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Faith in the City
When seven major Lutheran
organizations decided to work together for the common good, all of
those involved saw great potential. Now, after five years, there are
new services and fascinating opportunities for volunteers, students
and those who may need assistance. The common denominator is faith -
faith-based organizations, and an inherent faith in the cities where
they are located.
"Faith in the City
partner organizations believe it is important for faith to be a key
element of how business is conducted," said John Wollner, director of
corporate relations for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent is
one of seven major Lutheran institutions in Minneapolis and St. Paul
working together, through Faith in the City, for the well-being of the
community. The other six partners are Augsburg College; Augsburg
Fortress Publishers; Central Lutheran Church; Fairview Health
Services; Luther Seminary, and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota.
Here are two examples of Faith in the City accomplishments so far.
Both are located at the LSS service center in the Phillips
Neighborhood in Minneapolis.
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The
Wellness Connection
Omar Shamun was
shot in the stomach during the civil war in Somalia. A large
triangular scar sits above his right eyebrow, as a result of
falling after being shot. Shamun, his wife, and five
children applied to immigrate to the United States, seeking
safety. While waiting in a Kenyan refugee camp to immigrate,
Shamun's wife died. He and his children came to Minnesota in
May, 2004.
A few months
later, in September 2004, Faith in the City opened the
Wellness Connection at Lutheran Social Service, 2414 Park
Ave., in Minneapolis. The Center's purpose is to increase
health awareness and wellness among Somali immigrant and
other high-risk populations in the Phillips and surrounding
neighborhoods. The Center is designed to help clients
develop healthy lifestyles, identify their health needs, and
connect with needed services. The free Center is open from
12:30-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
According to Diane Waarvik, Wellness Connection director:
"In Somalia, when people are sick, they go to the hospital.
They are not used to having primary care doctors. As a
result, Somali immigrants tend to go to the emergency room
when they need any medical care. We teach them how to access
the health care system in a way that will reduce costs,
overall, and provide better ongoing care."
Shamun was
one of the Wellness Connection's first clients. Fadumo Abdi,
a community outreach health worker at the Center, helped him
find a surgeon to operate on his ear to improve his hearing.
She accompanies him as a translator on doctor visits. Shamun
says, "Until I die, I will never forget the kindness and
help I have received in this place."
The Wellness Connection, a collaborative initiative of Faith
in the City, is sponsored by Fairview Health Services,
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, and Bethlehem Lutheran
Church in Minneapolis, and includes partners from
congregations, community services agencies and health care
providers.
Linda
Packard, director of Community Health at Fairview Health
Services, said: "We wanted to provide help to people who had
poor access to health care. We were considering opening a
free medical clinic, but when we conducted the research, we
found that many medical services already were available, but
recent immigrants didn't know how to connect with them."
Faith in the
City focused instead on helping people learn about health
and about how to connect with medical services. Fairview is
providing a scholarship to Abdi and to another Wellness
Connection staff member to receive training for their health
care worker certification. |
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Personal
Finance Center
Betty Cooks, who
lives in the Phillips neighborhood, came to the Personal
Finance Center to get help doing her taxes. The free tax
preparation service is offered on Tuesdays from 5:30-8:00
p.m., February 1 through April 12, at the Personal Finance
Center, located at Lutheran Social Service, 2414 Park Ave.,
in Minneapolis.
Cooks said: "It is a blessing that this is a free service.
The volunteers helped me out and saved me a lot of money. My
tax refund will be bigger than I expected." She said that
her refund will make a big difference "because my two kids
are trying to go to college."
Wayne Bjorlie,
a volunteer at the Center, completed her tax form, which
then was reviewed by another volunteer, a tax expert.
Bjorlie said that, by itemizing, Cooks was able to get a
bigger refund than if she had used the standard deduction.
Bjorlie said: "I like to help people avoid having to pay a
fee to get their taxes done."
To be
eligible for the free tax preparation service, individual
income must be $26,000 or less and family income must not be
more than $36,000.
The Personal
Finance Center is a project sponsored by Faith in the City,
a collaborative of seven Twin Cities Lutheran institutions.
The lead partners in the Center are Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. Other
Faith in the City members are Augsburg College; Augsburg
Fortress Publishers; Central Lutheran Church; Fairview
Health Services, and Luther Seminary. They work
collaboratively, through Faith in the City projects, to have
a bigger impact overall on the well-being of the community.
Additional services will be offered by the Personal Finance
Center later this summer: savings programs and education in
financial topics, such as budgeting and credit counseling,
and access to computers, with links to respected financial
institutions. |
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