December 2002

For 10 years, the LSS Sponsor A Family Program has helped make the holiday seasons brighter for over 1200 Twin Cities families in need. The commitment to share has helped us meet our neighbors' needs for food, clothing and holiday gifts. We are especially excited about this year's holiday season as Catholic Charities' Adopt-A-Family Program joins Lutheran Social Service in combining resources to serve over 3000 families in need. The new name for this project is "Family Friends Holiday Program." Click here to learn more!

"Whoever welcomes a child in my name, welcomes me." Matthew 18: 5  
In 1865, Pastor Eric Norelius of Vasa Lutheran Church near Red Wing, learned of four just-orphaned, Swedish immigrant siblings who were being temporarily sheltered in St. Paul. Recognizing the call to serve, the Vasa congregation brought the children to their church, remodeled its basement where the children could live, and arranged for a Swedish deaconess to serve as their teacher. Click here to read more!

Karen Johnson was just 10 months old, and the youngest of nine children, when her mother died. The father, at the time, was serving a jail sentence for abandoning the family, leaving the children to fend for themselves. Wanting to keep the family together, the oldest teens took turns skipping school to take care of the younger children. The children survived for nearly a year on their own with only their determination and what financial help the oldest, a 21-year-old brother, Larry, could provide. Click here to read more!

Kids are referred to the Youth Intervention Project in Sherburne County because they are not attending school, but Sarah Meisinger, program manager, will be the first to tell you that the reasons those kids are in her program are "typically not about truancy." For many kids, truancy can indicate at-risk behaviors and/or difficult family circumstances. Click here to learn more!

Jeff and Suzie Blake became involved with the LSS Treatment Foster Care Program in 1999, after they found out they were not able to have children. With a large house on 29 acres of land near Becker, Minn., they had lots of resources, but more importantly, they had lots of love to give. Click here to read more!

On Thursdays, it's give-back day. That's when the girls in recovery at LSS Nord House in Golden Valley pile in the van and head to a volunteer activity in the community. Laura Robertson, 19, a graduate of Nord House, remembers those days well. In fact, service to the community is a basic building block in her ongoing recovery. Click here to find out more!

In our August issue of Changing Lives, we shared a story about Incarnation Lutheran Church and their dream to build a safe haven for young mothers with children who are surviving on our city streets. The dream is becoming reality. It is called Life Haven. Hear, from a personal perspective, why members have galvanized their support and become passionate about Life Haven. Click here to learn more!

Camp Knutson completed another fantastic year of service to persons with special needs. Click here for some of the highlights!