders read Psalm 139, which is a reminder of God’s presence. Messages such as, “You have searched me and know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up…” serve as a reminder that we are not alone through this global pandemic, and offer comfort from the ancient book.

Thank you to Josephine Caring Community for engaging senior residents in readings of Psalms, and providing the larger community with messages of comfort through these difficult times.

By Caitlyn Gudmundsen, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC) has multiple senior living campuses across the Carolinas, which offer subsidized care to low-income seniors, as Medicaid does not cover the full cost of care. In early August, LSC broke ground on a new senior living campus that will help cover the cost of the care it provides to low-income seniors, as well as the supports LSC offers to foster children, refugees, and individuals with developmental disabilities.

The new Trinity Landing campus is expected to be completed by 2022, and is the result of a nearly 40-year-old dream that began with a donation to LSC from a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wilmington, NC. Trinity Landing will join the existing Trinity Grove to form a continuing Care Retirement Community, offering independent living and nursing home care.

The waterfront campus will include 124 apartments and 60 villas in the first phase of construction, followed by an additional 24 villas in the second phase. Trinity Landing is located on the Intracoastal Waterway, and will include a waterfront pavilion and dock with boat slips, as well as opportunities for physical activity, including walking and biking paths, boardwalks, and a kayak launch. Virtual tours have kept interest high, and Trinity Landing is already nearly 80% reserved.

Congratulations to Lutheran Services Carolinas, and thank you for your ongoing commitment to progress and serving your community!