Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota can now provide meals to more Minnesotans facing food insecurity thanks to a recent expansion of their commercial kitchen in Waterville.

A recent donation from Donald Nelson, of Northfield, allowed LSS to update the kitchen to meet a growing demand for meals during the state’s response to COVID-19. The site is now one of two Minnesota production kitchens for LSS Meals to Go – a service that prepares delicious homestyle frozen meals and ships them statewide. The other LSS Meals to Go site is Hilltop Regional Kitchen in Eagle Bend.

May is Foster Care Awareness Month and many children won’t be able to see their moms this Sunday for Mother’s Day due to restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Foster families are doing what they can, including Elbow Lake foster family Katelyn and Connor Grytdahl, who are taking care of four siblings between the ages of 2 and 10, alongside their own 7-month-old and 2-year-old.

The fence outside of The Reach Drop-In Center, known for holding donated scarves in the winter months now serves a new purpose during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week, one of the organization’s supporters reached out to see if they could donate face masks and hang them on the fence for those in need. Now The Reach says anyone who is sewing a mask can hang them on the fence for those in need to take.

The caregiving program at Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota is designed to support those dedicating their time to caring for a loved one.

However, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, that service has had to be put on hold.

“A caregiver is not getting a break. We talk a lot about caregiver burn out and that is just the total mental and emotional exhaustion of these caregivers,” said Lutheran Social Service’s Laura Rasmussen.

While the organization can no longer visit these homes, it has still managed to find a way to give these caregivers some relief.

Jodi Raidt, statewide manager with LSS Therapeutic Foster Care services, discussed how Minnesota's opioid crisis affects children in the state's foster care system on KTIS. 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES, suspends payments for all federally held student loans until Sept. 30, 2020. Interest rates on all federal student loans have also been reduced to zero until Sept. 30, 2020. But what if your student loans don't qualify? If you took out a private loan to pay for school, your loan is not included in the CARES Act.

If you have sewing skills, your talents are needed. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) is inviting Minnesotans to sew protective face masks to protect against sneezes and coughs to help safeguard people supported by the organization, employees, volunteers and the greater community. Please visit www.lssmn.org/sewmasks for information about patterns to use, where to mail or drop-off masks, and updates.

Minnesota college graduates carry the ninth highest average student loan debt nationwide, at $32,317 per student. For student loan borrowers, including those who have lost jobs or had work hours reduced recently, LSS Financial Counseling can help. The longtime, nonprofit financial counseling provider received a new grant from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education to expand repayment counseling for students who are worried about repaying their student loans.  

Members of Tapestry Interfaith Women, a Plymouth-based organization with a mission to promote religious understanding and friendship through dialogue between women and youth of different faiths and backgrounds, have rallied to bring joy to homeless youth. 

“We all need to feel that we are adding to the solution when a crisis hits us, and it’s hard to know where to begin until someone puts an idea on the table,” said Tapestry co-founder Peggy Fairbourne, who learned of the need from her daughter, who works for Lutheran Social Service.