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We stand united as people of faith in our commitments to welcome the stranger and to care for the most vulnerable – commitments rooted in our common understanding of our Creator’s love for all and call to serve our neighbors.

In these overlapping holy days of Purim, Lent, and Ramadan, we join our voices together to express our grave concern for the individuals and families seeking refuge in this country. We are particularly devastated and concerned for the welfare of the thousands of refugees who were approved and even ready for travel, only to have their plane tickets taken away.

For more than four decades, our faith-rooted organizations have partnered with the US government to ensure that people forced to flee their country because of conflict, violence, or persecution are vetted and arrive legally, to be welcomed in this country with services to meet their basic needs.

The recent US State Department termination of cooperative agreements with the 10 national resettlement agencies in the US has made already-at-risk people even more vulnerable. We urge all people of faith and goodwill to join us in advocating with our elected leaders for our partnerships with the government to be restored so that we can fully work with those we are called to serve.

We invite you to join us in prayer for all people who are forced to flee home. May they know our deep and abiding commitment to their lives and well-being.

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The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Alesia Frerichs, President & CEO, Lutheran Services in America

Myal Greene, President & CEO, World Relief

Mark Hetfield, President, HIAS

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President, Union for Reform Judaism

The Rev. Walter Kim, President, National Association of Evangelicals

Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive, Central Conference of American Rabbis

Kerry Alys Robinson, President & CEO, Catholic Charities USA

Basharat Saleem, Executive Director, Islamic Society of North America

Richard L. Santos, President & CEO, Church World Service

Ahmed Shehata, Chief Executive Officer, Islamic Relief USA

The Rev. Sarah Shipman, Director, Episcopal Migration Ministries

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President & CEO, Global Refuge

About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is one of the nation’s largest national networks of health and human service providers with a mission to cultivate caring communities that advance health and opportunity for all Americans. With 300 nonprofit organizations across 1,400 U.S. communities, the Lutheran Services in America network works to improve outcomes for children, youth and families, improves independence and choice for older adults, champions meaningful services and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and strengthens stability and purpose for veterans and others. Formed in 1997, Lutheran Services in America brings together a network of leaders, partners and funders to catalyze innovation, strengthen organizational capacity and advance public policy.

WASHINGTON — Alesia Frerichs, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America, issued the following statement in response to today’s Senate budget reconciliation vote with significant cuts to Medicaid:

“You don’t notice Medicaid until the prescription goes unfilled, the home aide stops coming, or your aging parent has nowhere to go. Every day, our network helps people hold their lives together. Today’s vote in the Senate will make that work harder.

“Lutheran Services in America serves one in 50 people in this country, many of whom are older adults, people with disabilities, and families navigating complex health challenges. This bill, while offering tax relief to some, does so by cutting Medicaid, a program that helps 70 million Americans access health care and live with dignity.

“We are disappointed by the direction this legislation has taken. It reflects a growing disconnect between federal budget decisions and the lived realities of those we serve every day. Cuts and added barriers will jeopardize care for millions and put even more pressure on the nonprofit providers working on the front lines.

“We remain committed to lifting up the voices of our national network and to working with leaders across the political spectrum to ensure policy decisions reflect our shared duty to care for one another.

“We stand firm in our mission and will continue to advocate for the people who depend on us most.

#MedicaidMatters #SocialImpact #FaithInAction #CommunityCare #HereWeStand

WASHINGTON — Lutheran Services in America announces the expansion of its Rural Aging Action Network to four additional communities that will reach more underserved older adults and family caregivers. This expansion is made possible through a partnership with Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

Lutheran Services in America leads the Rural Aging Action Networks, a national collaborative dedicated to expanding sustainable services and supports, for older adults who are underserved in rural communities. The Rural Aging Action Network is rooted in Lutheran Services in America’s collaborative learning model, which aims to strengthen the capacity of rural leaders through facilitated peer exchange, training, new partnerships, leveraging of shared resources, and learning and evaluation. Through the Rural Aging Action Network collaborative, Lutheran Services in America brings investment and visibility to older adults and to the unique joys and challenges of aging in rural America.

The Rural Aging Action Network mobilizes local partners to address social isolation and barriers to care in rural communities. In the expansion, the Rural Aging Action Network will introduce a targeted focus on meeting the needs of family caregivers, employing a “whole family” approach to care coordination and service delivery.

“By expanding to new communities and deepening our focus on family caregivers, we are ensuring that more older adults living in truly rural communities — and those who support them — have access to essential services that enhance wellbeing, independence and choice,” said Alesia Frerichs, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America.

Through the work of participating organizations — Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota, Missouri Slope in North Dakota, and St. John’s United and Immanuel Living in Montana — the expansion includes Otter Tail County in Minnesota, Oliver County in North Dakota, and Hutchinson and Bon Homme Counties in South Dakota. The Rural Aging Action Network is currently active in Clay, Traverse and Wilkin Counties in Minnesota; Flathead, Missoula and Ravalli Counties in Montana; Burleigh, Cass, McLean, Morton and Ransom Counties in North Dakota; and Charles Mix and Douglas Counties in South Dakota.

The announcement coincides with the release of a new evaluation report about the Rural Aging Action Network that was created in partnership with the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston. The report highlights the effectiveness of the Rural Aging Action Network model in improving access to care and fostering community-based solutions.

In addition to the report, Lutheran Services in America recently released new entries into its “Coming Together: Aging in Rural America” video series, which chronicles the stories of older adults, family caregivers and community partners in the rural Midwest. Produced in partnership with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and Dash Media, these firsthand accounts show the challenges and opportunities of aging in rural America.

About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is one of the nation’s largest national networks of health and human service providers with a mission to cultivate caring communities that advance health and opportunity for all Americans. With 300 nonprofit organizations across 1,400 U.S. communities, the Lutheran Services in America network works to improve outcomes for children, youth and families, improves independence and choice for older adults, champions meaningful services and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and strengthens stability and purpose for veterans and others. Formed in 1997, Lutheran Services in America brings together a network of leaders, partners and funders to catalyze innovation, strengthen organizational capacity and advance public policy.