Author: Punch Robinson

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Family Services of Virginia (LFSVA), which is dedicated to ensuring children in their community have the resources they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lutheran Family Services of Virginia has been providing support and services to children, families, and adults for 130 years. Their services include helping children in foster care find temporary or permanent families, adoption counseling, services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and supporting children with behavioral challenges. Though COVID-19 has changed the way LFSVA delivers services, they have been committed to continuing to support their community with services through telehealth.

One of the ways LFSVA supports children with behavioral challenges is through their six Minnick Schools across the commonwealth, which help students age 5 to 22 find success in the classroom. The Minnick Schools offer highly trained educators and treatment specialists to meet unique needs of many children the public educational system cannot address. In addition to teaching the state’s educational curriculum, the Minnick Schools help students learn about behavior choices, how to make positive decisions, and how to respond to stress and challenging situations.

Though the Minnick Schools are closed in accordance with Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s order, the teachers are still committed to serving the students. Many families are struggling with food security during the COVID-19 pandemic, so Minnick School teachers have been delivering food to their students. The teachers are wearing masks and keeping safe distances from the students while they work to ensure children in their community have the resources they need.

Thank you to LFSVA for your commitment to ensuring your community is resourced by offering telehealth services and food delivery!

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Social Services of New York (LSSNY), which is recognizing the unsung heroes of the pandemic.

Lutheran Social Services of New York has been operating at the heart of the pandemic over the last few months, and has continued its much-needed services during the crisis. LSSNY continues to serve its community, including the formerly homeless, people struggling with addiction, the newcomer, people living with mental illness, families who are food insecure, and children in foster care. Though many services remain closed as New York battles COVID-19, LSSNY feels its duty is to meet the community’s needs by providing essential support during the pandemic.

We often hear about the work and sacrifices of medical workers on the front lines, but we rarely hear about the hard work and essential services of maintenance workers, case managers, custodial workers, and childcare providers. LSSNY CEO Damyn Kelly is making a concerted effort to recognize the work of the unsung heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic. LSSNY is highlighting essential workers with profiles on its website and in newsletters, and elevating the workers’ commitment to service. Custodial workers, for example, are crucial to the health and safety of the community. However, they cannot work from home, and are risking their health and safety to ensure the virus does not spread. LSSNY case managers are on the front lines, making sure that vulnerable populations in New York have the resources they need, especially during these trying times.

“I have always told staff that they were essential and that it was because of them that we [LSSNY] existed,” said Kelly. “So as a result, when the governor announced the Stay in Place order…calling our workers essential, I immediately sent out an email to the staff saying the governor has recognized what I’ve been telling you since the beginning.”

Thank you to LSSNY for your continued service in New York, and for recognizing the unsung heroes who make that service possible.

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota, which is providing translation services at drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites.

When Smithfield Foods saw a COVID-19 outbreak at their plant in Sioux Falls, SD, the state, Avera Medical Group, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the South Dakota National Guard worked together to set up a drive-thru test site in a local high school parking lot. The collaboration recognized the importance of protective gear to keep the testing site workers and patients safe, but there were other important factors to ensure the testing site was successful.

The Sioux Falls COVID-19 drive-thru testing site had a full fleet of interpreters present, including Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota case worker, Adane Redda. Redda is originally from Ethiopia, and speaks several languages. The interpreters were crucial in collecting important information about each patient, and bridging gaps in communications. Redda said he finds this work rewarding, and is glad to be helpful during the COVID-19 outbreak. Public health officials were grateful for the interpreters from Lutheran Social Services, and anticipate that drive-thru testing sites will become more prevalent, and they will continue to value the important work of language interpreters.

Thank you to Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota for serving your community’s various needs through the COVID-19 pandemic, and for working to ensure that everyone, regardless of language has access to care!

Today’s Front Line Hero is Liberty Lutheran and their dedicated staff at the Artman senior living community.

Liberty Lutheran’s Artman senior living community is located in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1916 as Artman Lutheran Home, the community stands as a leader in personal care and skilled nursing services that draw from a rich faith-based tradition of high-quality compassionate care. As part of the Liberty Lutheran family of services, Artman is also proud to have been included on U.S. News and World Report’s Best Short-Term Rehabilitation list.

At Artman, residents are encouraged to live life to the fullest every day. With this in mind, the staff goes above and beyond to surpass the expectations of residents and family members. By emphasizing possibilities, not limitations, the team at Artman builds positive relationships with residents and families that create a sense of warmth and family.

This type of dedication and commitment has been reinforced since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past several months, Artman has instituted a series of practices and procedures to keep residents safe within their homes, while also providing fulfilling opportunities for residents to do from within their apartments.

“I am so grateful to the team here at Artman,” says Artman’s executive director, Janet Lorenzon. “We are truly blessed to have the support of so many talented and caring people. I see the impact they make in the smiles and positive attitudes of our residents. We are getting through these extraordinary times together thanks to the contributions of so many.”

Thank you to the staff at Artman for personifying compassion and care for the people you serve and for one another. Lutheran Services in America is proud to highlight your work as a source for home and peace of mind for older adults and their families.